Hours with Veteran Actor, BABASALA At 77

Talks About His New Life in ILESHA

And How He Runs His C & S Church

His name is synonymous with Comedy in Nigeria. Many of those who watched TV in the 70s and 80s will still remember him vividly. Everyone simply called him Baba Sala. His stage name was Lamidi Sanni alias Baba Sala. But his real name is Moses Adejumo Olaiya (MON). He was the undisputed King of Comedy on TV and on Stage with his big signboard-like Bow-tie and Table clock size wristwatch.

He was more than that. He was a dramatist, singer and Yoruba actor who was regarded as one of the fathers of modern Nigerian comedy. That’s why many believe that the history of Comedy, TV drama and Stage play in Nigeria cannot be written without highlighting his contribution.



In those good old days, at 7pm every Wednesday night on NTA Ibadan, many people in Ibadan and all its surrounding towns and villages, in the South West, usually would rush home to watch his Alawada Comedy Show.

He, along with other dramatists like late Hubert Ogunde, Kola Ogunmola, Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo and many more, helped to popularize Theatre and Television acting in Nigeria.

So successful did he become that his name became so popular all over Nigeria and he got a National Award of MON.

But he suffered a little set back when he dabbled into film production and produced his first film Orun Mooru, which was pirated before he could make his money back.

One of his 4 tapes was stolen and mass produced. He lost so much money and had to sell off 2 of his houses which he used as collateral for the N500,000 loan he got for the project from National Bank.

So devastated was Baba Sala that he nearly committed Suicide. That was then.



“Acting is in my blood. If I have to act, I can still act”.

Not many know that he started out in life as a civil servant – a sanitary Inspector. After work, he would shed off his sanitary inspection (Wole Wole) garments and go for teaching part-time work in the evenings.

Late evenings, he would go round town collecting daily thrift contribution (popularly called Ajo by Yorubas).

Late in the night, he would transform and this time, into a highlife musician. Baba Sala started his career as a highlife musician, in 1964 with a group known as The Federal Rhythm Dandies where he tutored and guided Juju music maestro, king Sunny Ade who was Baba Sala’s lead guitarist.

So the story of King Sunny Ade is incomplete without the mention of ‘Baba Sala’

KSA commenced his music career under the tutelage of the then Moses Olaiya Orchestra, a high life musical group, where he picked up his talent as a music future hope. The group later deviated to Theatre act.

Read More:http://naija366.com/i-had-16-wives-but-only-4-are-leftbabasala/

16 is too much dude.

Gone are the days when we used to watch baba sala's comedy on tv with karile and adelove mostly B.COS around 10pm and NTA Ibadan!

Still can remember the big bournvita called 'Epon baba sala'!

Baba sala with the big 'gobble' on his eyes, signboard size bowtie and the pipe in his mouth was inseparable from comedy back then!

Some men just want to dig their graves by themselves.Handling just 2 is stressful talk less 16.He should be glad some left.

The best comedian in Nigeria history. Simply the best .Numero uno.

Thiz man haz tried.

Interesting!! He even tutored KSA .. How come I never heard of him? Hmmmm