‘I can wear bum shorts not bikini; do you want me to kill people?’-Moji Oyetayo

‘I can be happy without being married but I will remarry’

If you call her the queen of Nigeria soap opera, you are not wrong. The comic actress, an English graduate of  Lagos State University and mother of one Moji Oyetayo  who is fondly known as Mama Ajasco, a role in Wale Adenuga’s TV sitcom ‘Papa Ajasco and Company’ is indeed an interesting personality. In this chat with adanneamos.blogspot.com she opens up on her lifestyle, her acting career and her intension to try marriage again after divorce.

Can we step into your world?

Sure, you are welcome. My name is Moji Oyetayo, popularly known as Mama Ajasco (giggles). I’m a Lagosian, I’m Yoruba, I’m an actress , I’m a voice-over-artiste, I’m an MC, I’m a world cup entertainment moving train. I read English in Lagos State University (LASU). When I was much younger, I never knew I was going to be an actress. But I always knew I was going to be a media person. I was looking up to being a news caster. I knew I was going to be on TV but I never knew I would be on TV as an actress. I grew up loving the news people because I love to speak fanatics a lot. So, I used to listen to them, and would be looking at their expressions and I said to myself I would be one of them. Ironically, It’s not like I had a role model. I was just amazed with all of them. There was this lady, she is late now, Mee Ellen Mode Damijo, I used to sit and would be looking at her. Even on international news too, my mum would see how  I was  glued to the  TV watching CNN,  looking at the newscasters  and she would ask me what I was listening to. But it was their expression. I knew I wanted to have my talk show too right from childhood. But acting never crossed my mind.

Why did you not study Mass Communication in the first place?

I put in University of Lagos to study Mass Communication, they didn’t take me. I tried LASU but LASU didn’t have Mass Communication then but they now have. So, they told me the only thing that was close to Mass communication was English. That was why I went in to study English. If I had put University of Lagos as my first choice, they would have taken me. But I put in LASU as my first choice. So, I read English and then of course in English all of the rules of Mass Communication is also in English. And then I did Theatre Arts as compulsory elective through out. So, I understood some theatre jobs right from time. So, I came into entertainment not as an actress but as a voice-over-artiste. I do commercials and jingles, I do radio drama with my voice. My voice sounds more familiar than my face. So, I came into the industry with photography. I used to go, do red carpet, take pictures and give to people and I was freelancing with some magazines then. I even freelanced with Dele Momodu of Ovation Magazine as well. I would just go to events and take pictures and I would send it to them.  And if I see someone that wants to take her picture home, I would print them at the event. I used to have my print out with me.

How did you start acting?

 I first started working with Digital Interactive Media the owners of the Next Movie Star. I was their artiste manager. All the winners of the Next Movie Star and all the housemates I was in charge of them. I was also doing photography for them. And whenever you win the Next Movie Star, there is a TV contest for them which is known as Dormitory 8 and it still runs till date. It is a pet project for the housemate. So, the artistes were acting and I was behind the camera taking some shots. The director was telling one of the actors what to do and she didn’t just get the thing. I understood what he was telling her to do. I was angry and was wondering if she was dumb. She still was looking confused. I now came up and did what the director was telling her to do. When I did it, everybody there was amazed how I interpreted the character so well. The director said I should drop my camera and come and take over the role. I took over the role and I finished it. Yes, I ended up shooting the whole of that series with them. And that was how I started acting.

Apart from that and Mama Ajasco what are your other works?

People call me a soap queen because I do more of soaps than movies. I did eight episodes of Tinsel a popular soap opera. I’m on Girls Next Door, which of course is a soap. I’m on Oga Madam which is my new series that just started. I’m on Daughters of Eve, My Tomorrow. All these are soaps and they are all running presently. There are many I won’t be able to remember now. Then for the movies I have featured in are Return of Janifa, Flat Mate, Jagaga which is a horror movie that was shot in Calabar. Then out of all these, Return of Janifa was the most popular and I played the character of a call girl. I led the character.

Which of them brought you out to the limelight?

It was Mama Ajasco that brought me out. Papa Ajasco is a household concept that has been there for long. Then Oga Madam is new and it is another one that is extremely catchy. But I love Daughters of Eve the most any way. In the Daughters of Eve I’m the matron. This is a series about kidnap. And I played the role of a matron in a military barrack. It’s a crazy character but I loved it.

What challenges did you face in interpreting Mama Ajasco?

