Ever wondered how Taaooma crafts those hilarious Nigerian skits that take social media by storm? Dive into the world of Africa's biggest digital creator, Taaooma, as she reveals the secrets behind her unique storytelling and relatable characters.
Discover Miriam's journey from a childhood dream of becoming a doctor to mastering cinematography and ultimately becoming a beloved skit maker. Learn about her creative process, how she embodies multiple characters with ease, and her thoughts on being a mom in the digital age.
Explore Taaooma's passion for travel, her academic background in tourism, and how she now views time differently. Get an inside look at how she draws inspiration from everyday Nigerian life to develop her iconic personas.
See how Taaooma is expanding her horizons into filmmaking, a natural progression of her storytelling craft. She discusses her vision for the future and her desire to explore new realms within the entertainment industry.
#Taaooma #DigitalCreator #NigerianComedy #Skits
Discover Miriam's journey from a childhood dream of becoming a doctor to mastering cinematography and ultimately becoming a beloved skit maker. Learn about her creative process, how she embodies multiple characters with ease, and her thoughts on being a mom in the digital age.
Explore Taaooma's passion for travel, her academic background in tourism, and how she now views time differently. Get an inside look at how she draws inspiration from everyday Nigerian life to develop her iconic personas.
See how Taaooma is expanding her horizons into filmmaking, a natural progression of her storytelling craft. She discusses her vision for the future and her desire to explore new realms within the entertainment industry.
#Taaooma #DigitalCreator #NigerianComedy #Skits
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00If you have ever spent any time on social media, chances are you have laughed at one of her skits.
00:06With her unique storytelling style, multiple characters, and humor rooted in everyday Nigerian life,
00:11she has become one of Africa Biggest Digital Creators.
00:14Please welcome Taoma Miriam Apaokagi.
00:20Miriam Apaokagi Green, thank you.
00:23It's actually nice to have you with us here.
00:25Thank you very much.
00:26How was growing up like? Was it rosy or true? Did you meet everything on the Plata of Gold?
00:31I mean, life can always be rosy. There'll be ups and downs, but I believe that we're always managing it.
00:38Yeah, but I'm mommy's personal and bag, so I go everywhere she goes.
00:42Yeah, life as a lastborn is very nice.
00:45People know Taoma. Who is really Miriam Apaokagi?
00:49Well, I'm a talkative. I talk a lot and you tend to tell me to keep quiet.
00:54I'm a mom now. I like to do so many things. Actually, a lot of things. I like swimming.
00:59Do you like traveling?
01:01I love traveling. Do you know I studied tourism, hospitality, and events management?
01:06Wow. For me?
01:06And I majored in tourism, Kwasu.
01:08Kwasu.
01:08Yeah. So I love traveling a lot.
01:12Since you are now your mother, what's that thing that you now see differently from what it used to be
01:16then?
01:17Time. I see time differently. I cherish time a lot now. Before, I could just do anything and not care
01:24about time. But now, I'm always on time.
01:27You play multiple characters. How is your creative process like? How do you come up with all these characters?
01:34Well, I feel like if you are comfortable with it, once you know your craft, you're going to be very
01:41smooth with it.
01:42So I just come up with stories and I come up with script after the story. Once I'm done, I
01:48identify which characters that I do that I want to play.
01:50Most of the times, they say, yeah, Tao and Baba Tao and maybe Tao and Tenny. Yeah. So if I
01:56have to play four characters, all I have to do is just get the outfits ready.
02:00Once I wear the outfits, I kind of like just change into the character because I have in my brain,
02:05I know exactly how this person is supposed to act.
02:08Although it takes time. It's not something that I can easily just do. And yeah. But once you are used
02:13to it, I believe that it works hand in hand like that.
02:16Because people already know you for all these characters. Do you feel trapped in any way?
02:21The thing is, I don't feel trapped at all. Absolutely not. I see my characters as a way of telling
02:27people the things that I can do.
02:29And if there's anything that I want to explore, I don't hesitate to explore it.
02:35So people, it's like people are waiting for what is new. So if there's anything new for you to explore,
02:41you are always going to be on the right time to explore it.
02:43Whatever character I bring out to them, they love it. They take it and they see that, oh yeah, this
02:49is something new that Tao is doing.
02:51How do you pick interest in skit making?
02:56Oh well, I would love to be a doctor anyways. I wanted to be a doctor.
03:01I said grade 11, that's like SS2.
03:06I ran there, I ran back to art.
03:13I ran back. I remember telling my mom that, oh, I think I want to do science now. She said,
03:20okay, you can go for it.
03:22So I went for the class. I was the one that said, I'm back now. I'm back to art class.
03:27Why did I choose skit making?
