A Birthday Tribute To Alibaba At 50 By Bovi

OCT 30th, 2005…. Around 10pm; alibaba walked up to me and said “you’re funny. You should do standup comedy. You’re funnier than many of the guys already out there. You even funny pass *************” . Well, it wasn’t until 2008 I chose to make the very bold move. 3 years later. In those three years I had had trouble sleeping each night I watched other comedians.

And his words echoed repeatedly in my head. The night he saw me, it was at an arts exhibition. The mc was doing a bad job. There was an interlude. But there was nothing to fill the space. So I grabbed the mic, blood rushing to my head and started to blurt out the few jokes I knew. It was the first audience in lagos I had ever faced as a standup comedian (save for a private party in December 2004). The audience stared at me, either out of pity or curiosity. But not out of interest. The jokes were funny but I wasn’t. However the bespectacled alibaba looked on with his hand to his chin and a permanent smile. He was the only source of encouragement in this firing squad. Soon it was over and just as the event rounded off and guests made their way outside, he walked up to me and said those words I will never forget . “You’re funny….” Happy 50th birthday to @alibabagcfr .