LAUGHTER IN THE STREETS OF CALABAR

• I-go-die
The build-up of excitement in the on-going 2011 Calabar Festival went up several degrees with some heavyweights in the Nigerian comedy industry such as I Go Die, I Go Save, Gandoki among others making appearances on Comedy Night (Laffmattazz). The rib cracking session started with performances by foremost Calabar based, Aboki for Christ, who kept the audience laughing as if there was not a sorrow in the world. But that was just the appetizer.

A musical interlude followed with local act, Speedyman, entertaining the crowd with some of his tracks.

After Speedyman, another local comic, Fada Itoski, picked up from where Aboki for Christ left, leaving most of the audience in tears from laughter.

Thereafter other comedians, budding Port Harcourt based Hezekiah and Lagos based Headmaster, followed in quick succession, making sure the high level of mirth in the air did not drop.

The evening got better when frontline Nigerian comedian, I Go Save, got on stage, and kept dishing one hilarious joke after the other. I Go Save, who joined the Calabar Festival for the first time, already felt at home as the crowd at the UJ Esuene Stadium, warmed up to him. As time went on, the audience kept enjoying themselves, and the artiste had to be cut short by the compere, to pave way for other acts. Despite shouts for an encore he had to make way for other performances.

Another musical interlude followed, this time by Presh of KC Presh duo. It was Presh's first performance in Calabar alone after the alleged split with other member of the duo KC.

Presh put up an energetic performance, carrying the audience along as he dished familiar KC Presh tunes. He also dropped his first single as just Presh since the reported split. He however said KC Presh was still together and they were only working separately at the moment on different projects. He said they were going to celebrate their 10th anniversary soon.The comedy continued with Warri comedian, Gandoki, doling out his own dose of laughter.

The highpoint of the evening was the appearance of the skinny Warri comedian I Go Die. Clad in a black suit on a pair of white trousers, he did not let the tempo of the evening drop.