20th August, 2019
By Okanlawon Taiwo
There is no gainsaying the fact that Ajele Adeyemi, otherwise known as MC Ajele has become a household name as far as the Nigeria comedy circle is concerned.
The feat, apparently, was not earned by a sudden flight but by a dint of hard work and commitment on his part.
In the same vein, his unique delivery while on stage is a factor that has contributed immensely to how his brand became more appealing by each passing day, yet to those who desire excellence.
Just like most A-list comedians in the country, Ajele has, over time, developed a fan base of comedy enthusiasts for himself so much that he has successfully wormed his way into the hearts of many admirers here in Nigeria; one could not but imagine how he was able to replicate that at the international level.
“Very simple, the people over there saw something different in the brand Ajele. I discussed with my team and we decided to create original, cultural jokes that would make Nigerians living abroad miss home. They want more of that so they keep calling us to come back. By the virtue of that, I now have more fan base in the US and Dublin,” he said.
Making inroads into a foreign country could be said not to be enough but how receptive can one be to his host? Ajele at every point he visited the US and Ireland, the reception is always worthwhile.
In his reaction, Ajele said, “Fans abroad tend to laugh easily to our jokes, maybe because they only see us at least once a year. They love us and relate with our jokes easily. Unlike our fans here in Nigeria (laughs) they’ve seen us lots of time but without them, we won’t be recognised abroad.”
Meanwhile, beyond his quality deliveries, Ajele’s record of international recognition has inadvertently given his brand a facelift as well as his clientele.
“Many things changed, my clients now see me as an international MC/Comedian. And you know I travelled with the hottest comedian in Nigeria (Kenny Black) so it had a ripple effect on my career. I charge more for events now. Fans and clients all around the world are also looking up to the day they are having events or shows so they can involve me. Especially now that they know I’m available to travel.”
The first show Ajele attended was ‘Dublin must laugh with Seyi Law and Kiss Daniel’ in 2015.
He was also onboard the subsequent edition of Dublin must laugh with Seyi Law which featured Odunlade Adekola and Adekunle Gold in 2016.
He equally performed at the AHBEA award in Houston Texas U.S.A. as well as King Sunny Ade’s 70th birthday in Houston Texas in 2016.
He was also the official MC at Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which held in Houston in 2017.
His brand further took a quantum leap when Nigeria’s most sought after comedian, Kenny Black featured him in his edition of Dublin must laugh with Kenny Black and Ajele 2019.