Rex Omar pushes for stronger support for Ghanaian comedians

Ghanaian musician and Coordinator of the Black Star Experience, Rex Omar, has stressed the need to invest in both the creative and business sides of comedy, insisting that comedians can only thrive when they are equipped with entrepreneurial skills alongside their talent.

Speaking at the launch of the Black Star Comedy Experience, Rex Omar said the initiative was introduced because comedy falls under one of the seven pillars of the Black Star Experience and deserves the same level of attention as other creative sectors.

“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 said.

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According to him, the initiative seeks to create opportunities for both established and emerging comedians while supporting the government’s broader agenda of promoting culture, tourism and the creative economy.

“We are gathered today for a simple reason: we believe that the comedy industry falls within the seven kingdoms of the Black Star Experience mandate. So it is our responsibility to amplify comedy and to create opportunity for the Ghanaian comedians. The already established ones and also the upcoming ones,” he stated.

Rex Omar added that strengthening the comedy industry would create jobs for young people and women while positioning comedy as a viable career path.

He further explained that comedy has always been part of African storytelling traditions, describing it as a spoken art form that deserves greater recognition and investment.

Drawing inspiration from international success stories, he cited British comedian Mr. Bean as proof that comedy can be a highly profitable profession, adding that Ghanaian comedians should not limit themselves to performing only in local languages.

“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 said.

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