Some build their skills and talents while others are lucky to be born with it or better still groomed by those who have become legends in their profession. Daily Trust explores the likes of Nigerian entertainers who take after their parents in the industry.
Maryam Booth and Hajiya Zainab booth
Maryam Ado Mohammed, commonly known as Maryam Booth, is a Nigerian actress and model best known for her part in The Milkmaid (film) (2020), which was Nigeria’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. She earned the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Work for her role as “Zainab” in the film. She is also the daughter of veteran actress Hajiya Zainab Booth. Zainab was well-known in the Hausa film industry for her motherly performances in films. After a brief illness, she passed in the year 2021.
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Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti and Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Femi and Seun Anikulapo Kuti are Nigerian artists who were born to Afrobeat’s pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti and are the grandchildren of women’s rights campaigner Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. Femi and Seun Kuti followed in the footsteps of Fela Kuti, a legendary anti-government musician. Femi and Seun are pushing the boundaries of the genre. Femi Kuti, on the other hand, has received four Grammy nominations, has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious music festivals, and has published over ten albums with his band, The Positive Force. Femi has been dubbed the “King of Afrobeat.” Seun, on the other hand, has hung in there and has published two albums so far, with a third in the works as he tours the world with his late father’s band, the Egypt 80 Band.
Yul Edochie, Linc Edochie and Pete Edochie
Yul Edochie and his brother Linc are siblings that follow in their father, Pete Edochie’s footsteps. Yul has starred in blockbusters like Wind of Glory alongside Genevieve Nnaji and Desmond Elliot since his Nollywood début in 2005 in The Esquires, alongside the late Justus Esiri and Enebeli Elebuwa. He is now one of Nollywood’s most sought-after male faces, having acted in a number of films. Meanwhile, Linc, his brother, who has also been in a number of Nollywood dramas, has taken a hiatus from the profession for the time being due to personal circumstances, but is anticipated to return shortly.
Darey Art Alade and Modupe Arthur Alade
Darey successfully stepped out of his father’s shadow during the first edition of Project Fame Africa in 2004, after being a popular OAP for a few years. Modupe Arthur Alade, aka Art Alade, was a well-known Nigerian highlife/jazz artiste in the 1960s and 1970s, and his son has carved out a position for himself as an artist with a distinct style. He has a few of albums under his belt, and his hit songs include Not the Girl, Style Na Style, and Follow Me Go, among others.
Regina Daniels and Rita Daniels
Regina Daniels is a Nigerian actress and film producer. She is the daughter of Nollywood actress Rita Daniels, who is also the chairperson of the Delta State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). She began performing when she was seven years old with ‘Marriage of Sorrow’ as her first film. Regina Daniels rose to prominence after appearing in the Nollywood film “Miracle Child” in 2010, in which she co-starred with Ini Edo, Chika Ike, and Mercy Johnson.
Femi, Tope, Sadiq, Rilwan Adebayo and Salami Adebayo
The Adebayo Salami alias Oga Bello family is one of the most powerful families in Nollywood’s Yoruba film industry. Four of his children have followed in his footsteps into the movie business, and they, too, have garnered recognition. Femi, the most well-known of the group, is a lawyer, producer, and actor who has appeared in films such as October 1, Ayitale, Atónà, and Omo Pupa. Tope is a computer scientist who also works as an actor, a producer, and a marketer. Sadiq is a geologist, actor, producer, and director, while Rilwan is an editor and producer who has studied computer science.
Sunkanmi Omobolanle and Sunday Omobolanle aka Aluwe
In Nigerian entertainment circles, Sunday Omobolanle aka Aluwe is without a doubt a force to be reckoned with. He is the father of Sunkanmi Omobolanle, a youthful, fair-skinned, dynamic actor who has been keeping it real with his father in the profession. He is one of Nigeria’s most famous comedians, as well as a director, producer, and prolific writer. Sunkanmi has unquestionably carved out a niche for himself. He is recognized for films such as Gongo Aso, Olaide Irawo, and Elulu Tofajo, etc.
Ahmad Nuhu and Ali Nuhu
Ahmad Ali Nuhu is a Kannywood star, brand ambassador, and the son of Ali Nuhu, a well-known Kannywood actor. He began his career as a child actor, winning the City People Movie Award for Kannywood’s Best Kid Actor of the Year. His father, Ali Nuhu, is popularly referred to as the King of Kannywood or “Sarki” Ali by the media. Nuhu is widely recognized as one of Hausa cinema’s greatest and most influential actors of all time, as well as Nigerian cinema’s. He has been dubbed the world’s most successful Hausa cinema star in terms of popularity, size, and income.
Khadijatu Iman Danja, Khalifa Sani Danja and Sani Danja
Sani Danja is best recognized for his acting, but he is also a talented singer, dancer, and film director. In the Nigerian film industry, he works in both Kannywood and Nollywood. Two of his children, Khadijatu Iman, his firstborn daughter and son,Khalifa Sani Danja are following in his footsteps. Khadijatu has appeared in a number of films since since her debut at 11-months in the industry.
She did, however, take a hiatus from acting to focus on her academics, but returned to the big screen in 2019. In addition to being a kid celebrity, she is also a model and a marketing influencer. In the commercially successful film Buri Uku A Duniya, she co-starred with Ali Nuhu’s son, Ahmad.
Khalifa Sani Danja, Sani Danja’s second child, is a child actor who appeared alongside his sister in the film “Akeela.”