FROM ‘’LIGHTWEIGHT’ ’ IN AFRICA TO PHD. HOLDER IN
AMERICA;
MULTIPLE TALENTED CREATIVE POWER HOUSE( COMEDIAN, SINGER,
SPEAKER,CLINICAL SURGEON)DR JUDE AWAY AWAY PLANS MAJOR RETURN TO AFRICA OF HIS
BIRTH
Many young men and ladies in days of
yore checked out of the so called ‘’black continent’’ of Africa in QUEST of the proverbial golden fleece are today
having a re-think, and the other part of the mammoth travelers, already making
their way home
For, as the saying goes, north, east
or west, home is home and there is no place like home. Now from far off, United
States of America, we have ‘’GATHERED up’’ by one of the best African show biz
hands in NEW York city, in person of Jude Away Away, a man that went to the
land of the ‘’big apple’’ with nothing, but now a PHD holder a k a confirmed DR
JUDE
But the gigantic educational
/business resume notwithstanding, speculations are rife in the Dark Continent
that, the New Yorker, Dr Jude is about quitting America of his dream and back
to Africa
A recent
CERUTTI.CLASSICAL.COLLECTIONS exposé unveils that, Dr.
Jude Onakpoma, whose business empire straddles real estate, equipment leasing,
commodity trading and mining, also owns Jonedes Entertainment and De Africa
Cultural Heritage of New York, with promotional credits of Lucky Dube,
Yousou N'dour, Majek Fashek,Erykah Badu and Angelic Kidjo and cultural groups
like Africa Moonlight,Otu Egwu Oma and Opiri Cultural Dance Troupes is eager to
take Africa by storm
The coming home of the legendary
comedian and entertainer at this time is his own way of affirming the axiom
east or west, home remains the cradle. What others in far away lands have been
enjoying for the past two decades will be dished out to Nigerians and let them
taste entertaining-comedy, where you don't only come laugh and dance, but go
away with current issues laced in comedy to lighten the mood and leave food for
thought.
A CLOSE source hinted that ,
Dr Jude who is second only a legendary
comedian named John Chuckwu
in the days of yore used to
do some pretty good stand-up comedy at a club he ran at Ikeja, called , CLASS.
Now, John Chukwu was this tuxedo and bow-tie
adorning dude - a class act whose comedy interludes at the said club drew legion
of fun-lovers and would be comedians who wanted to be him.
This was at a time Nigeria Tabloid was at its incubation period and exciting
features defined the tabloid genre, so tit bits from John Chukwu's joint were
weekly staple at homes across the country. This was at a time too the word
celebrity sneaked into our lexicon as a nation and people were hungry for the
next discovery. This was the good old 80s.
Fresh out of Youth Service, brimming with talent and an eye for history. Jude
Onapkpoma,aka Away Away, one day sauntered into the club and asked John Chukwu
for a minute to show case his groove - comedy with a blend of Michael Jackson
mimicry,music,shuffle, and the real Don Dada of comedy was born.
The next week tabloids splashed his photos on their covers, lauded and
heralding the emergence of an entertainer in the mold of Eddy Murphy. Richard
Prior, Rexx Foxx and other notables. Then, the shows came in torrents;
invitations flooded the books and awards galloped in. His performance at the
maiden edition of the Nigeria Music Awards in 1989 stunned the audience and
drew loud ovations and he got the Best Comedian of The Year Award.
As his fame soared, he attracted the admiration of elites like the then
Minister of Information, Tony Momoh, who later became some sort of mentor. Tony
Momoh wasn't the only elite that got caught in the hoopla; military governors
and their wives, corporate bodies and those from the upper crust fell over
themselves to book him to host or compare their events and parties. The broth
he dished was so salacious, Nigerians couldn't get enough.
In the frenzy of the Away-Awaymania, he jetted out to God's own country, the
United States of America, to pursue further studies and of course to horn
his skills. Skills that have seen him traverse the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Every show leaves a lasting
impression on attendees.
After two decades of plying his trade abroad, Jude Onakpoma, rebirths his Away
Away Brand in Nigeria, starting from May,2013.In a series of shows that will
see him performing in Asaba,Yenagoa,Port
Harcourt,Warri,Ibadan,Benin,Akure,Uyo,Kaduna,Enugu,Owerri.Lagos and Abuja,he
has promised to further enhance the old wine tastes better theory. Though most
of the shows are government sponsored, he will set the pace for others to
mimic.
