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Tag: Bimbo Manuel

  • Bimbo Manuel: It’s hard to compare old Nollywood to new

    Bimbo Manuel: It’s hard to compare old Nollywood to new

    Bimbo Manuel is a veteran Nigerian actor, who kicked off his career in entertainment on radio. Not many of his fans know that the actor is a writer and producer who specialises in various theatre and stage plays. Manuel has become a standout film star, who selects his scripts but delivers sterling performances at all times. The actor spoke with The Nation’s ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, GBENGA BADA, on various issues.

    Did you start with theatre and with the stage or with TV?

    Actually, I started on Radio. Yes. I started on Radio and then I went to the television before I went to theatre school. And from theatre school it was a mixed bag at the beginning because I was combining everything, I was working on stage, I was working in front of a camera, NTA was the only employer of labour at that time and I was also doing voice-overs.

    Back then the theatre was very big, in fact from what I know about the history of Nollywood, most of the film thing, before it became film, started from this Alarinjo theatre group where they move around, but now I see that in the last decade there has been a sudden resurgence of the theatre. Why do you think this is so and which do you prefer to work, live stage or film?

    Okay, I’ll take the second question last. It’s a tough choice really because there are different art forms. In front of a camera, film and television drama, you can go quickly, be done with it and move to the next job. Stage you have to leave it, you have to leave it and it gives you a bit more, I think, a bit more room to express your craft, to actually grow your craft, so I honestly don’t have any preference. I enjoy both of them for different reasons.

    I hear a lot of people say that there are a lot of plastic actors on TV and film, but when you want to know a real actor, he must be on stage.

    I don’t think that necessarily applies to everybody. In the first place, I don’t know what the interpretation of plastic actors is on television and on film. I honestly don’t know what that means because it’s either an actor has given a true representation of the character he’s supposed to be playing or not. There is no ‘nearly’ in acting. It’s either you’re it or you’re not it. So if they’re talking about some actors not being believable in film and television, it’s a totally different thing entirely. Theater, because it is live and there is no room for correction, no second take, no ‘let’s do it again,’ it’s what you have that you deliver on the spot. It is as is. It tends to put the actor on his toes. You’re more mentally alert. You’re more mentally ready to do it. And I think the serious actor really should be able to carry the same discipline over into other art forms, whether it is radio, whether it is film, whether it is television. It should be able to go from one medium to another.

    A lot of people believe that people tend to run away, except those who really have passion for the arts. A lot of people tend to run away from the theater because they believe that film pays better and that with film, it’s less time consuming. You just do it and move on to the next one. But with stage, you have to rehearse. Is that true?

    Yes. It can be tempting, honestly, to work on film and to work television because, like you said, you spend less time going in and out of a character and you’re done with the projects they pay you off. And the pay is even higher, to be fair. However, I think it will be very easy for your craft to be dulled at the edges. You can become a bit soft. If nothing serious, like a stage, challenges you, you can quickly lose your edge. If you’re just working exclusively on film, on television, there’s nothing that pushes you. That extra nudge, something that takes you towards excellence. You know that you cannot fail because there is no second chance. It’s as you go on, that you’re going naked. The audience is waiting, you’re getting your reaction instantly from them. Unlike in film and television when you can go out and read your disgrace on social media. Stage is different. So I would say that in that regard, yes, stage does have an advantage. And it is very tempting to work in audiovisual, very, very.

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    Before we move on to talk about the Lagos International Theater Festival, would we say that we can advocate the current interest in stage to people like Aunty Joke, Bolanle Austin Peters, because at some point, nobody was thinking about stage again until those are the prominent ones I hear about. Can we say they are the ones that helped to bring back stage?

