Moses Olaiya

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For the Ugandan footballer, see Moses Oloya.
Moses Olaiya Adejumo
Born Olaoluwa
May 17, 1936
Ilesha, Osun State, Nigeria
Other names Baba Sala
Children Rev. Adejumo Bamidele, Adejumo Janet, Adejumo Bose, Adejumo Oluwatoyin, Adejumo Abiodun, Adejumo Ebenezer, Adejumo Lanre, Emmanuel Adejumo, Adejumo Muyiwa, Adejumo Jumoke, Adejumo Titilayo, Adejumo Maria, Adejumo Sogo, Adejumo Rhoda

Moses Olaiya Adejumo (born 1936),[1] better known by his stage name "Baba Sala", is the first Nigerian comedian, a dramatist, an actor, film producer

Moses Olaoluwa Olusanya Adejumo widely known as Moses Olaiya with Baba Sala as an enduring stage name was born on the 17th of May 1937. He is the second child but the first male child of six children of late Ebenezer Oyedeji Ayoola Adejumo of Pa Chief Bogunloko of C157 Ijoka street, Ilesa, Osun State,

Having lost his mother at a tender age, he was raised alongside his elder, late Grace Olabisi Otun by their grandma Madam Comfort Shaleye Adejumo of the Onileimo Family at Oke Iyin, Ilesa.

Moses attended the Methodist Primary School, Oke Ese, Ilesa: Saint Luke Anglican School, Jos, and later returned to Ilesa to attend Obokun Boys High School where he completed his secondary school education in 1958.

His entertainment career began from the high school where he started performing magis with which he toured other schools and held public performances. It was during one of such tours to Iseyin that he met late Professor Peller who joined him in the art of magic. Circumstances put an end to his magic shows as he joined the Cherubim and Seraphim church in 1957.

After acquiring secondary education, Moses left Ilesa for Lagos where he worked as a driver with Empire hotel, Yaba, Lagos till 1960. At that time, his passion for entertainment was ignited again, he learnt to play music and performed with the Ade Ade Federal Juju Band until he founded his music group called Moses Olaiya and Federal Rhythm Dandies. All the while, he was in full employment as Sanitary Inspector with the Lagos City Council (1960-1968). Sunday Adegeye (King Sunny Ade) joined the group in 1962 and stayed on till 1966 when he (Sunny Ade) formed his own band. In 1965, Moses formed a concert theatre group which he names Moses Olaiya Concet Party.

Between 1966 and 1967, Moses attended the Adult Drama School organized by Christopher Olude of the Adult Education Department, Ministry of Education, Lagos. He attended the school with the late Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade Love) who joined the Moses Olaiya Concert Party in 1966 and stayed till 1972 when he formed his his own theatre group.

Moses became a fulltime professional comedian in 1969 and renamed his group Alawada Group International Ltd. Between 1974 and 1984, the group made a Yoruba photo play magazine. Prior to this time, it had produced its plays on records which grew in number to about 42 albums in short plays (SP) and long plays (LP).

Baba Sala, regarded as the father of modern Nigerian comedy,[2] alongside other dramatists like Hubert Ogunde, Kola Ogunmola, Oyin Adejobi and Duro Latino, Akin Ogungbe, popularized theater and television acting in Nigeria and together with other famous theatre practitioners of the period like Ayinla Olusegun founded the first association that binds them together that they called Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP).

He is a prolific filmmaker. In its pioneering efforts in Yoruba travelling theatre, the Alawada Group has toured every town and cities and towns in other parts of Africa. The group’s first worldwide tour occurred in 1977 when Moses Adejumo led the group to many including the USA, UK. Alawada Group had also performed both on radio and television. Moses Adejumo wrote nearly all his plays and played the lead character called Baba Sala. He was bestowed with National Honors, Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) in 1978, an award he received from the Head of State of Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 1996 He was awarded Hon. Doctorate. Moses Olaiya Adejumo is the Chairman/ Managing Director, Alawada Records, Alawada Movies and Alawada Standard Hotel. For over 12 years, he was proprietor of the Cinema de Baba Sala located at Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan.

Moses Olaiya Adejumo is a devoted Christian and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has since 1982 been ordained as the minister in charge of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Idasa 1 ( Baba Adura Idasa ii) He succeed late Elder Apostle Adelegan Ojo Omole (Baba Adura Idasa 1)who was then elevated to the position of the General Superintendent and Supreme Head of the Sacred Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Nigeria and overseas (Alakoso Imole 1). He is also the Church’s District Council Chairman.

His children are taking over gradually from him such as Adejumo Lanre popularly called Mr Patua, a comedian and film producer, Adejumo Emmanuel popularly called Boisala also a comedian and gospel music act, Adejumo Mayowa is called B Sala, an hip job singer, Adejumo Muyiwa is known as Adamu Lamidi, he is a comedian and creative producer, Adejumo Oyindamola Alebiowu is a popular gospel act.

Filmography

Notes

  1. ↑ Sarah Stanton, Martin Banham (1996). Cambridge Paperback Guide to Theatre. Cambridge University Press. p. 419.
  2. ↑ Lakoju, Tunde, Popular (Travelling) Theatre in Nigeria: The Example of Moses Olaiya Adejumo in Nigeria magazine, Issue 149, 1984

External links

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