Wondering why popular Nigerian comedian, Oluwaseyitan Aletile, better known as Seyi Law, has been a bit scarce in the industry?
Well, the proud father of one has cleared the air and also disagreed with the belief that younger comedians are taking over, as their fees are even lower than that of their senior colleagues.
Speaking with Sunday Scoop, Law said, “The older one gets in the industry, the fewer jobs one takes, though one would even make more money. When one is just starting out, one would be hot and everybody would want a piece of one. At that stage, one’s fees would be quite affordable to many. But as one begins to improve on oneself, one would begin to make better demands and one wouldn’t be everywhere as one used to be.
“Let’s assume that at the early stage, one charges N500,000 per event and 10 people can afford one’s services in a month; one would be practically everywhere, running from one event to the other. However, when one begins to charge N2m per performance, one would no longer be for everybody but the select few that can afford it.”
“However, it’s not automatic that the older one gets in the business, the more money one can charge. One has to improve oneself.
“Sometimes, people relegate comedians. A musician who just had a hit song could charge the same fees with a comedian that has been in the business for about 15 years. Yet, people don’t take that into account; they don’t talk about the disparity in the fees of musicians and comedians. A comedian would host an event for hours and charge N5m, while a musician that would perform for 20 minutes would be paid N20m.
Seyi Law, who often posts videos of his interactions with his daughter, Tiwaloluwa, on social media, said she does some amazing things that are quite funny but that doesn’t mean she’s going to be a comedian.
He added, “I’m trying as much as possible to keep an open mind and be very liberal. If I had gone by the wishes of my parents, I probably wouldn’t have become a comedian. I just want to educate her and allow her find her own path.”