    There is no doubt about it. There is no doubt that we must acknowledge these people that you mentioned and some others. Late Wole Okutokun was a critical part of that renaissance. He was big on it. He was one of the first people that I would mention when we talk about the renaissance of the theater in Nigeria now. Because he just never gave up. He did different things that many people sneered at, were sure it would fail and so on. But he kept on. He kept on. Joke has also been critical to that renaissance. Bolanle Austin Peters keyed into that renaissance, that movement, very early. Very, very early. And I think a lot of credit should go to her. She’s invested her time and money. She’s invested her contacts. She’s invested her goodwill. She’s raised the theater. No matter how critical we are of anything that anybody is doing in theater today, I think they should be given their stripes. They deserve to be celebrated. Because theater died. As I was saying at a conference yesterday, the theater didn’t just slump. It died entirely. Entirely. People who trained for theater did not have jobs for a long time. A lot of them went to bank. Some even went back to their villages. I saw one, he relocated to Ghana. That was the kind of impact that that death of performances had on the people who work in the sector of entertainment. But suddenly, some of them are coming back. And suddenly again, theater is now employing from film. You find a lot of celebrities who are now performing on stage. Those people you mentioned and quite a few other people deserve to be celebrated for that renaissance.

    Let’s talk about the Lagos International Theater Festival. How long has it been on?

    This is the first edition. This is the maiden edition of the Lagos International Theater Festival. This is the first one. People are coming from across the world. I know about South Africa. I know that some are coming from the USA. A couple of other places. There are five centers. Four centers where it should be happening. All of them are iconic. There is Muson, where my play is going to play. There is Glover Hall. There is the University of Lagos and the Terraculture, of course.

    What necessitated the choice or the decision to hold the Lagos International Theater Festival?

    It is overdue. It is overdue. Most civilizations of the world, that have any theater culture, usually have a gathering. Usually, an annual gathering of people who work in that sector. Because it gives visibility to the things that people are doing in little corners across cities, across the country, and so they can come together and they can attract their theater audience. That’s a very big reason. Number two is that there is nothing of this scale that can be calendared in the Nigerian entertainment annual calendar. That people can come from everywhere, from across the world, to say, there is going to be a theater festival in Lagos, in Nigeria. It goes beyond Lagos. This could be happening in Akwa Ibon states, but we need to have that kind of… There was, of course, Lagos Theater Festival, and there is the Lagos Fringe Festival. But this has a global coloration to it because there are contributors from everywhere across the world. There were many who would even have come if time and logistics had permitted, I’m sure. So it’s become quite necessary for it to become a calendared event. Part of that end-of-year thing. This is the theater season in Nigeria from, say, September, October until January. This is our season. And I think it is just right that, again, it is situated smack in that season. So it’s been very necessary. Everybody else has it, but beyond anybody else having it, we do not have anything that we can use as well to attract the global audience to theater in Nigeria.

    Would it be right to say one of the major reasons theater died at that time was the lack of infrastructure facilities, to be precise? I remember very well that for a long time it was only the National Theatre before Muson Center came on and Terraculture, and Glover Hall was now changed and all. But would it be right to say the lack of those facilities to promote theater actually contributed to the death at that time?

    That’s just spot on. Because the people who play theater, even people who were playing it at that time, never had the kind of resources that would allow them to enter a place like Muson to go and perform plays. The money to do it was beyond them. So it was only the National Theatre that they had access to on some kind of bargain deal. Okay, if 20 people enter, we get 50 percent. All kinds of arrangements that just enabled them to be able to continue to engage. There was nowhere else. Terraculture had not come into existence. Glover was absolutely dead back then. Even the National Theatre was falling apart. Muson was too expensive and too exclusive for everyone, you know. But when theater gradually came back, some of those issues were fixed, it looked like they were just organic solutions. Bolanle came with her passion for theater and then she developed Terraculture.

    Terraculture then became the vanguard of that renaissance. Muson started to allow plays, beyond just music which was built for, they started to allow plays to be performed in the space, to engage the space. The legal state government gave money to revive and renovate Glover Hall. And now the National Theatre is back as well. Another couple of months, maybe, we’ll be watching performances there. So, yes, infrastructure contributed to the death of it. And then, of course, there was the audience challenge. And then the funding issues as well. So, it was hydro-headed. People are more competent now and they’re dealing with it. And that’s why we have this revival.

    Now, let’s put the theater by the side for a while.

    Why now? (Laughs)

    So now, my question is this. You’ve worked with a lot of old actors from the days of Checkmate. Who do you think are the most creative and professional between veteran actors and the young and emerging actors?

