By Charles Okogene
AtAt 71, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, popularly known and called Charly Boy, is still his old queer self. He is still the enigma, the unpredictable ‘boy’ he used to be when he set out on his showmanship journey since what he called “19 credim.’
The only thing that may have changed in him, is that he is now a lot calmer, less fearsome while those chains, rings, handcuffs that adorn his neck, fingers, waist with artificial painted nails are gone. What one sees now is a ‘clearer’ and more relaxed Charly Boy!
These were what this reporter saw in him at his Adeniyi Jones residence Ikeja, Lagos State when a group of old hands in entertainment reporting paid him a belated 71 birthday visit. All alone in the three bedroom apartment in a block of flats as he prepared to take part +take in the Ayo Animashaun of HipTV’s Walk for Life, keep fit exercise that took place recently in Victoria Island, Lagos; a visibly happy Charly Boy welcomed the visitors to his abode with a ‘Welcome To Hell’ hung on his moderately big and furnished living room.
“Gentle men,” you are welcomed, “even though ‘una’ come after the event don finish,” he started in his usual jocularly manner.
“I no get anything I go give ‘una’ chop o. ‘Na’ only me dey here o. No woman, no pikin to send message. Na so my life be now,” he continued after his time out with HIPTV crew that had come to interview him as part of the Walk for Life and his birthday.
“Seriously, I don’t smoke, womanise. I watch what I eat. I do a lot of exercise (walk) and above all, looking fit, trim and young is in my family. God blessed us with that,” he said in an answer to why at 70 plus, he looks 50.
“And again,” he continues, “what a lot of you do not know is that I am ageing backwards like one of my clocks that works backwards” and the whole apartment erupted in laughter.
He also did not fail to tell us that ‘smile’ is the best tool he uses in conquering the frustration in the land and that he is most happy when he sees smiling faces.
At the interaction that lasted for hours, he did not fail to tells us that the quest for money was not behind his decision to go back to the studio and record his latest musical work ( Odidigbarigba) that is quietly claiming the chart after years of inactivity.
“I am just amusing myself and feeling happy too and I hope it will also make people happy and smile but that does not mean that if money comes by the way, I will reject it.”
