Entertainment Update: Making of skits, Funny Joke, Comic videos all known as Comedy Is Business And Not Fiesta. that’s according to MC Grandpapa
Ameh Suleiman Sule, popularly known by his stage name Mc Grandpapa, is an award-winning comedian from Kogi State. His comedy addresses societal ills, he also speaks on why he does original skits.
Weekend Magazine: How did your comedy career begin?
Ameh Suleiman Sule: I began my comedy career through watching ‘Night of a Thousand Laugh’ which happened to be a great comedy show on screen. I was enticed by the performance of senior comedians at the show. I decided to venture into it, and I started trying it at club meetings in my secondary school days. I was getting it right little by little. I then gathered other like minds and colleagues, and we began writing to schools and colleges to come and entertain them.
I came up with the idea because we needed to build ourselves, and surprisingly it worked. From there I started creating more contents I am very funny on stage and on set, but in real life I am very humble and quiet.
How do you get your comedy ideas?
Sule: I get ideas sometimes from situations/events happening around me. Other times, I get content through imagination. That is, I just think of some imaginable or unimaginable things and try to make a joke out of it. Trending news is also a hub for new content, and all that. So, ideas keep coming from different angles. Again, whenever I watch my role model(s) perform, I usually develop new content and navigate my own angle from the performance. Above all, I look up to God to keep giving me new ideas.
WM: Did you originally plan on becoming a comedian or were you compelled by some factors to become one?
Sule: I was not compelled by any factor. I have a BSc in Accounting from the Kogi State University, and often joke with the following statement – “I am an accountant by profession but became a comedian due to lack of job”. But that is a joke. I have always loved comedy and nothing could divert me from it. I have a passion for it and I’m doing it with all I have. Comedy then became a serious business for me and not just a jamboree. Moreover, since I put smile on peoples’ faces through it, it gives me satisfaction. Hence, making a living through comedy is seen as a great achievement to me because this is who and what I want to be.
WM: Why did you choose skit comedy over stand-up comedy since your motivation was ‘Night of a Thousand Laugh’, which is a stand-up comedy show?
Sule: No, I am not just a skit comedian. I started as a stand-up comedian and combined it with being a compere which we popularly call Master of Ceremony (MC). I was doing that many years before I began comedy videos. I began shooting comedy videos in 2015, that was after my graduation from the university. I was doing English comedy videos until 2019 when I used Igala language in my video for the first time which was tagged ‘ÓLA XENOPHOBIA’. That practically changed the narrative for me. It became another considerable breakthrough and I have developed more ideas after that. So, in a nutshell I am a stand-up comedian as well, and I have had good deliveries over the years at any event I perform as a comedian.
WM: Apart from comedy, what other aspect of entertainment are you into?
Sule: Apart from comedy, I can dance and sing. I even started entertainment with music, until a friend of mine told me my comedy was better than the music I was doing. So, I decided to drop music and continue with comedy. I still dance to entertain audience during my stage performances. I am a complete entertainer since I do almost everything in entertainment, apart from DJ work.
WM: What are the challenges you face in your comedy career/production?
Sule: Talking about challenges, they do not stop coming. Most of the challenges in comedy career is platforms. My career as a comedian has faced many challenges like limited platforms. I need to be frequently attending events and entertaining people. But it is limited because I need to get wider recognition. Another one is lack of financial support. If individuals and group/government can invest in me, I will do better than I have done. Again, sophisticated equipment to shoot videos is another challenge. Nonetheless, I have been working with some group of friends who are very supportive in their own little way. By and large, I have good set of friends in the entertainment industry, and it is always a great experience working with them. Permit me to say I have the best crew for now.