    You see, I don’t even understand what Old Nollywood is and what New Nollywood is yet. So, it’s hard for me to compare them, you know. What makes one old? What makes one new? I honestly don’t know the difference.  You see, everybody, everybody is reacting to the most current challenges. Challenges in the sense that you encounter a character. You encounter a script. It makes demands of you. And what qualifies you as a good actor or director or whatever is how you react to it. So, the realities of the people who are coming from the past or who played in the past were totally different. You can’t say five words these days without referring to social media, without referring to all those high-tech things and so on. But back then, the TV we knew was grounding, no remote control. Yes, you go there and turn it ka, ka, ka, ka, ka. You get to the channel. Fuzzy and you wait for it patiently to clear. We didn’t have any remote control. We didn’t have all of that,. So, the realities are totally different. Our stories back then were also usually about mature people, maybe because the population was also relatively middle-aged at that time.

    But now you’re dealing with a population in Nigeria that is about 60%, 67% young people. So, how they react to the stories that they tell themselves cannot be judged in any way using the same yardsticks as what happened to people in the past. So, if they’re good, they can only be judged based on what is the truth of that character, not compared to how so-and-so a person from the past might have done it. So, it’s hard to compare them.

    What about their level of professionalism?

    Oh no, that’s a sorry tale. That’s a sorry tale because one, because most of them, or quite a number did not come from a background of training in the craft. You have lawyers, you have medical doctors, you have engineers, you have scientists of different kinds, you have philosophers and everybody wanting to be actors.

    And there is room. It’s not a gated discipline in practice, like law, medicine and so on. It’s not. It’s not gated in any way, you know. So, because nobody ever taught them those things that they’re just going to act as their natural instincts dictate to them. Don’t come late. We’re meeting at 7 o’clock. A professional actor would probably get there at about 6, max, like 6.45. So, 6.30, 7 o’clock that you say is call time, he is checking in and ready to follow the process. The other fellow, because he didn’t know that it’s supposed to be so, would probably get there at like 8.30 and explain to you how there was traffic getting out of his gates and expect you to understand. But you can’t go do that on a show day, on stage. That’s part of the issues that I thought you were referring to. You can’t do that because the audience is waiting for you. You’re not going to keep them waiting.

    Have you had a scenario where you’re on set and a very junior or younger actor has kept you waiting?

    Yes.

    How does it make you feel?

    I try not to be too emotional about things like that because I have my way of dealing with it. It is not my fellow actor’s problem. It is the problem of my producer. If you say, Mr. Manuel, I want you to get here at 3 o’clock and I get here at 3 o’clock, I sign in and the understanding I have with you is that I will work with you for 6 hours. By 9 o’clock, whether the other actor comes in at 8.15, it does not matter. I will leave by 9 o’clock. I will leave at 9 o’clock. It will not be out of any fury, not out of any anger. The actor that came late, I will relate with you normally because it is not my place as a fellow actor to discipline you. So complaining to you about your lateness I think is futile. It is totally worthless. It is not going to bring anything back to me.

    The film industry is getting a lot of attention from international streaming networks, looking back 10-15 years ago, did you think it would be possible for our movies to be on the same platform as Hollywood movies?

    It’s a good feeling to be honest. It’s a good feeling. Especially when you have travelled the kind of road that some of us have travelled. We worked when NTA, the sole employer of our craft at that time, was paying 20 Naira per episode of drama.

  • Bimbo Manuel lists Nollywood’s 27 thoroughbred actors

    Bimbo Manuel lists Nollywood’s 27 thoroughbred actors

    Veteran actor, writer and producer, Bimbo Manuel has listed 27 out of Nollywood’s thorough-bred actors.

    In a social media post, Manuel listed the 27 actors in two different posts while giving credence to their craft, discipline, malleability, intensity, and range.

    The list of the thorough-bred actors as posited by Manuel had a total of 13 females and 14 males.

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    The Nollywiod stars and theatre practitioners, who featured on the list are Toyin Oshinaike, Albert Akaeze, Nse Ikpe Etim, Mawunyon Ogun, Ibrahim Chatta, Sam Dede, Columbus Irisoanga, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Gideon Okeke, and Tammy Abusi.The thespian continued by adding Shaffy Bello, Daniel Effiong, Wale Ojo, Patrick Diabuah, Ireti Doyle, Olu Jacobs, Jide Kosoko, Omowunmi Dada, Gabriel Afolayan, Ebele Okaro, Patience Ozokwo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Jude Chukwuka, Chioma Akpotha, Bimbo Ademoye, Kate Henshaw, and Ajoke Silva to the list.

