Sierra Leone’s topmost comic master and rib-cracker, Richie Obama will deliver Sierra Leoneans from stress at the LAUGH YOUR STRESS OUT Comedy Show at Hotel 5 – 10,ย on the 19th April 2019. Richie Obama aka the Son of Aunty Hawa will rock the stage alongside the best standup comedians in the country, the likes of Oga Worwor, Yemata, Kindo Armani, Faculty, Desmond Benya and more. It’s going to be one of the best comedy shows ever staged in Sierra Leone as tickets are already running out.
Richie shared big stages with some of the best comedy giants in Sierra Leone and beyond. He is highly professional and skillful in delivering his art, with over 6 years experience. He Is set to entice his country people at the Hotel 5 – 10, with satiric and humorous vibes. April 19th is the date, with the Son of Aunty Hawa.
Richie Obama’s Bio
“His name is Richmond Purcell Coker, better known on stage as Richie Obama, the Son of Aunty Hawa, the epitome of Sierra Leone comedy, a jester extraordinaire; a master of humour and satire, an intelligent stand-up comedian.”
~ Ibrahim Sorious Samura
This is how he can be best described.
Born in the east of Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone on February 14, 1995, Richmond Purcell Coker is from a nuclear family of four siblings. He was raised up in Kuntorloh, a hilly suburb in the east of the city, where he attended the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in 2000.
After taking the National Primary School Examination (NPSE), he was admitted at the Methodist Boysโ High School in Kissy, where he sat to the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2007, and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2012. He immediately obtained several certificates from higher institutions, including a Diploma in Computer Engineering at the African Information Technology Holdings; a Certificate in Graphics Design at BankTec College; and an online International Diploma in Computer Packaging at Amity University, based in India.
In 2013/2014 academic year, Coker was admitted at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone, to read for a BSc in Social Work, a program he has completed already.
Richie Obama has an innate talent of a comedian. This was noticed by his colleagues since he was a kid. He always has the power to change a sad situation into a happy one.
In 2012, he started doing comic relief for his church, but was never willing to accept the title of a comedian, and was rather presented on stage as Brother Richie. He started performing satiric scenes since his high school days and for his church till 2014.
At Fourah Bay College, he was well known for cracking jokes for his friends on campus whenever they have free time. One of his friends Harold later prevailed on him to become a comedian. He kept rejecting suggestions of becoming a comedian, noting that ‘it’s a career thatโs unproductive and not worth adopting in Sierra Leone’. He thought.
He kept doing it for fun until one fateful day in mid 2014 when a friend invited him to perform at his wedding reception, where he was introduced to one of Sierra Leoneโs most outstanding stand-up comedians, Desmond Benya. His performance thrilled the audience and received appreciations from everyone. Desmond Benya later took him to perform at a bigger platform, at the Bintumani Hotel in the presence of other comedians and a huge audience. His overwhelming performance and the applause from the audience finally gave Richie Obama the courage to accept comedy as his career.
Months later, he anchored a show for Desmond Benya, which he later stole from his hands with a superb performance. The audience were thrilled in ecstatic laughter. His career as a comedian grow rapidly. He got invited and hired to perform at various events.
Richie did an event for Lake, where he premiered a movie for them with the support of Mr. Murtala Mohamed Kamara, who further encouraged him to continue with his career as a comedian. He later performed at a show organised by his fellow comedian, Kindo Armani and subsequently at another one hosted by Comedian Yemata.
Richie also performed at the All CEOs and Leadership Awards held at Bintumani Hotel in 2016. Richieโs performances have always been outstanding, which made many people perceive him as a foreign comedian. His was one with class and professionalism. Heโs always seen in his suit or his trademark African apparel which usually made mistook him for something else other than a comedian. Stand-up comedy was still a new phenomenon in Sierra Leone. What they have used to was acting comedy. Thanks to Mastamind (SL) Ltd and others for popularising the art in Sierra Leone, as stand-up comedy has gained acceptance across the country.
Richie Obama got called up to perform for Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma at the Independence Anniversary held in Port Loko Town in April 2016. After an impressive performance, he was contacted to perform later at a wedding reception of the former Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Hon. Kemoh Sesay.
In August 2016, Richie Obama performed at the National Studentsโ Excellence and Leadership Awards at the Miatta Conference Hall, organised by the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS). And that was one of his most successful shows. His performance at the NUSS awards reached platinum and he gained huge recognition from across the public as a professional comedian. Soon after that performance, he was hired to perform at the wedding reception of Mr. Olu Herbert Jones, where he lasted on stage for close to four hours. That has been classed as his best performance so far. Nobody wanted him to come down the stage.
In the run up to the 2018 General Elections in Sierra, Richie Obama was featured in an award winning satiric comedy skit titled ‘Political Tolerance’. In the skit, the comedians mimicked the key political aspirants. Richie played the role of Maada Bio in the skit.
In an interview with SaloneJamboree.com in February 2017, Richie disclosed that his comedy career has already yielded him some dividends. He was then able to pay his university fees and take care of other expenses. He added that he was already comfortable with his career as a comedian and envisaged growth and more opportunities. โI want to become the best comedian in Africaโ, he said.
Richie says despite the numerous challenges faced by comedians in Sierra Leone, he is optimistic that they would overcome them.
The multi award winning comedian is among the most sought after comedians in the country.
By Ibrahim Sorious Samura
