Day I was chased out of stage with stones, sachet water – MC Danfo

Ifeanyi Attansey, aka MC Danfo, is a stand-up comedian that has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his unique style of comedy which is: using songs to deliver his jokes especially the song ‘Pana’ by Tekno. He revealed more on his journey in the entertainment industry in this exclusive interview with ORJI ONYEKWERE.

What inspired your style of comedy, using music to tell your jokes?

It started in 2016/17, with a comedy club where I worked called Tems Park. I am still working there. I have been working there for the past 17 years and I host comedy shows there every Sunday but now, it’s two Sundays in a month. That day my DJ was playing the original song from Vector when PHCN ‘took light’ and the place is the biggest bar in Alimosho.

We had to switch over to generator and immediately the light came up, my DJ started playing the Tekno song ‘Pana’. As the song was playing, I was responding to everything Tekno was saying. The DJ loved the way I was flowing, he looped the song and I found myself singing and saying all sorts of things and people were laughing.

People started appreciating me by giving me money. Before then, nobody laughed at all to the jokes I cracked and nobody offered me money but when I started singing and cracking jokes, people started giving me money. I was happy and after the event people came to me to commend what I did. That was when it occurred to me that I have to do more to improve my game.

One guy came, I think his name is Fizzy, he gave me some ideas and I went back and turned it to music. That’s how it started with the song ‘Pana’. I will say it started like a mistake.

Give us a background of your journey into comedy. What were you doing before you started comedy?

I have been a comedian for a long time. Before I moved into comedy professionally, I have been doing home videos. I am a member of AGN and also a musician. I have dropped one album and two singles and the singles went viral but the album did not. They call us Oronto Boys, Danfo and AB. We went our separate ways and I later did my singles that went viral. That’s why some people call me ‘Atutu Poyoyo’ because it’s one of my songs.

For comedy, I have been doing it since 1995, during my secondary school days. I started stand-up comedy, as a small boy but I never believed in it. I was going to weddings doing MC work but the main thing started on the 3rd October 2008, just by accident. It started when I was invited by the Manager simply called Austin to come and perform music in the opening of Tems Park, Iyana Isashi. Yaw of Wazobia FM was supposed to be the MC and singers, Bracket were the guest artiste of the day.

Bracket was around but Yaw did not come and I told the manager let me do the MC, but he was mad at me, coupled with the pressure, he almost threw me out. The manager went up to do something and I begged the DJ Timex, who is still my DJ to hand me the microphone. I started talking and the people were responding and laughing.

Suddenly, the manager came down after he saw people’s response and I immediately dropped the mc. He asked the DJ who was saying all those things and making people laugh and the DJ pointed at me. He said I should take the mic back and continue what I was doing.

That was how I became the MC for the event and that was when Bracket did the song Yori Yori. The manager called me after the event and said he would like me to be doing comedy there.

All of a sudden I started working there without CV or applying. Every Thursday I will come and perform, the manager will give me 1000 naira the next morning and I will go home happy. I did it for eight months.

So, one Thursday; I did not come because I had an event at Alaba. My fans came around but they did not see me and they called the owner and asked where is MC Danfo, he makes us happy? The man said he didn’t employ any Danfo and none of his staff bears Danfo. The men were angry and the the owner asked the manager, who is MC Danfo that he wants to see me the next day?

I came the next day and he asked what happened? I explained and he said okay, they will be giving me 2500 naira every Thursday. I was even doing the comedy every day because people come there every day.

Suddenly I stopped for six months, but when he opened another branch, he called me three months after he opened the place and that was how I started as a standup comedian for years.

I featured in a couple of home videos. I was in Mr. Ibu in London, Common Sense, Working Class Lady part 2 and Spiritual Challenge among many others. I have about 62 home videos on my record but nobody knows me. However, this Tekno song was a life changing experience for me.

You have become a sensation especially on Tik Tik, how have other comedians accepted your style of comedy?

They love my style of comedy even more than me. They are the ones telling me that my style of comedy is unique. I can’t mention their names both the senior and the younger colleagues, they all love my style of comedy. Sometimes they will see something, they will ask me to use it and transform it to music. They also recommend me to clients.

You can be abusive sometimes with your jokes. How do people receive your jokes especially when you say, “Chineke kpo – gi oku”( Thunder fire you)?

It’s not really an abuse. There are some things in comedy you will want to say, you will just need to use one abusive word though you may not mean. It’s just to make the joke sweet but you don’t really mean it. Chineke kpogi oku, ( Thunder fire you), I can easily say it in English, it will not bring out the fun in it, the sweet but speaking it in igbo or any other language makes it more funny and by the grace of God people understand and they laugh over it.

The sweetest thing about this is that some days I will be working on the road and someone will shout ‘Chineke kpogi gi oku or thunder fire you.

Have your jokes ever landed you in trouble before? Tell us about it?

No, my jokes have never landed me into trouble

Why did you choose the name MC Danfo?

The name MC Danfo is really not the name I wanted to use as an entertainer but in 2003/4, I was into acting and we did comedy for a series which we wanted to air. We were actually two, that’s Danfo and Molue, both houseboys but they were stubborn that is Dafe and Moses.

I am Dafe and the other guy is Moses. Moses turned his name to Molue and I turned mine to Danfo. The people I was doing rehearsals with will always call me Danfo and my second Molue. Actors Guild of Nigeria picked it up, then the streets, before it went viral though the soap opera was not popular.

I have tried changing the name, I have changed it many times but it did not work. When I saw that it was Danfo that is making more money for me than the ones my parents gave me, I decided to stick with it and differentiate it with that of Mad Melon and Mountain Black of the famous Danfo Drivers music group.

Have you been faced with any difficult situation on stage?

It was in 2001/2, singer Wande Coal was dancing for me then and he had invited me to their street jam organised by Wow Production. I went there with my first girlfriend and luckily, it was my best friend’s street, that’s Ola. I was in my friend’s place with my girlfriend waiting for my turn to come on stage. Before you know it, we got into the mood and started making out.

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My stage name then was Autracking. We were just finishing when I heard them introduce me. I immediately rushed to the stage but I could not say a word. Then I was a good dancer, so if I don’t sing, I can dance ‘Kerewa’ by the duo of Zulezu or even Makossa.

But that day, I couldn’t do the song I mimicked and I could not dance. I did not know why I was there on stage. The people started throwing bottle water, sachet water and stones at me till I ran out of the stage. Since that day I have never experienced such a thing in my life again.

How was your show with AY in London?

My show with AY in London is one experience I will never forget in my life, it was excellent. It was a breakthrough for me. To crown everything all, God bless Ayo Makun for that opportunity.

Are you not worried that the owner of the song you use the beat regularly for your jokes might sue you for copyright infringements?

I don’t dream it that the singer Tekno, will come up with such because he’s my best musician. I don’t want to hear other musicians or know any other musician. Anybody that knows me, knows Tekno is my best musician and whatever I am today, after God; is Tekno.

Tell us more about yourself?

I am Ifeanyi, CEO Danfo EnterSHOWment. He is a Nigerian comedian, musician, actor and event manager. He hails from Isu in Anambra State.

QUOTE:

I don’t want to hear other musicians or know any other musician. Anybody that knows me knows Tekno is my best musician and whatever I am today, after God, it is Tekno.