Stand up comedian, IGOSAVE relives how his career began with N80 show


My career started with N80 showIGOSAVE, Stand up comedian

By Samod Biobaku

Sixthsense34@yahoo.com

Unlike most young entertainers today, who are apparently overwhelmed by the fame, wealth and razzmatazz that form monuments of the global entertainment industry, popular stand up comedian, IGOSAVE (born Otaghware Otas Onodjayeke) had a different kind of beginning.

Back then, he began his brand of comedy by memorizing jokes as a comic presenter on DRTV in Warri with his friend.

He broke through the ranks and files of established comedians in 2000 at Opa Williams’ ‘Night of a Thousand Laughs.’

He joined a social variety club and became the club’s official comedian where he told jokes and also did a comical news presentation.

IGOSAVE did a couple of other shows but in 1996, he performed at a show at Ogulagha in Delta State and was paid N80 for his effort.

From this point, his career began to take proper shape and today, the rest is history as made manifest from his rising profile and awards that line his walls.

In this interview, the comedian spoke about his wife; within and outside the walls of comedy, his achievements and other issues.

In 2009, the comedian launched his comedy show, ‘IGOSAVE UNUSUAL.’

Over the years, he has won series of awards; some of which include ‘Daniel Merit Award for Best Youth Comedian, Pink Awards for Comedian of the Year, Akwaba Awards Ghana for Comedian of the Year, Nidoe Spain Honourary Award for Nigerian Comedy, NDAA Comedian of the Year and many others.

He also featured in two Nollywood comedy flicks titled Warri Connection and My House Help.

The 32-year-old comedian hails from Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, attended the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi where he studied Painting and General Arts.

Recalling how his dad always reminded him that he was always funny as a teenager, he narrated how it all started by brining his peers together and rendering moonlight stories. “This encompassed my daily life and it got to a stage when even when I was not in the mood for moonlight tales, my peers would contribute their coins together in a bid to spur him into action. “I go Dye and I worked together for years although we got paid sometimes while at other times, all we got was the money we were sprayed at events. In 1996, we did a show at Ogulagha in Delta state and we were paid N80 for a mock news performance. This mock news metamorphosed into stand-up comedy, which began paying more.

His show, IGOSAVE Unusual debuted in 2009 with acts like Ali Baba, I Go Dye, Basketmouth, Gordons, Klint Da Drunk, Timaya, M.I, AY and others. IGOSAVE spoke about the concept of the show and its impact. “The show transformed the concept of shows in Edo State and even the South-South because it paraded different comic and music acts. We did the show targeting 2, 500 people but we ended up having over 4, 000 people to entertain. The 2nd edition in 2010 was even bigger and better although finance was a problem as it was self sponsored. To achieve what I really wanted, I needed about N13 million or more and needed to raise the bar for the second edition yet I had no sponsor. The 2011 edition will by God’s grace be class redefined as I am bringing in comedians from U.K. and South Africa.”

To distinguish himself from others, IGOSAVE said, “I am a brand that does common things uncommonly well. I deliver my jokes with a lot of energy and I stress on the things I talk about on stage. If I have three persons involved in a particular joke, I try to portray and demonstrate the three persons in such a way the audience would feel they are actually seeing the three on stage.”

Performing on the same stage with American acts like Joe, Akon, Busta Rhymes as well as performing all over Europe and U.K remain the highest points of his career.

When asked if he was in a relationship, he said, “…maybe I do but I will never tell and don’t even push further because I won’t tell you.”

Interestingly, he looks forward to a day when he would have his own 24hours comedy satellite TV station and have the likes of Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock performing at his show.

If he hadn’t been a comedian, IGOSAVE said he would have preferred professional football.

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