Africa Magic Made Me a Star - Talented Actor Nonzo Bassey

In celebration of two decades of Africa Magic, we sat down with one of the talents who rose to stardom on the platform. Nonzo Bassey shares insights into his journey on Africa Magic and its role in shaping industry standards. Excerpts:

Take us through your journey with Africa Magic?

Africa Magic has had a tremendous impact on the entertainment industry. When I was very young, growing up in Calabar, we didn't have television, our next-room neighbour was the first to have a big screen television in the whole street, and DStv as well. They always watched Africa Magic and opened the door for poor children on the street to watch the movies. I used to watch many movies and wanted to grow up and be in the movies. I've always wanted to sing and act since I was a child. I have that memory etched in my mind and then growing up, my foray into the industry was through Africa Magic. My very first film was in late 2016 called Wurukum Roundabout. I shot it in Benue State, courtesy of Africa Magic, then went on to do Battleground, and the rest is history.

How would you rate Africa Magic in terms of talent discovery and development?

What Africa Magic does that I really appreciate is when they discover a talent, they circulate the talent within their ecosystem. When they spot that you are good, they put you in other things, which creates opportunities for more people to see you. A lot of stars have been born through Tinsel, Battleground and several other shows and series on Africa Magic. They scouted me and put me on Battleground, which has taken me to where I am today. Africa Magic is the standard. When you are in it, sometimes you take it for granted that you are given this opportunity, because it’s like a big family. They have this huge audience; from the Africa Magic Showcase to Urban, Family, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and Epic, all cadres of the audience are catered to. I did Battleground which was on AM Showcase, then they brought it down to other packages so that it travels across the ecosystem for more audience to access. At first, when I started on Battleground, people started identifying me in places like Ikoyi and shopping malls. At the time they dubbed it to Yoruba, the waste disposal workers, LAWMA agents, called me Doctor Emeka. I was in the market in Ogun State and all the women were calling me Doctor Emeka. That's the power of Africa Magic to me and I want to think it’s the same for some of my colleagues who started around the same time as me.

Looking at the socio-economic aspect, how would you describe the contributions of Africa Magic?

Another thing that equally blows my mind is the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA). Having a platform like that which honours the work we do, is phenomenal. It also gives the audience something big to look forward to. I think people underestimate the power this has. Everybody is asking when is the AMVCA happening. Even outside of the industry, people want to be part of the AMVCA. The celebrations create a business of its own while it celebrates creativity on the continent. Movie making is a chain of business. The series, live shows, and other Africa Magic content create an economy that benefits everyone involved. If you are on set during a production, you will see the number of people involved and feel first-hand the economic impact of Africa Magic. If one looks at the number of content Africa Magic has commissioned within the twenty years, one will see the phenomenal impact of Africa Magic on the entertainment industry.

What’s your evergreen moment on Africa Magic?

I keep going back to Battleground. We knew it was going to be a good show, we knew there was something special there, but we could never have imagined what it turned out to be. From the movement we got on set, the energy was special. We all got along. All the sects clicked. I remember the event for the viewing of the 100th episode. You could have imagined the response we got. I and Ini Dima-Okojie played love interest as Doctor Emeka and Teni, and they started calling us TENKA and everybody wanted to get married in real life because of that show. Some were already doing the Aso Ebi thing! That was an amazing moment for me.

What’s your view of the industry and the improvement you like to see?

You find in other markets a lot of recycling of stories, meanwhile, there are many untapped stories here. In as much as I salute the growth, I think there is much more that can be done as regards more attention to details, then cast and crew remuneration. Africa Magic is doing a good job in that aspect, but we need to do better because when we lead, others follow. I hope they keep acknowledging the work that we do. Many of us are doing it because we love it, not because we are making millions from it. That needs to change because people need to start having a pension from this. It’s much better than when we were children, but it still needs to improve. Artists should not live in poverty. The work we do is very important. We lead the charge, we create order from chaos. We tell people how to live, and we communicate with the unknown. That’s why we are crazy people. We translate the world of chaos to make meaning to everyday people and that should reflect in our pockets. There should be food on people's tables. People don't need to hop from one set to another without resting, just because they must survive.

With the trend being created by Africa Magic, where do you see this industry in the next 20 years?

Right now, we are in an interesting but also a very tricky time because there is an abundance of content fighting for people's attention. We have TikTok; people now want things in byte sizes. So, I appreciate what Africa Magic is doing in recognising online content creators because they are now a big part of the ecosystem. I understand that some people have criticized that, but it's not an easy thing to be forward-thinking. When change happens, not everyone likes it, but like it or not, you must adapt. It’s that adaptability that I like. Things are uncertain but things are also looking up because Africa is rising. People are looking at us. Our movies are traveling and our music doing great things. I would like to see more incorporation between movies, music, fashion, and culture. We need to emphasise more on our culture. It’s great what we are doing with Igbo Yoruba and Hausa, but we have for a long time lost a sense of who we are, and we are starting to get that back. Media and entertainment play a huge role in gaining back the sense of who we are and our lost history and not pander to ethnic or tribal rhetoric but tell the authentic Nigerian story. If we believe in one Nigeria, the work we do as storytellers and entertainers goes a long way in capturing and cementing that. So, I would love to see Africa Magic take more initiative in that. I don't know what that will look like, but I would like to see more of that.

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Source: Legit.ng