03:29First of all, I never thought I was going to be a skit maker. I wanted to learn how to
03:33edit.
03:34And my initial, my first love is always and was always cinematography, right?
03:41And I needed something to practice with because cinematography is all about practice.
03:46You need to be able to continue brushing up everything that you have in your head.
03:51So I started recording things, making skits of myself.
03:55I mean, I could have recorded something else, maybe just go outside.
03:58I don't know. I think everything just happened according to what God wanted.
04:01So I started making skits so that I can take that to learn how to edit, to learn how to
04:06chop things.
04:07Over time, I saw that people liked what I was chopping.
04:11Yeah.
04:13And when I saw that people liked it, it encouraged me to do more.
04:17So that would help me to learn how to edit more and, you know, people would like what I'm editing.
04:23So I was like, okay, maybe we should just go with it.
04:26And we're here.
04:27How did you develop all these characters?
04:29I think they're just characters from everyday life of a Nigerian.
04:33Your mom, your dad, your sister, your brother, the uncle that is not stable.
04:38And the funny little boy from the street, you know.
04:41I just watch people, you know, and I kind of bring it together in a character.
04:47Although the characters are too much, they are getting to my head.
04:51Sometimes I don't even remember that I was playing this person anymore.
04:54But yeah, that's how I come up with a character.
04:56You've seen that you're not going to filmmaking.
04:59Like, you're a little bit out tapping into more of filmmaking.
05:03Like, you haven't been singing in different films now.
05:06Like, how is the journey right?
05:07That has been the goal.
05:09I mean, the bigger picture to go into filmmaking, to make more movies.
05:13I guess I was just kind of, like, taking it slow to make sure that things are not rushed.
05:19Okay.
05:19But yeah, filmmaking is beautiful.
05:21It's sweet.
05:23It's a beautiful art to explore.
05:26You know, people have said that there's money in, like, in business or in content creation.
05:32For a young person that wants to go into content creation, what advice are you going to give to this
05:38person?
05:39Get another job.
05:40Why?
05:42I'm going to do it full-time and...
05:46I'm going to do it full-time.
05:50I'm going to do it full-time.
05:53Well, if you say I should advise you, you're not saying I should do it full-time.
05:57Oh, yeah.
05:58Why?
06:01The reason why I said get another job, I didn't say leave content creation.
06:05I just said get another job to support it.
06:10Because content creation will not always pay.
06:13So, if you don't have another job, you'll quit content creation.
06:17So, treat content like a hobby that you love very much.
06:23But you're not exactly expecting money from it.
06:26You're expecting money, yeah, it's at the back.
06:28Money is very important.
06:30Yeah.
06:30It's important.
06:32But it's at the back.
06:33So that when the money starts coming, it will meet you in good condition, basically.
06:40And you need money for content creation.
06:42That's why I said get another job.
06:44It could be an online something.
06:46It could be just anything to help you.
06:47Because imagine if you want to shoot now, you have to pay videographer, cinematographer.
06:53You have to pay everybody.
06:54How do you pay them if you don't have another job?
06:56Mm-hmm.
06:57Interesting.
06:57You've built this Power Map brand over the years.
07:02To me, so many people have become something like a company.
07:07No longer like personality.
07:09How did you get it into this level?
07:12I think it's consistency.
07:15As I've always said, as everybody will always say, even when I listen to people, consistency
07:20really does matter.
07:22And as simple as the word is consistency, it is very hard to be consistent.
07:29It's very hard.
07:30I think it's the hardest thing to do.
07:32Because everything, consistency means discipline.
07:36You take a break.
07:39No, I mean, there are some times that you just won't feel like it.
07:42And if you don't feel like it, there's no need to force it.
07:45Consistency is not posting every day for one week.
07:48You are not consistent.
07:49You're just rushing.
07:51Mm-hmm.
07:51They understand.
07:52So if you know that for seven days you want to post and everybody sees your posts every
07:56day, every day, like, ah, that went all good.
07:59Then next week you just go off.
08:00You're not consistent.
08:02I know you're trying, yes.
08:04But if you knew that you couldn't keep that pace, you shouldn't start with it.
08:07Mm-hmm.
08:08So if you know that, ah, I can post two times a week.
08:11And you show up for the whole month.
08:12Mm-hmm.
08:13Then you post two times a week.
08:15Mm-hmm.
08:15Or you choose Monday and Friday.
08:17Monday and Friday, Monday and Friday.
08:19For the next six months, they are seeing you Monday and Friday.
08:22Now that is consistency.
08:23You make a lot of people laugh, like, out there through your characters.
08:29Then inside to us, we don't even care.
08:31We don't even know what's happening, like, to the person that's making us laugh.
08:34Like, how do you see, like, you need to make people laugh.
