Basketmouth

Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth) born September 14, 1978 is a Nigerian comedian and actor from Abia State who has organized popular stand-up comedy concerts like Basketmouth Uncensored across the globe.^[1]

Early life and education

Bright Okpocha was born in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria but hails from Abia State.^[2] He completed his primary and secondary school education in Apapa, Lagos State and then moved on to pursue a degree at the University Of Benin, Benin City UNIBEN where he studied sociology and anthropology with his brother, Godwin Okpocha.^[3]

In 1991 Bright discovered his skills in drumming, which he did for over 5 years after wards. During his days of being an instrumentalist for his church and a band at that point, he also discovered his skills in rap music and later diverted into that path in 1994. In 1995, he, his friends and brother formed a group called da psychopaths. It had 7 members but they split before they could even release an album or single. Bright and his brother Godwin immediately formed a group called d oddz and later added a third member (muyiwa osunrobi). Together, they did a couple of shows but couldn’t break through the music industry as their brand of rap wasn’t accepted then. His 1st standup comedy was a disaster because the crowd got irritated and booed him off the stage. Later that year (1999), he came back after a series of research on what brand of comedy could sell in UNIBEN; that was the beginning of Basket mouth’s inception and acceptation into the world of standup comedy. His professional stand up act came into existence in the year 2001 and his big break came when he met Ali Baba. In 1999, Basket mouth got involved in events management alongside his comedy acts. He and his friend (Bayo Adekeye) promoted and packaged shows that featured the likes of plantation boiz, remedies, and a host of other artists. It was during that period that Laff n Jamz was conceptualized.On the 1st of November 2000, the concept came to reality featuring Ali Baba, Paul Play, Teju babyface, mandy, Mr. Patrick and a host of others. Immediately after Laff n Jamz in UNIBEN, Ali Baba told Bright to come down to Lagos to expose his skills. It was hard to combine studies and standup comedy but it was done. After Basket mouth featured Plantation Boiz in 2000, they asked him to anchor a monthly show that was held at the den in Ikeja. It was during that period that Bright impacted the entertainment industry in Lagos.Things got bigger and better when Bright was invited by Tequila events to perform alongside Julius Agwu on a tour that hit over 30 higher institutions around Nigeria. Basket’s emergence in Lagos can be traced back to the year in 2000 when he performed at a concert called hanging with the home boys; his performance wowed the audience and he won their acceptance. He extended his act to the monthly motherland concert hosted by Lagbaja. Afterwards, Ali Baba introduced him to Opa Williams who then featured him in the now most popular comedy show in Nigeria and beyond (Nite of a 1000 laughs). The name BASKET MOUTH hit the big screen when he featured in international concerts that witnessed the likes of Joe, Boys 2 Men, Sean Paul, Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, Dru Hill, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Chris Brown and many others. His international gig was in Europe (2003) after which he stayed off the foreign scene until his debut performance in Atlanta at the Nigerian Reunion in 2006. This performance led to series of performances and bookings in the United States and other countries including South Africa.Back to back through the last 4 years, Bright has won the National Comedy Award for Best Comedian of the year, Best Standup Comedian on the year (2005/6). As a follow upto the growth, he formed a company called humor unlimited (2004), (stage play) -Devils kiss (2004), and in 2006 took it higher by forming a one man standup comedy show which made history in Nigeria [Basket Mouth Uncensored 1,2,&3]. He later established a consulting/event & Artist management company (Barons World Entertainnment) in 2006. Basket Mouth is currently one of the brand ambassadors of one of the leading telecommunications companies in Africa (Globacom) till date, Basket Mouth stands out as one of the names to reckon with in the entertainment industry.

Awards

In 2005 and 2006 Basketmouth won the National Comedy Award and the Best Standup Comedian of the Year.^[4]

References

External Links

• https://www.basketmouth.tv
• Xclusive Features on Basketmouth and other Nigerian comedians