    It is unsure if Manuel will release more names but the actor has earned himself a pedigree in the industry that puts him in a position of authority when acting is concerned.

    He’s currently a lead actor in Africa Magic’s new series, ‘Princess on a Hill.’

  • Bimbo Manuel: I once found something rewarding about role

    Bimbo Manuel: I once found something rewarding about role

    Veteran Nollywood actor Bimbo Manuel is neither a small fry or a new name on the Nigerian film and theatre scene.

    He has made a name for himself over the past three decades as a sterling actor as well as a writer, who had written many stage plays for the theatre.

    In a recent chat, Manuel expressed that he found something rewarding about his role as Moyosore Lawson in Showmax’s new TV show, ‘Princess on a Hill.’

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    With his commanding presence that depicts the complex character, whose persona and hidden motives drive much of the story’s suspense, Manuel said portraying the character was incredibly challenging.

    “Portraying Moyosore Lawson was incredibly challenging, but it was also an immense joy. Beyond the typical challenges an actor faces with a complex character, there was something deeply rewarding about stepping into his shoes,” he began.

    Continuing, Manuel said, “Playing Moyosore Lawson allowed me to showcase myself in a totally different light, something the audience might not be used to seeing from me.”

  • No Nigerian can afford Range Rover from acting – Bimbo Manuel

    No Nigerian can afford Range Rover from acting – Bimbo Manuel

    Veteran actor Bimbo Manuel has claimed that no Nigerian can afford a Range Rover vehicle solely through acting fees.

    He said this during a recent appearance on TVC’s Your View.

    Manuel asserted that many of his colleagues who showcase luxurious mansions and cars online are living “fake” lives.

    He emphasised that these lavish displays are often unsustainable through acting income alone.

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    “The actors you see flaunting Range Rovers and mansions in Ikoyi are living fake lives.

    “No actor in Nigeria would say he or she can buy a Range Rover from acting fees alone,” he said.

    According to him, he prioritises humility and realism, eschewing the pressure to maintain a flamboyant lifestyle. 

  • Bimbo Manuel, Dolapo Oni hit London for Wakaa the Musical

    Bimbo Manuel, Dolapo Oni hit London for Wakaa the Musical

    In response to growing interests in productions of African origin across the globe, Wakaa the Musical, a Bolanle Austen-Peters’ production, will be showing in London from July 21 to 25, at the Shaw Theatre, 100-110 Euston Road London’s West End.

    Austen-Peters, who is CEO of Terra Kulture and also the producer and director of Wakaaexpressed her excitement as Wakaa will be presented to the London audience for the first time at a press briefing on Tuesday.

    “There is a large Nigerian and Afro – Caribbean population in London, who are interested and yearning to see world class productions such from Nigeria,” she said.

    She said that Wakaa the Musical has the potential to boost cultural diplomacy and promote the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria abroad.

    The cast include Bimbo Manuel, Patrick Diabua, Nengi Adoki, Dolapo Oni, OzzyAgu, JolomiAmuka, amongst others.

    Wakaa the Musical is a two-hour stage musical extravaganza of drama, comedy, live music and dance about the trials, successes and experiences of graduates with varied backgrounds. A wager between them after graduation has a twist when the realities of life and the folly of their choices hit them. Eventually they reunite, coming full circle.

    The strong satire of Nigeria’s politics  explores the scheming, intrigues, betrayals and games people play in life.

  • Why Checkmate was a huge success – Manuel

    Why Checkmate was a huge success – Manuel

    Apart from his recent major role in Saro, a stage dance drama that projected the Nigerian drama scene in a bigger light, Bimbo Manuel, is a huge asset to the theatre industry in Nigeria.  Known for his role as Nduka in the rested television soap named Checkmate, Manuel is a thorough-bred artiste whose love for live theatre cannot be compromised, not in the least.  He spoke to Edozie Udeze on a variety of issues concerning theatre in Nigeria and lots more

    Bimbo Manuel is one of the veterans of stage drama in Nigeria.  Although he is best known as Nduka in the now rested television sit-com, Checkmate which made its debut in the early 1990s, Manuel has since moved on in the theatre profession where he now finds more fulfilment in live theatre.  His involvement in the Saro, a stage dance performance that took place during the last yuletide showed him as one of the notable icons in the industry.