Speaking pidgin was a major challenge originally. Wale Adenuga really helped me by saying we shouldn’t speak pidgin anymore. So, now we speak normal English, I mean Nigerian English. This made it easier for me. When people see me they said I’m so young to play in the character like that. But because of my stature, once I wear native, I would automatically look older. When I tie that Gele and they make me up to look older, my face would just change. So, in real life people don’t relate face my face with that of the character. I would have gone before they recognize me as Mama Ajasco. And so of them are not too sure but good enough, children always recognize me as Mama Ajasco anywhere I go. I have parents spank their children because of me. They see me and I would be dressed funky but they would start shouting Mama Ajasco. Then their mothers would say are you alright? That is not Mama Ajasco, that she is an old woman. But they would be arguing among themselves and I would just be looking at them. But sometimes, I pity the children by introducing myself and they would laugh. There was one small boy that still recognized me at night. When I passed, he shouted Mama Ajasco excitedly. I was shocked and wondered how he was able to recognize me at night because the place was a bit dark. I was going to a party opposite their house and all the children came out and started shouting my name.

How does it make you feel when some people don’t recognize you?

I like it actually because I’m a private person. I’m a playful person, I’m extremely playful person. Most times I love just to relax and be me. I’m a very down to earth woman. So, when you don’t recognize me, I will be free to walk and go my normal business and be my real self. But immediately you recognize me I’m put in a pressure to behave in a particular way to satisfy certain expectations and that dampens me because I’m one individual that likes to be my real self. So, the more people don’t recognize me, the happier I am. I could walk into a party and enjoy myself, drink and dance like every other one and nobody is looking at me as Mama Ajasco.

Are there some roles you won’t accept?

I’m a versatile person and I’m extremely professional. I have not seen any role I can’t interpret. The only role I know I won’t take is to be naked. I’m an African woman. But somehow it demands on the story line anyway. In Jagaga, a movie where I featured as the governor’s mistress, in the movie.  I used to massage him and I actually took off my clothes in the movie. And it was not vulgar. I wore a full lacy corset inside and I wore a mini dress that was supposed to be my nurse uniform. So, when I was trying to massage him, I unbuttoned it. I didn’t remove the jacket totally but I opened it up so that you could see all my corset inside. To me, that was my maximum of me. But I can wear short dresses and I can wear bum shorts but not bikini. Why do you expect me to wear bikini, do you want me to kill people. Can’t you see this load (Looked at her bums). Can’t you see what I have at my back? If I try wearing bikini at the beach, all the people at the beach, plus all the fishes in the water  will just die. Haa, fish would scream out. So, I don’t want to kill people .

But this is Africa where men like them big, bold and curvy?

Yes, I have said it that African woman is meant to be voluptuous. It is the western culture that talks about being slender. I’m not preaching obesity. But being big is my pride. I’m big, I’m flexible, there is nothing you want me to do that I can’t do. I wear things that fit me, I carry myself well, I have my carriage and my poise as a typical African woman but being obese is a different story all together.

How do you feel when you are in the midst of some slender ladies, inferior?

Hey, I’m an oppressor. I can intimidate anybody. It is what you think you are that you would exhibit. I’m a very confident woman. Many men have walked up to me to say that madam your swag is too much.  Reason being that there is nothing you are wearing that I would not beat you hands down in. So, I don’t understand the whole idea. You see, what makes some people intimidate is because they don’t know what to wear that fits them; that would make them look sexy. So, they wear drab things that would make them look bigger. They are already big, they would now wear big things that would make them look bigger. They can’t package their boobs, their bums and their body frame well.  They would just look out of shape. This is annoying. But me, I dress well to be frank. I’m a fashion crazy person. And I love voluptuous jewelry, anything bold. I’m like myself. I wear big, flashy things and I play with bright colours. I don’t go for dark colours because I’m dark. If I must wear dark dresses, it is once in a while. When I walk into where slender ladies are I’m not intimidated. People tell me Omo, you are so pretty, you are so sexy, give me small breasts now, give me small bums. Is it only you that would carry everything? They do forget I’m big and they keep complimenting. Some would say I like your nails, your eye lashes. Do you know people walk up to me to say sorry, you are big but you are really sexy. African man naturally likes big women. African man? They would pretend not liking big women but it’s a lie. There was one that moved away from his slender girlfriend to come and talk to me. There are some men that can’t stand big women and they have met me and say wow, I don’t like big women but there is something about you that fascinates me. I love the way you look. You are tempting me to date a big girl. It is comportment that matters. How you comport yourself even when you are fat that matters.

What part of your body wouldn’t you mind flaunting with shoulders high?

Everything about me is hot. My bums too are hot, my legs are hot, then my boobs are over hot. They are bringing out fire. Honestly they are smoking hot. I’m a hot woman believe me. There is no part of me I can’t flaunt. I wear fitted things, I show my ass, I show my curves. I like it when people loose their breath. That’s their business. You see, I didn’t make myself, it’s God that made me and I love what He made.  The Bible says I’m beautifully and wonderfully made.

