Actor, Adebayo Salami Finally Reveals How He Got The Name ‘OGA BELLO’

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Youba veteran Actor, Adebayo Aremu Salami was born on May 9, 1953 in Lagos, a renowned Nigerian Yoruba actor. Mr. Salami is a native of Ilorin, Kwara state. Though he was born in Lagos and grew up in Lagos. He started acting at the age of 11 years in 1964 with a group called Young Concert Party lead by Ojo Ladipo Theatre Group which was later named Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group.

Adebayo went into acting because he developed interest in entertainment having watched several entertainment programs while growing up on the Island in Lagos. He was greatly inspired by watching television serial by late Huber Ogunde called the Village Doctor.

Small Salami would usually hide in the bathroom imitating actors rehearsing at the Pa. Ayinla Olumegbon Theatre beside his house where he grew up on the island of Lagos. He later joined the group’s Young Concert Party.


Since 1977 he had featured in hundreds of films, first in a Yoruba film by Dr. Ola Balogun titled Ajani Ogun. Late Ade Love played the leading role in the movie. His second movie was “Kadara” meaning destiny. Others are Agbara Obirin (The Power of a Woman). He has acted in several films ever since.

He has produced a total of 11 films titled Agbara Obirin, Omo Orukan, Eri Okan, Ogun Ajaiye, Asewo tore Mecca, Oko (Stone), Ilu le, Gbemi sola and others.

The former President of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners, ANTP, recently told PlaygroundTV that  he got the name in 1970 when his comedy group was to present a 20 minute comedy programme titled ‘Comedy Train’.

When it was time for casting the producer said he should be called ‘Uncle Bello’ since he was from Ilorin, Kwara State and the name is popular with indigenes’ of Ilorin and that was how the name stuck.

According to him, ‘in 1970, my group was to handle a show for the (Nigerian Television Authority) NTA 10, then in Victoria Island. It was a 20-minute comedy show called Comedy Train.  While we were casting for the show, I was given ‘Uncle Bello’ because the producer knew I came from Ilorin, Kwara State.

That was how the name came on board’. The veteran actor is one of the most successful actors in the Yoruba genre of Nollywood and has starred in over 100 movies.

Thenet 

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