08:37Is it everything that you actually, like, you feel happy when you come and turn it down to make people
08:41laugh?
08:42What's the behind this thing?
08:45Well, as I will always say, everybody has things that they're going through.
08:51You, your city idea, I don't know what you're going through.
08:53I'm into a lot.
08:55I mean, I don't know what you're going through.
08:58But you still have to show up for work.
08:59Of course.
09:01And that's what, that's what it applies to for everybody.
09:04However, for me, I have a storybook that I write my stories.
09:10Like, I just write the ideas.
09:11Not like the script.
09:12I just write the ideas.
09:14So, if I don't feel that story at that point, I'm not shooting.
09:18And that's what I mean by, I shoot when I'm happy.
09:24Because I feel like you would see the happiness in me when you're watching the video.
09:31And the happiness can spread through to everybody.
09:34I don't shoot when I'm sad.
09:35I don't shoot when I'm not feeling it.
09:38I might have told everybody, oh, get ready.
09:39I'm coming to shoot and whatnot.
09:41And when I get there, I just sit down and I'm like, ah, I don't feel like shooting again.
09:47And I just go.
09:48I feel like it's vibe, especially for creativity.
09:52Now, if you're doing maybe a nine-to-five work, you have to go to work every day, sit down
09:55on the computer,
09:56and maybe send those emails.
09:57You don't have a choice.
09:59But on the creative side, I feel like you have a choice.
10:02You can easily say, I'm not.
10:05Because I feel energy, energy really matters.
10:06Because if I use bad energy to shoot that video, I don't feel like it's going to.
10:11I feel like people will sense the bad energy.
10:14So if I get angry or something, I just leave shoots for that day.
10:18And I go and rest.
10:19I sleep, watch movies, and just rejuvenate, get things out of my head.
10:27That's interesting.
10:28If a social media audience expects every celebrity to speak on nationality, when do you choose or when do you
10:36decide,
10:37okay, this is what, this is a particular one I want to talk about, this is the one I don't
10:42want to talk about?
10:43So there's no choosing on this is what I want to talk about and this is not what I want
10:48to talk about.
10:49There's no choosing.
10:50And as long as you see, this country is our country.
10:54And as much as, oh, there is a lot of Japa syndrome, some people don't want to Japa.
11:01Yeah.
11:01You don't have very much, maybe if there's a very leaner part over there, just go there and just...
11:07Sometimes, when some people do some things to me in this country, I'll be like,
11:11Ah, tomorrow I'm going to find my way out to this country.
11:17But in truth sense, I really love my country.
11:20And when I go outside, I see how people love their country, how they cherish their country.
11:25When there are national issues and all of that, we all want a country that is good.
11:31I want a country that people will be fighting to come and spend all the day here.
11:37So you have to talk.
11:39However, yes, there are different ways that people talk.
11:41Right.
11:42There are different ways.
11:43Even praying alone.
11:44Like just in your prayer, the kids, Nigeria, God, I put Nigeria, Yohando.
11:50He's also talking.
11:51Right.
11:53What gives you a word to me to the sad fact?
11:55When you remember this in, you're like, ah, in Jira, why now?
11:59Yeah.
12:00What makes, let's start with what makes me sad.
12:02Hmm.
12:03I think it's just, it's the situation in the country.
12:07You know, a lot of times I try to not maybe update myself very much about the situation
12:12of the country.
12:13I just feel like, God, you're humbled.
12:16Because there are a lot of things, you know.
12:19And I just always say, God, whatever it is that you have to do, please help us do it to
12:25make
12:25this country better, you know.
12:28And I try to console myself with maybe some good news here and there and there, you know.
12:33But what gives me hope?
12:35It's the thought that work is in progress.
12:40And the love that, you know, the love that you have for the country.
12:44Because, yes, ah, if you go outside the country, you see how people love their countries.
12:48You cannot be beside me and you throw something on the floor.
12:50I will give you a knock on your head.
12:52If I throw something on the floor now, give me.
12:54I will, you will collect knock.
12:56You will collect knock.
13:00So I feel like everybody, this country, aside from me and the government, we also have work
13:05that we have to do individually to collectively come together and make the country a better place.
13:10Oh, my God.
13:11I itch for Nigeria to get there.
13:15Yeah.
13:16Is there anything that we should be expecting for Taoma?
13:18Yes.
13:19Hi, guys.
13:20My name is Taoma.
13:21I'm an actor, cinematographer, and an executive producer of amazing, loving films that you're
13:27going to love.
13:28To expect more movies from me and, of course, more comedies, I'm not stopping.
13:32I'm not even going to slow down at all.
13:34So expect more movies, terms and conditions, the second part.
13:38Yeah.
13:39I don't know what date, but just expect it.
13:41Thank you very much.