ENCOMIUM Weekly was at Omole, Lagos residence of star actress, Iyabo Ojo, where we had an interview with her on issues revolving around her life and career
You recently celebrated the first anniversary of Fespris. How would you describe the event?
It was a beautiful one, very fantastic. I didn’t even expect the kind of turnout I recorded that day. I thank God for that.
One year is enough to assess whether a business is doing fine or not, what’s the experience like in the case of Fespris?
Although, there were lots of ups and downs when we started, I would say it’s doing well now. Being a new business, you can’t expect everything to be perfect but we thank god we have our loyal customers and we are still keeping them till date. So things are getting better.
What are the new things you have injected into the business since it established?
When we started, it was only one spa room that we had, but now we have extended it to two. We have gotten more equipment. Before, we were just doing manual facials but now we have acquired high frequency machines for facial treatment and anti-ageing. In fact, we have a lot more. So, it’s a complete package this time around.
How would you describe the environment? Is it really conductive for the business?
The spa has always been at its peak, but it’s not been the same thing for the saloon, but now I think the salon has also picked. The patronage on both sides is getting higher by the day.
How many staffs did you start with, and how many do you have now?
Initially, when the place was opened, I had about eight staffs. I still maintain that range till now. I am trying to make sure no department suffers. When I started, I discovered that some of my workers then, couldn’t get things right, so I had to replace them. But I still retained few of them that started with me from the very first day.
Would you say you are achieving the goals for setting up the business?
Yes, of course I am even planning to expand, I am thinking of having a branch on the island, and probably in other parts of the country, but to God be the glory, I am fulfilled doing what I am doing. The business is doing fine, and I am enjoying it, when you are doing something you so much like, you will surely be happy about it. It’s the business I know a lot about.
Do you know much about massage?
Yes, of course I went abroad to study massage. So I know a lot about it and generally beauty therapy. But I don’t engage myself in massage, I only counsel my clients and give instructions to my workers on it. But when it comes to skin care and looks, a lot of ladies demand to see me, so I create time to assess their skin and look generally and tell them what they need to look good always.
Do you also enjoy good patronage from men?
Yes, we have barbing section, we also have a massage unit for men as well, and they also come for body massage and nail treatment.
Are you aware of funny things some men do with masseuse?
Nothing like funny things in Fespris.
We learnt you just completed your first English movie, “Silence”. What informed veering into English movie?
Not just one, I have shot two English films. First is “silence” while the second one that I have just finished shooting is “Beyond Disability”. Everybody prays to go higher in whatever he or she is doing. Actually I started from English movie and a lot of people have said to me, “Iyabo, you speak good English, why can’t you do English movie? And right from the beginning of my career, I have always loved to be a producer, and as a producer or actress you will always want to go beyond where you are, so I just said to myself I have done enough of Yoruba movies. Though I will still keep producing Yoruba movies, but as it is now, I just want to do something unique, shoot a better movie that will not only centre on my mother tongue alone, but cuts across the country and even beyond.
I want everybody outside my language to benefit from the story I tell, so that was exactly what gave birth to “Silence” and “beyond disability” which was shot purely in English. I just completed the two and I am going to launch them on my birthday, December 21, 2014. It’s going to be black and gold affair. The guys would be in black suit while ladies will be garbed in gold attire. It’s going to be a classy and colourful. Although I am yet to decide on the venue, it’s going somewhere nice. Silence will be showed in cinemas first week in January 2015, after we are done with “silence” at the cinemas, “beyond Disability” will be showing in cinemas, then we take it from there. I want to concentrate more on English movies now, not that I won’t be producing Yoruba movies again, I will be doing the two but with more of English movies this time around.
Most of your fans will think maybe you are not making it producing Yoruba movies, that’s why you moved to English movies, what‘s your reaction to this?
It’s not as if I am not making it producing Yoruba movies, but even as a business woman, you will want to grow beyond where you are, you won’t like to remain on the same spot all the time. One needs to expand and diversify his or her business, I will not even limit it to English movie, I am praying that I will shoot Hausa or Igbo movies. I don’t need to understand Hausa before I shoot in Hausa, and I don’t also need to understand calabar before I produce a calabar movie. So far I get a marketer that will key into it, I believe I can always produce my movie in any language and sell it. I just don’t want to be identified as a Yoruba movie producer, rather I would love to be addressed as core Nollywood producer, I want to represent my country, Nigeria in whatever I do, not only my tribe.
Who are the cast in silence?
In silence, I have joseph Benjamin, Alex Osifo, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Tina Mba, fathia Balogun, Abiola Williams, Muka Ray, myself, Doris Simeon and others. “Silence” was directed by Alex Mouth, an MNET director, he directs most of the African magic movies. He directed Tinsel and other series. He is afantastic director, but “Beyond disability” was directed by the lead actor, Desmond Elliot, I have the likes of Ini Edo, femi Adebayo, Ireti Osayemi, Seun Jimoh and myself, beyond disability doesn’t parade large a cast unlike silence, but it’s also a fantastic story. They centre on what‘s happening in our society, they are more like non-governmental organization (NGO) stories.
Silence addresses the issue of child abuse while beyond disability talks about abilities in disabilities. My kids also featured in the two stories, my daughter Priscilla played the major in silence and also in beyond disability, but festus my son only featured in beyond disability.
We learnt Muka ray was excluded in beyond disability, which fuelled speculations that both of you are no longer in good terms?
There must always be an issue between us, but one thing people don’t know is that as a producer, you can’t keep repeating cast. That doesn’t mean you are fighting the person that is not in your movie. The fact that Muka ray doesn’t feature in “Beyond Disability” doesn’t mean we have any issue, it’s just that sometimes we change cast. We can’t keep repeating the same cast on and on, it’s just like fathia was in “silence” and not in beyond disability doesn’t mean that fathia and I have an issue, so it’s normal one can’t continually repeat the same faces all the time.
Okay, how cordial is your relationship with Muka Ray right now?
We have have a very good relationship, we are business partners and we relate cordially as well, we have always been friends and we still remain friends.
But all we learnt is that it’s because both of you are no longer together as before, that’s why he was excluded in your last movie.
There is nothing like that, it’s just a baseless rumour, I have told you nothing but the truth
How much did the two films cost you?
They cost me a lot of millions, I don’t need to disclose that for a reasons best known to me
But you couldn’t have done it alone, who bankrolled the two projects?
They were sponsored by me and of course, with the support of my man.
You have also told us that, but who is that lucky and generous man?
It’s not yet time to tell anybody who the man is, I am not ready for that, it is my private life and I want it to be left so, I want to keep it as private as possible
Why?
Yes, that’s how I want it for now, you can’t be out there and then throw your relationship out there, you get to have lot of people get involved in the relationship and that will cause a lot of trouble for you, we have done that in the past, so right now, whoever I am in love with should be kept out of public eyes. All I know is that I love my man, we have been together for a while and I love to keep the relationship as private as possible.
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