A 10-minute comedy stint proved my ‘worth’ - Klint the drunk

 Klint the Drunk,’ he wanted to be a musician

Nigerian comedian Afamefuna Igwemba is famous for his rib-cracking stage performance as a drunk comedian. Popularly known as ‘Klint the Drunk,’ he wanted to be a musician, but as fate had it , he landed a spot in comedy. Klint told Cate Mukei how a 10- minute opportunity to prove himself changed his life completely and thrust him into the limelight

Was comedy your childhood dream? Nope. I always dreamt of being a musician. As a student, I used to sing at Institute of Management and technology (IMT) in Enugu, Nigeria.  I was the best musician, but when 2Face Idibia joined our school, he beat me hands down! He was a better musician than me, so I decided to try comedy, which worked!

How did you come up with the drunkard character? It started way back in high school where I took up the role of a drunkard. In my first ever appearance, everyone fell in love with me. They were all laughing and I knew I had found my right character. I participated both in church and school drama. I have perfected the character and owned it.

Was this character a reminder of anyone in particular?

We used to have this jester in my area. He was the caretaker of our house and he used to drink too much. Whenever he was drunk, he entertained us with this funny talk. Growing up, I sort of liked him.  Slowly, I started imitating him and perfected the art.

Was it easy to get into professional comedy? I really struggled at first. I relocated to Lagos to try my luck and stayed with famous Nigerian comedian, Ali Baba. Almost every comedian stayed with Ali Baba. He is a father to all of us. He is an icon. In fact, his name is number one when you talk about comedy in Nigeria. I must give it to him because he is the one who gave us the vision to pursue comedy as a career. He really taught me a lot and I owe my success to him.

You are a household name. Tell us more about your journey in comedy...

I remember bumping into Opa William, the founder of Night of a Thousand Laughs, at a show in Port Harcourt. I begged him to allow me perform at his show, but he dismissed me. However, he later agreed to give me 10 minutes to ‘do my thing.’ I impressed the audience who yearned for more of my action. That night was my turning point. I was invited to perform in many other shows, even outside Nigeria.

Do you drink? No. I am a teetotaler.

What are the craziest things you have ever done as a comedian? I once wandered at night to a cemetery because I heard that ghosts moved around at night. I didn’t see any!