    He said concerning the level of live theatre in Nigeria today that, “we are entering another phase in live theatre in Nigeria at the moment.  You remember there was a lull for a long time, when everything came to a comatose.  There were all kinds of explanations people offered for the lull.  There were some who felt after the Soyinka generation, the Kola Omotoshos, the Femi Osofisans, … in fact that those generations did not groom or mentor anyone to take over from them.  There were arguments for and against.  I was fortunate to have sat down with Professor Osofisan here at the Freedom Park to discuss it”.

    He went on further to throw more light on the current situation and what the likes of Osofisan offered as a solution to ensure that stage theatre is revatalised.  According to him, it was purely because we didn’t have a purposeful theatre anymore.  In addition, some of the theatre departments in higher institutions paid more attention on producing graduates for Nollywood.  In addition to that, stage performances did not have enough people paying attention to it.  No sponsors, and no enthusiasms from thespians.  Even in cases where plays were done, the halls were practically empty.  The audience, an appreciative audience was lacking”, he offered.

    To him, there was also no incentive, no reward as such coming to theatre producers.  “In that kind of situation,” he said, “you can hardly blame anyone who refused to go and do live theatre.  However, in the midst of all that, the scenario suddenly began to change.  We began to have the likes of Wole Oguntokun, Bolanle Austin-Peters of Terra Kulture, and so on.  Even the presence of Terra Kulture itself began to encourage people to go out to watch live theatre and plays”.

    It is from that moment that theatre lovers began to experience the re-enactment of the works of some masters.  This was spearheaded b the likes of Austin-Peters who took it upon herself to bring life into musical and dance performances and more.  “There were also new plays by young writers and so on,” Manuel consented.  “And I think we can situate the stage of live theatre within the norm we have now.  I think we can situate it,” he repeated, grinning.  “It is people like the Terra Kulture really, who have been in the forefront since this revival.  It is the hub of traditional live theatre in Nigeria today and you can see how buoyant and robust the stage is at the moment.”

    In spite of the seemingly hopeful situation, more needs to be done to get the situation to a more appreciative level.  “Even those who used to sit out at Abegi at the National Theatre, Lagos, those artistes who used to hobnob there have since moved on to other areas of life.  We need to get that groove back in order to have a full live theatre.  It was under those trees that ideas were fertilised in those days.  Artistes used to meet there and discuss drama and theatre generally.  We need to get those ideas to crystalise the theatre sector and put it back into action.  The halls at the National Theatre were almost non-functional for a long time.  In fact, the National Theatre itself was a disincentive on its own.  At that stage not many people who would have patronized the Theatre were willing to go there.  This was mainly for fear of violence or what have you.”

    Looking critically at the security situation at the Theatre and the neglect of the place over time, Manuel said, “The Theatre didn’t present itself as conducive to people who might want to do theatre there.  That fear was always there that the environment itself was not comfortable to have live theatre.  If you took traditional theatre there, may be it would work, people would come from Agege, Mushin and so on to watch.  But theatre, even in Western cultures, seems a bit elitist.  So, you’ll be wasting your time if you carry a play like the one we are watching here today (Beatification of Area Boy by Soyinka) to places like Mushin and Agege.  Nobody will come.  But you can present it here at the Freedom Park or Ikoyi or VGC or Lekki and the people who know the value will come.”

    Since insecurity and lack of concerted efforts to secure the society still pervades the theatre scene in Nigeria, Manuel reasons that that perhaps contributes essentially to slowing down the interest people still show in this area.  However, it appears that the provision of more secured venues in parts of the country have been of immense help to boost live theatre as it is now.  “We should also mention places like the Freedom Park where people feel at home to watch plays.  Once you come here for the first time, you’d to come again and again,” he explained.

