Star-studded Glo Laffta Fest storms Benin City

Nigeria’s foremost comedy brand, Glo Laffta Fest, continued its current nationwide tour with a star-studded performance in Benin, Edo State over the weekend.

The show, which had previously toured nine major cities, unleashed some of the country’s brightest and best comedians on the Benin audience for over five hours at the Flamingo Hall of Best Western Hotel in the ancient city.

The roll call includes Nigeria’s foremost comedy exports, Basketmouth and I Go Dye, master story-teller, Bovi Ugboma, Uganda’s funniest man, Salvador, punchline maestro, Acapella, musical comedy exponent, Kenny Blaq and Benin-based comic star, Maleke.

All the performers demonstrated their versatility as they threw the appreciative Benin crowd into unending bouts of laughter.

Home grown talent and budding stars who opened the show also gave a good account of themselves. The list includes local super star, Eboh Bomb, MC Action, Emmaralo, British Pastors, MC Otis, MC Medical, Lucky Wise and MC Obaro, among others.

Buoyed by the positively responsive Benin crowd, virtually all the fresh comics delivered their routines with the confidence and expertise of a successful international comic. Particularly outstanding was Eboh Bomb, who won the audience with a string of self-deprecating jokes.

The Benin crowd was also benevolent to the celebrity guests who graced the occasion, especially Mercy Johnson-Okojie, who is married to an Edo State indigene. Her appearance on stage got many of the audience members on their feet, screaming with excitement. Nollywood legends, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Patience Ozokwor (Mama G) and Kanayo O. Kanayo (KOK) were also received with tremendous warmth by the audience.



The Benin show drew the attendance of the Deputy Governor of the state, Right Honourable Philip Shuaibu and his wife, MaryAnn, the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Folly Ogendegbe, members of the House, Hon. Gowon Jerry and Hon. Damian Lawani with his wife among other senior government officials.



While it was generally a night of unforgettable fun, the highest levels of excitement would probably be during the performances of Acapella and the fast emerging king of musical comedy, Kenny Blaq.

Acapella opened his act with a string of one-liners that were well received by the audience and built up rapidly with wisecracks and gags, while Kenny Blaq spliced his routine with hit songs adjusted to suit invented stories. The novelty of it all was his funny stories and sonorous voice which combined to make his performance unforgettable for most of the audience.

In their own performances, I Go Dye and Basketmouth spent some time to commend Globacom for organising the massive show, noting that it was increasingly becoming difficult for comics to put together a show of Glo Laffta’s standards because of the inclement economic condition of the country.

They urged subscribers and indeed the entire country to continue to support the Globacom brand the same way the company had been promoting local values and supporting entertainment in Nigeria.

The next destination of the show is Ijebu Ode this Sunday. Other cities that will host the show in the weeks ahead include Awka, Ikeja, Ikorodu, FESTAC, Ajah, Asaba, Aba, Suleja, Kubwa, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Abeokuta, Kaduna, Akure, Lokoja, and Anyigba.

To attend the show, Glo subscribers are expected to use up to N2,000 credit within one month and text LOL with their preferred location to the short code 240; for example, "LOL Ijebu Ode” to 240.

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