|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ghanaian comedians may have mastered the art of making people laugh, but Rex Omar believes it is time they also mastered the art of making serious money.
The highlife veteran and Coordinator of the Black Star Experience has called for stronger institutional and financial support for Ghana’s comedy industry, arguing that talent alone cannot build a sustainable entertainment business.
Speaking at the launch of the Black Star Comedy Experience, Rex Omar delivered a blunt reminder to creatives who may still believe that being talented is enough to succeed.
According to him, entertainment is not just about what happens on stage. The business behind the show is equally important.
“As I keep saying, it is 30 percent talent and 70 percent business. So as you do show, you have to do the business. That’s why we call it showbiz,” he explained.
His comments form part of a broader vision behind the Black Star Comedy Experience, an initiative designed to position comedy as an important part of Ghana’s cultural and economic development.
The project seeks to create stronger opportunities for established comedians and emerging talents while contributing to job creation, particularly for young people and women. It also aims to use comedy as a tool for promoting Ghana as a tourism and cultural destination.
Rex Omar believes comedy deserves the same seriousness and investment given to other creative sectors because, at its core, it is deeply connected to African storytelling traditions.
And if anyone needs proof that comedy can become a global financial machine, he points to British comedy icon Rowan Atkinson, famously known as Mr. Bean.
The lesson, according to Rex Omar, is simple. Make people laugh, but do not forget to make the business work.
He also challenged Ghanaian comedians to think beyond the local market while remaining firmly connected to their cultural identity.
For him, performing in Ghanaian languages is important because it preserves authenticity, but there is nothing stopping comedians from also using English to take Ghanaian stories and perspectives to international audiences.
“So as we do our comedy with our local languages, nothing stops us from also doing it in English, as we are being taught in school so as to be able to give the African perspective of what comedy can be. We just have to be original,” he stated.
The message from Rex Omar is loud and clear: Ghanaian comedy cannot afford to remain a side hustle built purely on applause.
With proper investment, stronger structures and serious business thinking, today’s punchlines could become tomorrow’s big economic opportunities.
After all, laughter may be free for the audience, but somebody has to pay the comedian.
