I never left showbiz – Fritz Baffour

Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour, has stated that there was no moment he left the Ghanaian showbiz scene.

The former stand-up comedian and actor told DJ Premier, host of Entertainment Capital on Accra 100.5fm Saturday, March 26 that: “I had to concentrate on parliament but I have not left the industry.”

“I have acted in a couple of films during this time, but because of parliament, I didn’t get any recompense. I have friends who would say: ‘Fritz, please we need you to play this short role and I will do it if I felt it was ok.”

The MP, who is not seeking re-election, however said he was not coming back into the entertainment industry as a comedian, but would do anything the creative arts brought his way.

“I am not coming back as a comedian; I am coming back as a Ghanaian who loves the arts…I am not here to challenge the young ones, but you can always be an elder statesman and there are roles for older people in film,” he said, adding: “As for comedy, I realised at a certain time that the kind of comedy I used to do is now outdated, so, I will not come back as a comedian.

Mr Baffour disclosed he took up comedy because he was jobless after he had returned from Britain.

“You know, comedy was a sideline. When I came back from Britain, I couldn’t get a job because I was in advertising in Britain and there were very few advertising agencies in this country. So, at a certain time, I taught a bit, I also was an MC at programmes because I had worked in British television…one of the sidelines, if you went to a programme, was that ostensibly you would have a black out and with that I used my booming voice to keep the audience entertained by telling them jokes, so, that led from one thing to the other and then I took it up because it was very high-paying.

“You went on stage for about an hour and you make a little bit of money, so, if you had jobs you were paid. So, I decided if I cannot get a job in advertising then I might as well do a little bit of comedy so that is how I slipped into comedy.”

“Apart from that I had worked for British television: I was a producer and presenter. So, when I went to Liberia, I had my own programme called Just for You. I produced and presented, and that’s what I did with Sincerely Yours.

“I came, I had an idea, and I put it together. But while I was doing that too, at a certain time, I was the managing director of the Ghana Tourism Development Company. …For me, I have always done what I wanted to do.

“I write, so if I had the chance, I would write. I wrote for Agoo magazine, I wrote for the Accra Daily Mail. At the same time, I did football commentary, so, anything that the arts will give me the opportunity to do, I will do.”

By-Classfmonline.com