    Describing what we have now as the true renaissance of live theatre in Nigeria, Manuel said, “this is where people fully show their commitment to performances.  Also, we can repeat the feat we performed in Checkmate.  Yes, we can.  May be we have even done more than we did in Checkmate.  That is not to also remove the fact that people like Amaka Igwe had the mastery of what they did.  And she had the daring to produce the kind of thing she produced then.  That generation did so well, although Amaka came much later.  They were probably the last of the amazons in the television scene.”

    As far as he is concerned, the tube has not done badly in terms of creativity and the presentation of interesting soaps on a variety of issues.  “What made Checkmate special was that it was daring for its period.  The story was incredible, the writing was amazing, proper production values were deployed.  A lot of people, fresh from the university were involved.  We were burning with energy and vitality.  We were also committed to the art.  It wasn’t really about money.  The money wasn’t much; we needed to prove our mettle.  It was about we being happy to do it.  We were not even aware of the glamour at that time.  No, we were not, we were not conscious of it.  It was just that people were glad finding expressions for their art.  But we are doing a lot more now, quite a lot.  Our budget can genuinely cross border now.  We are going everywhere now and people are appreciating it.  Most of our new creative endeavours and productions are well-marketed and people are saying oh, you guys are doing well.”

    The live theatre can then thrive better when the cinema houses, when theatre stages and venues are properly built and protected by those who are meant to do so.  For this, enough resources have to be deployed and the vision to make it work well has to be properly envisioned.  To him, it is not just enough to build theatre stages, but what matters most is to create what can last the test of time.  “Yes, structures have to be built around that vision to ensure that they fit into the system.  If you build a community theatre at Okokomaiko, what are the practical needs of the people.  Who are the calibre of people who live there?  You have to consider all that in order to make that stage proper for their needs.  Little details like that have to be attended to.  Is government going to fund it and how much can they make there? If government is not going to fund it, those who put up shows there, how would they make their money?  What kind of money comes from the corporate organizations, because artistes have to be paid, producers and directors have to earn their pay.  On the whole, there has to be a support structure in place to make this sort of theatre scene completely blissful and good for the people concerned.”

    Concerning the scripts and the writings and how they reflect and project the Nigerian situation, Manuel explained thus: “You see, different scripts and different stories are written for various reasons.  I will be interested, for instance to listen to someone like Soyinka to know why he writes.  His writings for now have been dictated by the events of the moment and he says it all.  He tackles mostly some sensitive socio-political issues that pertain to the people.  But beyond reactions to various issues, people also want to tell their own stories, people want to relate what happens within their environment and so on.  That is what we have these days that we can truly say that Nigerian stories are being told every day.”

    As it is, the people have more stories to tell, more experiences to share, more ideas to convey.  “These are stories of the cultures of their people to share.  There are endless flow of such stories.  They have ethnic stories too to share.  So people have all kinds of reasons to write and these stories truly say who we are.  It is the right thing to do and the head of the writer would help to produce the kind of story he gives out.  Naturally, dramatists have always reacted to issues in their climes and those issues may often be put into writing.  Acting it on stage further gives it the impetus it deserves and lets the people see who they are through the stories.  This is what our writers have been doing to keep this sector aglow and vibrant,” Manuel said.

    He referred to the just concluded Saro, a stage dance-drama in which he played a major role as the very best thing for Nigeria.  “It was a big outing,” he simply said.

  • Nollywood needs to produce more quality films –Bimbo Manuel

    Nollywood needs to produce more quality films –Bimbo Manuel

    Veteran actor and AMVCA 2014 nominee, Bimbo Manuel speaks with GBOYEGA ALAKA on the secrets of his youthful looks, Nollywood, its new generation of players and Bimbo/Sola Connect, which he co-hosts with Sola Salako on LTV.

    SMOOTH and suave Bimbo Manuel scores a high any day in the Nigeria’s television and movies industry. His rich resume spans about three decades and includes exploits as an actor, producer, director, voice-over artist and presenter. Even at 56, Manuel already annexed a spot for himself as an industry veteran, except that there still seems to be so much ‘fight’ in him. He caught the eyes of the viewing public with his stellar performances in Checkmate and Ripples – two household television soaps of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and also Tade Ogidan’s movie, Hostages (1996), which was later serialised on television. Manuel has also featured in a good number of Nollywood movies, including The kingmaker (2002), Sitanda (2006), Tango with me (2012) and most recently, Torn, produced and directed by Moses Inwang. His performance in Torn, as a psychoanalyst also got him a nomination in the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) Best Support Actor category for works done in 2013, underlining yet again his huge acting talent.

