Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, is a living legend in Nollywood. He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how he started and the many strides he recorded in the sector as well as how younger stars can avoid bumpy traps. Excerpts:
IT will be 50 years since you started on stage later this year. Did you know you were going to come this far back then?
No, I didn’t know. I actually didn’t know what God had in plan for me. But I thank Almighty Allah for making me one of the living legends in the industry.
Did you have the faintest idea your coming to the industry was going to be rewarding?
Well, I didn’t know because even if anybody told me it was going to be my profession, I would have doubted. What I had for it was just passion. Right from childhood, I just had passion for anything arts. While I was in school and even when I left, I kept doing this. When I was in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, I was still doing it by the side.
But in 1976, you finally started it on full-time. What convinced you to become fully committed to the industry then?
At that time, I had started gaining fame. I was always happy when people hailed me. I was always happy when they showed interest in what I was doing. It was not for money at all. I just realised I was making people happy, touching lives and making impact. The appreciation I received was what convinced me to become fully committed.
I started from stage production and I remember my first participation was in Baye ba nyeni. That was in 1977 at the Glover Memorial Hall and I played the role of an herbalist.
How did you get the role?
I joined the group in 1964 but never participated in any stage production. I used to beat drums, paste posters whenever we had plays and all that. There was an audition between someone and I. I won and got the role.
So, why did it take you that long to grab your first stage appearance?
Then, you had to pay your dues. You don’t just come from anywhere and walk your way to the stage. There were processes to undergo. But you know that turned out to be a blessing for me.
The gale of deaths in the industry, for many, are unbecoming…
You see, it is really nothing. 1001 people are dying in other industries and sectors every day. Our own only becomes pronounced because we are popular figures. Other than that, there is no problem. Death will come when it will come, regardless of your profession or what you do.
How was working with the late Hubert Ogunde like?
I gained a lot practically from him. He was a wise man and we were extremely close. He was a fantastic man in all ramifications. Before he died, none of us could measure up to his achievements. Even now that he is dead, we have not measured up to them too.
But people say he was into the cult and was diabolical.
Well, everyone is entitled to religious freedom. Whatever religion you practise is different from who you are. We have some people who are devilish and they are in churches. It is the same in mosques.
Ogunde can pray for almost an hour non-stop. He cherished African culture and religion. That was how he was bought up and there was nothing anybody could do about that.
Why were you reluctant to get into movie production?
I got in movie in 1985 and produced my first work titled Ogun Ajaye. It was on celluloid. The second was Omo Orukan in 1987. The third was Eri Okan in 1989. The first three are in celluloid. I felt reluctant because it was not accepted internationally then. Some of us like Pa Ogunde, Ade love and I said we won’t get into it. But when the economy was not on our side and we needed to sustain ourselves and the audience, we embraced it. I joined home video sector in 1992 with Asewo to re Mecca.
What is the difference between your generation and this generation in the industry?
The difference is clear. Some of our junior colleagues are just after something to grab and creativity is not like that. Intellectual property work is not like that. You have to be very careful because the moment you give marketers your work, you are finished.
During our time, I never sold my property to any marketer. I have controlled all my movies and I wonder how many of our junior colleagues can say the same. Today, they reproduce Yusuf Olatunji’s music. The same with Haruna Ishola. Look at how they are reproducing the music of Ebenezer Obey. They still earn royalties, even when they are dead. If you sell your rights to marketers, what do you want to fall back on at old age?
The marketers are capitalists; they are looking at everything from the financial point of view. It is you professionals that must know what you are doing.
You have always said you never influenced any of your children to join the industry. But people find it hard not to believe that they get roles because of you being in the industry
Well, the influence will be there, no doubt about that. I admit people will have a second thought when they know they are my children. But I insist, I will never influence their getting roles. I have never picked a call to any producer or director to consider them for any roles. I have never and will never do that.
The first movie that Femi did was Owo blow. I never knew he went for the audition with Tade Ogidan. About 17 of them competed and he came out top. It was later, about three days after the audition, that Tade realised Femi is my son. Femi just came and told me he won an audition. I was happy and said congratulations. I asked who the producer was and he said Tade Ogidan. And I said, ‘Oh, he was our producer when we were on NTA.’
Later, Tade called me and said ‘Oga, congratulations, but the guy that will retire you has arrived.’
But it does not appear you are prepared to retire yet.
Not at all. A good actor does not retire or leave the scene. I don’t go lobbying for works but when they need me, they call and I go. I am agile and ever ready to break new grounds.
People were surprised with the role you played in Funke Akindele’s flick, Omo Ghetto. How did you ever manage to pull off such a performance?
I was Baba oni baba. When Funke gave me that role, she was not sure I could do it. She was like ‘Daddy, can you do it? ‘and I told her not to worry. I had done something similar in Omo Pupa. But when I started acting, everyone was impressed. It is good to have such challenging roles. All you have to do is to search for somebody with similar characters, observe and enter that personality on the scene.
How are you celebrating the 50th anniversary on stage?
I have never done any celebration since I started. So, I am going to celebrate this. I want to celebrate it the way I started. I am going back to the stage. I am looking at October. If the date will change, people will know. There are other things I want to do that I am keeping close to my chest now.
Any new work you are on?
I am working on a TV series titled Aderonke. I just produced a series for somebody that has to do with divorce in the court and the maltreatments that women suffer.
Aderonke has to do with maltreatments of widows and sexual harassment.
You once said that this industry is a money spinner. Can you explain further?
Yes, a lot. I believe there is a goldmine that we are not tapping yet. The most important aspect of the industry has not been well handled and that is the issue of distribution. You could produce a movie for N10 million. If the distribution is good, you have more money to spend for the next productions. If not, you are back to square one.
For me, I can track how movies are sold and how much I make. Basically, I do agreements with marketers on royalties. I am not going to give you my movies for payments. I ask for royalties for certain period of years. That way, it is difficult to pirate my movies. I remember after I had collected a royalty of N3million within three years on a movie, I collected back my right. And I have made well over N18million on my own from the same movie. Imagine if I had sold it out for N10 million, my brother.
