Charly Boy

Charly Boy, born Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, 19 June 1950 (also known as CB, His Royal Punkness, and Area Fada), is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, television presenter, actor, publisher, activist and producer.

One of Nigeria's most controversial entertainers, he is best known for his alternative lifestyle, political views, and media productions, most notably The Charly Boy Show.

Oputa ventured into the music industry in 1982, and in 1984 independently released the highlife single Obodo GiriGiri.

In 1985 was nearly denied a record deal with Polygram Nigeria due to his unconventional appearance until he was introduced to the label's managing director Ton Seysener who signed him, and Nwata Miss was released.

Towards the late 80s, Oputa with the help of stylist and fellow singer/songwriter Tyna Onwudiwe, created a new punk persona consisting of leather jackets and boots, power bikes, mohawks, and a new direction in music, combining African pop and Afrobeat.

A pioneer in Nigeria's short-lived punk movement, he soon earned the unofficial title His Royal Punkness, and renamed his Lagos residence The Punk Palace.

Oputa's most popular album was 1990 released in 1988 – the title was a reference to Nigeria's corrupt military government which was expected to hand over power to civilians in that year, although civilian rule did not start until 1999). 1990 earned Oputa mixed reviews due to its political nature and caused national controversy, and several radio stations refused to play the title track. Despite this, 1990 was one of Nigeria's best-selling albums of 1988, and Oputa was credited with using his music to stand up to his government, a lá Fela Kuti. Oputa would also collaborate with Seysener to establish the annual beach concert Lekki Sunsplash.

The album 1990 included the song "Big Bottom", a tribute to the female derriere.

In most Nigerian states it was denied airplay on radio due to its somewhat raunchy lyrics.

The accompanying video, deemed ahead of its time, features Charly Boy's wife Diane as a woman with a generous posterior who is a guest at Charly Boy's wedding; as she bends over during the ceremony, the groom turns around to stare at her rear, to the annoyance of his bride.

Other features of the video include members of the public unaware that their buttocks are on camera.

The "Big Bottom" video was subsequently banned by the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission on grounds of obscenity.

In recent years, Oputa has worked on several collaborations with his cousin Dr. Alban, most notably on the song "Carolina" which sampled an earlier hit of Dr. Alban's – "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" – and had originally featured singer Michael Rose.

The re-worked version was sung in Nigerian Pidgin and was a hit in Nigeria.

The pair also recorded the songs "Work Work Africa" and "Commercial Waste".

2021

Odudubariba is a song inspired by his role he played in King of Boys: The Return of the King

Charly Boy's most popular television series was The Charly Boy Show – a weekly sketch/variety show with political undertones, and featured music, comedy, and celebrity appearances.

Key segments included This Is Not The News (A satirical news bulletin lampooning celebrities), Mama and Papa Nothing Spoil (A bickering elderly couple who provided comical answers to viewer's questions) and Candid Camera.

It launched on NTA 2 Channel 5 Lagos in 1991, and was syndicated across other stations across the country.

It later moved to AIT until its cancellation in 2001.

Among the cast were Charly Boy's wife Diane Oputa, actress Stella Damasus, Mercy Oyebo, singing duo Tunde and Wunmi Obe, and actor Patrick Doyle.

Charly Boy's alter-ego Madam Zigizigi (a drag character) and monologues which condemned the country's dictatorship were also popular features.

The Charly Boy Show was widely criticised for being overtly sexual – Charly Boy's dancers (known as "Charly's Angels") were often shown clothed in S&M outfits and brandishing whips.

His political views on the show also came under fire – he would slate Nigeria's military rulers who were accused of corrupting the system.

Despite its popularity, The Charly Boy Show struggled with consistent sponsorship; Charly Boy would later ask celebrity friends to appeal for sponsors on-camera, without much success.

The show was cancelled in 2001 after ten years.

In 2022, Charly Boy announced the show's return.

The Charly Boy Kiddies Show was a short-lived spin-off of the original series aimed at children.

Although the show's creator made regular appearances, the main cast consisted of children, and included segments from the original show including Candid Camera, albeit performed by child actors.

Like its predecessor, The Charly Boy Kiddies Show failed to gain sponsors, and was subsequently cancelled.

However, in 2010, Charly Boy established The Charly Boy Kiddies Affair in Abuja, which aimed to boost the potential of Nigerian children.

Zoom Time was a The Charly Boy Show politics spin-off co-presented by Charly Boy and Tunde Obe (the latter was also a cast member of The Charly Boy Show) which featured prominent politicians and military men.

Among those interviewed were former Nigerian president Ibrahim Babangida; this interview was among the most memorable in the history of the show.

He has served as president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, and in 2011 was an Idol Series judge.

The second son of former Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Oguta-native Oputa was born into a Catholic household, and is the cousin of Swedish musician Dr. Alban.

As he often refused to reveal his date of birth in interviews, his age remained unknown until 2011 when he celebrated his sixtieth birthday, however, in his usual enigmatic character, he announced his 63rd birthday on 19 June 2013, making his age a contentious one.

Although he describes his parents as liberals who encouraged their children to express themselves freely, Oputa has also spoken of their conservative nature.

He initially aspired to become a priest, but left seminary school after a year.

In his late teens he moved to America where he attended college, graduating with a degree in Communications.