    Television viewers will also recognise him more as the very confident and sassy male co-anchor of the Lagos Television (LTV) Saturday morning magazine show, Bimbo/Sola Connect, who refuses to be intimidated by a somewhat ‘overbearing’ co-host, Sola Salako.

    Aside the TV talk show, Manuel, however, seems to star in fewer films than his contemporaries. Naturally, this turned out a major high point of our discussion as we took a ride with him in between some studio works on a hot afternoon in Lagos. For an actor of his repute, we simply sought to know why his appearances seem to be so few and far between.

    Manuel, however, says it is all about being more focused on issues than money and the fact that the things that we stand for have to endure and outlive us. “To appear in every film one gets invited to will seem to suggest that one is desperate for money.”

    He also says it’s a deliberate strategy “to be fresh in the consciousness of not just the directors and producers, but also the viewing public.”

    What about the secret of his youthful look? We asked. Safe for his white beard, Manuel would very easily pass for a man in his early 40s. But Manuel says it’s all about mindset and approach to life. “I’m an optimist. I also believe very firmly that age is in the mind. You’re as old as you think you are.”

    He also does not think about age, when relating with people, whether young or old.

    Manuel also has some very strong views about Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood. First he quells the opinion in a certain interview that seems to portray him as an incurable optimist of the industry, saying “I may have been misquoted.”

    “Although I do not do a lot of press, people who know me, know that I hold these views, especially about the things we’re not doing right or that we’re not doing at all. It may not have made me very popular amongst the Nollywood politicians, but I know that some of them also view me with respect because they know that whatever I say is not borne out of envy for anyone.”

    Having said that, Manuel yet again expresses some optimism about the industry. He is a bit unclear about this optimism, saying it may not be limited to the film industry alone. “It is inclusive of general entertainment, broadcast and all that. And that optimism is born out of what we see in the industry, where young people who are proving to us that indeed some of those things that we were afraid to attempt, do or say, can indeed be done. “

    These young people, he says, are in the vanguard of the growth and regeneration of the industry and are the ones really making the films and creating the shows that are going to the cinemas and making waves across Africa and the world. “They’re the ones repositioning the entertainment and movies industry of Nigeria on the global map and showing that Nigeria can indeed compete fairly on the global stage. So when they talk about Nigeria in the context of such projects, it is these people they are referring to. The likes of Kunle Afolayan, OC Ukeje, Lala Akindoju, Uti; truly young people, who’re very vibrant and are showing vision. They get trained in modern art, which for me is very key.”

    He, however, expresses doubts as to whether these new people truly desire to be addressed as Nollywood, having heard expressions like New Nollywood in some circles.

    We also took him up on the tendency of Nigeria to play second fiddle at major African movies awards. The recent Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), where the major awards were again carted away by countries like Kenya and Ghana, leaving Nigeria to again settle for individual awards is another case in point.

    “It is an extension of what we’ve been saying,” he began. “The fact that Nigerian films even get nominated for these awards is a positive statement, because there was a time, when we were never even considered for nomination – because of the kind of films we were making.”

    The fact that we’re now getting nominations therefore shows that there is more professionalism and the standards have indeed gone up. But again, he insists that the industry needs to generally grow and dedicate more energy to making quality films, as against just making huge volumes of films for the sake of it.

    As for those countries that seem to leave Nigeria eating dust, Bimbo Manuel says he will not join in the discussion that seems to suggest some kind of conspiracy. “If they win so regularly, it just shows that they are better in that which they do. We won individual awards, but you will also notice that those awards were generally in the areas where votes were counted by the public. The fact that we have the population on our side means that we will win anywhere and any day over anyone on the continent, when it is public vote-related.”