Are you ever lonely? Do you also have dull moments?

I’m a very playful person and I’m always happy. It is not possible for a human being to be happy all through her life. So, sometimes I have my dull moments but I’m a very strong person. I do counsel a lot of people. So, when I get into that mood too, I just start remembering those things I told some other person and it would work for me. And then I come out of the mood. I have mood swing but I have learnt to manage it well. I have lots of friends. When I’m dull I drive off to see some of my friends and we would go out for a drink. And there is nothing that kills sadness like groove. Once I hear good music, I just let go. So, music works for me when I’m sad. Beach works for me too. Once I’m staring at water, look at the creativity of God and listens to my reggae songs, give me 30 minutes and I would be glowing, I would be rejuvenated.

What kind of music thrills you?

I love reggae most followed by Fela music. Then I love old school music.

You are divorced and you look so pleasant unlike many others, how come?

Until you have inner peace with yourself, you would be a sad person. People think marriage is what makes them happy, it is not. Marriage would add to you but it is not going to give you happiness. That is why you see so many women even in their marriage and they are sad. Reason being that happiness is not in marriage. The happiness is you. If you are not happy, you cannot give happiness.  And because you cannot bring happiness, one man cannot bring happiness to me and take it from me. I have to be happy first within me. And be contended with who I am as a human being and love myself, then I can be loved and I can give love.

What crashed your marriage?

Marriage is a different world entirely. It does not follow any rule and does not give you signal of any rule. You select your own rules or you meet them like that. Based on African culture, the pressure of women to get married is so high that because of pressure you would say okay let me go in. Even after seeing all the wrong things about the person but because you are tired of just staying single, you get married just to be Mrs somebody. Then you go inside and you meet terror. Then you are now wondering what you have done to yourself. Marriage is supposed to add you. If marriage doesn’t add to you, automatically it is a wrong marriage. So, those are the basics. I got married when I was very young. I was not as matured as I am now. I would probably would have done things better  and be more patient in terms of understanding. Everything in life is experience. I’m sure that if I was this old now , as experienced as I am now, I probably wouldn’t have walked out of my marriage. I would have understood some more things. As I am now, I’m extremely matured, I have become an ‘Agba,’ (elderly). So I can stomach a lot of things that ordinary people would not stomach because I think have been there, I have seen it all. You would talk and I won’t respond, I would just be looking at you. I won’t open my mouth to say a word. I have passed that stage. I have trained myself, I have disciplined myself to that stage. It would take a lot now to get me to be angry.

You are saying that it is good for one to be matured first before venturing into marriage?

Yes, it is. That is why I’m totally against child marriage. It is criminal, it is not right, it is not done, it is not fair. I mean it is satanic. Why, what does a 13 year old girl know. She doesn’t even understand her body. Some of them are confused as the word confused. Some of them have not even started observing their period. I’m not for it, I can’t stand it, I have a daughter and I can’t imagine it.

Do you hope to remarry?

I can be happy even without being married but I will remarry. Not that I hope to, I will. Because the truth of the matter is that yes I’m happy, yes I’m confident , yes I’m financially responsible for myself and my daughter and I can handle some issues without a man but there is always a space for a man. You cannot fill the space. The value of a man is of course the value of a man. There are many things that it is a man’s thing. Yes, I have grown to know how to do a whole lot of things. Is it electrical works?  Change my tires, I take my car to mechanic workshop, follow them to Ladipo to buy spare parts Just name it. These are a man’s thing but I do it. Not because I want to do it. But because I don’t have a man that could do it for me. So, there is a space for a man and it is there, it is in my face every time. In grooming a child, the space of a man should be occupied. There are so many things a man can do that we women cannot do. I’m an independent woman but as independent as I am I know there is a space for a man. There is what a man needs to do in a woman’s life. That is why I’m hundred per cent sure that I will remarry.

What qualities are you looking out for in a man now that you have been married before?

I need a God fearing man. If you fear God, you would be afraid to do something stupid. A nice person, I don’t like a harsh man, a playful person who can play and gist with me. I can talk from now till tomorrow, so I need someone who have a listening ear to listen to me and be looking at me like a movie. I do a lot of drama, so as I’m entertaining you just be laughing. I’m not a materialistic person. I don’t expect to marry a rich man or a millionaire but the basic thing is for you to handle your responsibilities. A responsible man takes care of his woman and the home. He doesn’t have to be told what to do. A responsible man should place you on a salary basically and you don’t have to be very rich to do that. He has to be responsible.