Comedy show to promote heritage and cultural tourism in Nigeria

The Niger Delta people of Urhobo and Isoko extraction have teamed up with Africa Travel Times to host an epoch-making event – an evening of entertainment featuring comedy, music, cultural displays, an

The Niger Delta people of Urhobo and Isoko extraction have teamed up with Africa Travel Times to host an epoch-making event – an evening of entertainment featuring comedy, music, cultural displays, and art exhibition.

Tagged the Urhobo/Isoko Comedy All Stars show, it is a forum for unifying the people of the region, according to ace comedian and co-program organizer, Atunyota Akporobomerere (Ali Baba).

Billed for October 25, the show will feature comedy icons from the region – Ali Baba, Gordons I-Go-Die and Bovi in comedy, Daddy Showkey, and Dr. Sid in music and arts.

Organizers say the show is an avenue for showcasing the rich culture of the Delta people and celebrating their achievements nationally and internationally.

According to eTN Ambassador Lucky Onoriode George of Africa Travel Times, who is the initiator of the project, the choice of comedy as the handle for the show is due to the fact that the countryโ€™s foremost comedians, at this time, are from that axis and are tagged the โ€œGolden Generation.โ€

โ€œIf you take a look at the entertainment landscape, you will see that the big names are either Urhobos or Isokos. Is it Ali Baba or Gordons, I-Go-Die or Sammy Okposu? Name them; they are all from that region,โ€ he said.

โ€œThis is an opportunity to celebrate these great achievers and to call on Nigerians to celebrate with us,โ€ he submitted.

He said that the event will have artists/comedians including Ali Baba, Gordons, I-Go-Die, Bovi, Ogus and their associates comedians/artist like AY, Akpororo, and Don Jazzy.

It will also feature cultural displays, oral tradition, and music by traditional and contemporary artistes such as Johnson Adjan (Ogbu โ€˜ri ne), Okpan Arhibo, Daddy Showkey, and Dr. Sid as well as sculpture and paintings from the area.

The Urhobo and Isoko people of the Delta state have several things in common, apart from the similarity in the languages and cultures, the ethnic nationalities have lived side-by-side for centuries. Inter-marriages and mongrelization is common among them.

In the last 30 years, the two nationalities have been at the heart of Nigeriaโ€™s entertainment industry, especially Nollywood and comedy.

From almost nothing, the Urhobos and Isokos have made the people proud by making comedy a lucrative occupation for hundreds of men and women across the country that otherwise would have been jobless.

Jude โ€œAway Awayโ€ Onakpoma, followed by Ali Baba, both Urhobos paved the way. Several others have also hit the road and carved niches for themselves โ€“ Gordons, I-Go-Die, Onobrakpeya, the Ejiros, the Amatas, Mofe Damijo, Mudi (fashion) and several others in the music industry are all very successful brands from that region.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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