    He also does not think that Nigeria’s limitation is solely about budget. In his opinion, “a producer could carry a hundred million dollars into a film and still come to nothing if he does not deploy all the production values correctly. Conversely, a producer could have a lot of money and yet decide on a small budget project, know what he wants, insist on what he wants by deploying the proper values, and come out a winner.” Therefore, money may count, but he thinks that attitude as a major factor has to change.

    The fact that Nigerian films still struggle to reenact convincing fire and accident scenes also show that we have not mastered stunts, which Manuel says is a key ingredient in film-making. “It means that we have not quite mastered the art and techniques of cinematography. And if these form a part of the judgment of what a good film is, it means we failed. That’s not money; that is technique. That is education.”

    Away from Nollywood, Bimbo Manuel has also transited overtime from a radio presenter in the old Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, to become an all-rounder with commendable skills in voice-over, acting, TV and movie production/ directing, TV presenting and writing. Would this be a case of natural endowment or deliberate skills acquisition? We inquired.

    “It was not anything deliberate. I started out as a radio presenter; and because of that, I learnt to do voice-overs. I trained as a director in school remember, I read Theatre Arts. Acting was therefore a part of my classes. But to produce, I learnt; to write, I learnt. And that was because I didn’t want to be playing in every acting job I was offered, because as an actor you could burn out very easily.” He explained.

    So he learnt the different skills just so he could diversify, and earn money doing other things aside acting. He concedes though that appearing in fewer films has its downsides, as an artist could easily get out of the consciousness of his fans. “But again, it’s a choice. You could choose to be popular or to be respected. I chose to be a respected actor.”

     

    On his AMVCA nomination

    “I’d like to establish that I was glad to be nominated, although it was not my intention to play for an award nomination. To win would definitely have been a fantastic addition to my chest of awards, but I’ll confess here that I didn’t bother to get anyone to vote for me because it was satisfying enough that fellow professionals deemed the work I did good enough to stand amongst that cast of excellent actors. I’d also said to myself that any of the other guys on that list who won, would be deserving of it. You have Chris Atto on the list; and of course Desmond Eliot, who eventually won.

     

    On Bimbo/Sola Connect

    The Bimbo/Sola Connect show is one show that is very dear to him, especially because he never had enough opportunity to do consistent broadcasting, since leaving OGBC. He was therefore glad when the opportunity came, courtesy of Lekan Ogunbanwo, the then permanent secretary of Lagos Television, who was looking to rejuvenate the once popular station. It also necessitated his first meeting with the co-anchor, Sola Salako.

    “Even the name, Bimbo/Sola Connect was Ogunbanwo’s creation, as it was he who noticed how quickly they both gelled during that first meeting and came up with it.

    He complements Salako the harmony on the show, saying “She is a more vocal and more communicative person. “Even the logo, which has our backs to each other, is deliberately conceived to emphasise the conflicts in our characters.” Manuel concluded

  • Broken is Nse Ikpe Etim’s most emotive flick

    Broken is Nse Ikpe Etim’s most emotive flick

    ACTRESS Nse Ikpe Etim has declared that her role in Broken is the most emotional she has ever played. Featuring stunning actress, Nse Ikpe Etim, talented actor, Kalu Ikeagwu, and veteran actor, Bimbo Manuel, and a collection of up and coming acts from the capital city of Abuja, the flick was released yesterday, November 9.

    The actress has received critical acclaim for her roles in past years and has been nominated for several awards among which were Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2009, Best Actress at Nollywood Movie Award, among others. Speaking on the movie, Nse said: “When I was given the script, I couldn’t but say yes. The storyline is very touching; it was a real life scene to me. Being on set with Kalu Ikeagwu and Bimbo Manuel was a nice experience. Broken is my most emotional movie till date, the experience will linger for a long time.”

    Director and the producer of the flick, Bright Wonder, says that Broken is an emotional flick centred around the lives of two adults and past lovers who were once married, got separated. Along the line, their lives were later thrown into chaos as mistakes of their past lives, including the aftermath of the children they failed to bring up properly in their selfish union, come haunting their present as asylum, death-row and street living mar their once sane lives.

    “Broken is a social movie that addresses the menace of child abuse, neglect, trafficking, exposing its adverse effects and repercussion on the Nigerian child and the society as a whole,” says Wonder.