Charly Boy, born Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, 19 June 1951 is a Nigerian singer/songwriter, television presenter, publisher, producer and one of Nigeria’s most controversial entertainers, best known for his alternative lifestyle, political views, and media productions, most notably The Charly Boy Show.
He has been president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria and in 2011 the entertainer became a judge on Nigerian music talent show, Idol.
Watch Charly Boy In ‘Area Fada’ Here
Area Fada, as he is popularly addressed plays a very key role in the Nigerian music industry as his lifestyle has not only influences new generation in their style but also an inspiration to many who appreciate the alternative lifestyle.
This week on Information Nigeria Spotlight, we take a quick look inside the creative mind of Nigeria’s creative and activist, Charly Boy.
So Here Are A Few Things About The Artist
Family And Early Life
Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa was born as the second son of former Supreme Court justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Oguta-native. A Catholic household that he described as both conservatives and liberals. Charles is also a cousin of Swedish musician Dr. Alban.
Did You Know That Charly Boy’s Age Wasn’t Known Until 2011?
In 2011 Charly Boy celebrated his sixtieth birthday after avoiding answering questions about his age in interviews for years.
However, in his usual enigmatic character, he announced his 63rd birthday on 19 June 2013, making his age a contentious one. Although he has described his parents as liberals who always encouraged their children to speak and say what they had in mind, Charly Boy has also spoken about their conservative nature. He had set out 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.
Music And Image
Although Charly Boy had released a highlife album in 1982 but never had any record deal. He attained greater success with the 1985 Polygram Nigeria release of Nwata Miss, which included the title track. His most popular album was 1990 – 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). Charly Boy is well known for his change of image which started with androgyny at the start of his music career. His preference for make-up, relaxed and braided hairstyles, and “women’s clothes” caused controversy among conservative Nigerians. He would later be nicknamed “Nigeria’s Boy George” by entertainment journalists but claimed that he had started this persona long before his British counterpart became famous. Charlie Boy has also been featured on both shows he produced and co-produced.
Advocacy And Controversy
Charly Boy is known as an advocate of the masses as he has fought for the rights of the average Nigerian. He has on several occasions been tortured by the Nigerian police and the military for standing up to his country’s government. However, he is also, on occasion, regarded as their friend, depending on the sensibility of those in power. An inspirational writer, Charly Boy focuses on various subjects in several newspapers including The Daily Post and his own publication Charly Boy Magazine, and has been known to write slogans on rocks in Abuja where he currently resides.
Charly Boy’s music has always been a national talking-point. Among the tracks on the album “1990” was “Big Bottom”, a tribute to the female derriere. In most Nigerian states it was denied airplay on radio due to its somewhat rauncy 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.
Most Recent Activity
The singer recently featured mainstream artist Falz in a recent boop where they tackled pastors on a mission to rip off people in his latest single, ‘Fake Pastors’
Watch The Video Here:
