Entertainment & SocietyCharly Boy: Call Me A Cat With Over 9 Lives

Charly Boy: Call Me A Cat With Over 9 Lives

September 17, (THEWILL) – Popular Nigerian musician, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, a.k.a Charly Boy, 71, has said, “in my former life I believe I come from the cat family, hence you see different big cats tattooed all over my body.”

“By any accepted standards, I have more than nine lives. I could count more than 13 times I could have been dead, but here I stand still breathing.”

Speaking on the link between Odudubariba, the spiritual warrior and Charly Boy, the former Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMANO President revealed that Odudubariba is a name he adopted before the advent of the character, Charly Boy.

Glo

According to the vastly creative musician, Odudubariba means butterfly in his dialect, it represents his spiritual essence, and its fragility speaks to fact that life itself is delicate?

Charly Boy throws more light on his Odudubariba link in the trending movie, “The King of the Boys 2,” when he said, “As a spiritual warrior, I adopted the symbol of a butterfly. And that symbol and character has always been me.

“Odudubariba might be new to you, but it is ancient to me. It is a necessary spirit that has shielded me and protected me from all harm.”

On how Charly Boy adopted the role of Odudubariba in the movie, the music icon said he was not sure of the role he was to play when he was contacted to feature in the movie.

As Charly Boy narrated while in the UK, when Kemi, the Producer, contacted him for a role in the movie, he was not sure of the name he would adopt and had asked what name he could be called in the movie.

And she said, “Mr. Gbadamosi.”

But this didn’t go down well with Charly Boy who felt the name didn’t fit his personality as the name appeared flat and ordinary.

Subsequently, Charly Boy asked if he could come up with another character, and she agreed, following which he coined Charly Boy, but that didn’t fly with her.

He then came up with Odudubariba and like a thunderbolt, the character stuck and it was like that is what she all along wanted.

She confessed that she was in love with the way the name sounded. “It was only when we got on set that she asked me if it meant anything. That was when I told her it meant butterfly!”

How does Charly Boy feel, being part of the film, “The return of the King of the Boys 2,” about the most talked about film in the movie industry now, and playing a supporting role in such a trending movie?

King of the Boys 2, he said, creates the same feeling of happiness and ambiance as his earlier success: “I am happy the film is well received globally, I am happy to be part of it, quite frankly, I am living my best life since the past few years. Like I have always said; Charly Boy no dey finish.”

He stressed that he was still trying to discover and unravel a whole lot about the brand called Charly Boy and excited about all the things housed in one personality.

What informed Charly Boy’s powerful role in the movie? Is it that he wanted to unleash his creative side in another form apart from music production, songwriting and TV production? he was asked.

In his response, Charly Boy said when he was asked to play this role, he realized that it is a role he has played since the inception of the brand.

He explained: “Imitating the gangster character is not new to me, and this acting pathway is another dimension to Charly boy, another layer of Charly Boy.”

He noted that this creative side had come into fruition at the right time, which was good for Nollywood, and continues the success of the movie industry.

Assessing the man Charly Boy, the multi-talented personality looked at himself with pride and said, “Charly Boy is many things rolled into one. Sometimes I feel God over-blessed that brat.”

Charly Boy won’t be satisfied if Odudubariba and “The King of the Boys 2” pass as just another movie.

He expects the duo to make positive impacts on Nigerian homes.

Odudubariba comes across as a gangster in the movie while “The Return of the King of the Boys 2” shows the ugly side of Nigerian politics.

He said: “Although it is a gangster movie, we want a positive impact in our household. The aim is for Nigerians to be part of the change mechanism, adopt a better society that values human rights and dignity.”

At over 70 years of age and still influencing society in a positive manner, Charly Boy feels that he is a fulfilled man.

He submits: “Yes, I am fulfilled. I have enjoyed the entertainment industry; my career is glowing, not to boast. My Success is known by all. I see and hear the positive impact I have made to individual lives. I am proud about that positive impact, but what will be more fulfilling is Nigeria.

“I want to see Nigeria to evolve as a country where no man is oppressed, where there is equality, justice and fairness, I want to see a country with development and better opportunity for the youth force as its core value.

“Nigeria should create an environment of change, creating health and wealth should be the utmost focus. It saddens me that the environment has become so toxic, making it impossible for young people’s dreams to grow here.”

As Charly Boy stars in the movie, which will be released officially on September 20, what should we be expecting: The usual Charly Boy conundrum?

He promises: “You will expect the bad boy personality and character the ladies enjoy. I have played this all my life, but now most people, especially the ladies will enjoy Charly Boy on the big screen. Connoisseurs are advised to go to the Charly Boy Instagram handle, Area Fada and enjoy a feel of the trending gangster film, King of the Boys 2.”

Where is Charly Boy heading from here after the Return of the King of the Boys 2? Is he winding down, fading out or taking a deserved rest after a hyperactive lifestyle, even at over70 years of age?

“We have just started,” he said. “Now you will see the real Charly Boy, the next 70 years will be awesome, expect creativity, the entertainment industry is broad, there is so much to do, so, let the show begin.”

Charly boy has been out of the country for some time, somehow, his absence coincided with the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB and Sunday Igboho who are agitating for Republic of Biafra and Oduduwa Republic respectively.

Charly Boy, who said he has not taken vacation since Covid, revealed that he had to travel out of the country to refresh, reboot and clear his head.

He, however, said he was not phased out by the arres and detention of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho.

He said: “These guys, Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, the former PMAN President said, are not our problems. They are only the symptoms of the great injustices in Nigeria.

“The sector most hit across the board is the youths of this country. No jobs, no future hopes. So, you tell me, what is the future plan of Nigeria for its youth force? This contraption we call Nigeria is built on a faulty foundation with a fraudulent Constitution.

“The only way forward is for us to come to the table and find how we solve this problem because the bloodletting that’s happening now can never continue indefinitely.”

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