Moses Olaiya Adejumo was born in Ilesa, a historic town in present-day Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. Most reliable records list his birth as 18 May 1936, although some mention 1937 or 1938. He grew up in a Yoruba-speaking community where storytelling, humour, and performance were woven into everyday life. These early cultural experiences deeply influenced his later career.
Before venturing into entertainment, Olaiya worked as a sanitary inspector, popularly called wole-wole. The job exposed him to the rhythms and realities of ordinary people. Their speech, gestures, and quick wit became raw material for the observational comedy that later defined his art.
From Civil Service to Highlife Music
In the early 1960s, Olaiya left civil service to pursue music. He founded the Federal Rhythm Dandies, a highlife band based in Lagos that became a training ground for young musicians. One of his most famous protégés was Sunday Adegeye, who would later achieve global fame as King Sunny Adé.
Olaiya’s lively stage presence quickly outshone his musical performances. Audiences loved the comic banter that filled the pauses between songs. Gradually, he began introducing short sketches and jokes into his shows. His success as a musical comedian marked the beginning of his transition from bandleader to full-time entertainer.
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The Birth of the Baba Sala Character
By the late 1960s, Olaiya had founded the Moses Olaiya International Alawada Theatre, a touring company that blended music, dance, and drama. From this troupe emerged his beloved comic persona, Baba Sala, a bumbling yet lovable old man dressed in oversized trousers, huge suspenders, a giant bow tie, thick glasses, and an exaggerated wristwatch made from a table clock.
Through Baba Sala, Olaiya delivered social commentary disguised as laughter. His sketches mocked greed, laziness, pride, and moral hypocrisy while promoting virtues such as humility and honesty. The simplicity of his humor made it universal, cutting across class and education.
In the mid-1960s, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), Africa’s first television station, invited his troupe to produce a weekly show. The program, Alawada Show, became a household favourite. For the first time, Yoruba travelling theatre entered the modern broadcast age, reaching audiences far beyond live stages.
Rise to Cinematic Stardom
In 1982, Olaiya took a bold step into film with the release of Orun Mooru, directed by Ola Balogun. The film, in which he starred and co-produced, told the story of greed and get-rich-quick schemes through a blend of humour and moral reflection. It became a landmark in Nigerian cinema and one of the first Yoruba-language films to achieve national success.
However, tragedy struck when Orun Mooru became one of the earliest victims of piracy in Nigeria. Illegal copies flooded the market, costing Olaiya significant losses. The experience exposed the challenges of film production in the country and highlighted the urgent need for copyright protection.
Despite this setback, Olaiya pressed on. He produced and starred in Aare Agbaye (1983) and Mosebolatan (1985), both of which combined humour, morality, and Yoruba proverbs. His ability to teach moral lessons through laughter elevated comedy into a respected art form.
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Later Years and Passing
As the entertainment industry evolved in the 1990s, Olaiya continued performing in home-video films and stage shows. Though production quality changed with time, his wit and charisma remained intact. Younger comedians saw him as a mentor and trailblazer whose work opened the doors to modern Nigerian comedy.
Moses Olaiya Adejumo passed away on 7 October 2018 in Ilesa, Osun State, at about 82 years old. His death followed a brief illness related to age. The news prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans, colleagues, and government officials who hailed him as a cultural icon.
He was buried in his hometown of Ilesa and honoured posthumously for his service to Nigerian arts and culture. During his lifetime, he received the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) national award for his outstanding contributions to theatre and film.
Legacy and Lasting Influence
Baba Sala remains a towering figure in Nigerian entertainment history. His influence is visible in generations of comedians and actors who inherited his approach to performance. Figures like Tunji Oyelana, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin), and Nkem Owoh trace elements of their craft to the path Olaiya carved.
His art was deeply rooted in the Yoruba alárìnjó travelling theatre tradition, an indigenous performance culture that used humour and song to teach moral lessons. By adapting this to television and film, Baba Sala modernised a centuries-old form while preserving its communal spirit.
Through his laughter, audiences learned humility, honesty, and perseverance. His legacy continues in Nigeria’s comedy and film industries, where storytelling and satire remain intertwined. Baba Sala showed that comedy could uplift, correct, and inspire, a lesson as relevant today as it was in his time.
Author’s Note
The story of Moses Olaiya Adejumo, the man behind Baba Sala, is more than a biography, it is the story of Nigerian comedy itself. His transformation from civil servant to musician, from musician to dramatist, and from dramatist to cinematic legend mirrors the nation’s own artistic evolution. He used laughter not only to entertain but to teach, weaving humour with truth and morality. Baba Sala’s life reminds us that the power of art lies in its ability to reflect humanity, celebrate culture, and create joy that endures beyond a lifetime.
References
Premium Times Nigeria – Baba Sala: Pillar of Nigerian Comedy
Vanguard News – Veteran Comedian Baba Sala Dies at 82
Independent Newspaper Nigeria – The Life and Times of Baba Sala
University of Michigan Passages Journal – Structural Adjustments of Nigerian Comedy: Baba Sala
Zikoko – Baba Sala: Life and Times in Photos
