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Reveals How She Has Been Acting Since 1975
Have you ever wondered why Madam Saje has a huge followership on Facebook and Instagram? Have you also ever asked why whenever she enters a party or an event many of the guests rush to take photos with her and post it on their pages immediately? We can tell you why.
Its because she is well loved by so many people. Many people love the way she acts, with all the effect she puts into it.
Many describe Alhaja Fausat Abeni Balogun as their favourite actress because of her likeable personality and the energy she puts into delivering her roles. She also has unique slangs she throws in when she talks.
Even her colleagues like her, both old and young, both male and female.
A few days ago when she arrived at the LTV premises at Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos where TAMPAN members hosted members of the Board of Trustee, many of TAMPAN members gravitated towards her. They had one thing or the other to say to her. All the actresses usually mill around her.
Many don’t know that she is the Chairperson, National Women’s Wing. And she is hosting the inauguration of the Women’s Wing of TAMPAN (Theatre Arts & Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria) on Sunday 29th September, 2024 at LTV 8 Lagos. There will also be the premiere of a film produced by the Women’s Wing.
City People is also involved as the Media Partner.
What are we to expect at the event we asked her during an interview last week? “A lot. We have a lot in stock. I am the President of TAMPAN. Women’s Wing. (National). We are inviting everybody to the event. We have left everything to God.”
“It’s going to be sweet. It will be Grand. TAMPAN is doing 4 programmes in just one month of September. Our Elders. Our BOT Members like Oga Jide Kosoko, Oga Bello, Yinka Quadri are having their own today. Iya Awero. The actors, Directors will follow tomorrow and on Thursday and also on Friday. Ours is on the 29th. You can see that TAMPAN has done well. Oga Lagba. Oga ni wa”.
We asked her what makes her stand out as an actress. “It is a job I love. It is a job I have passion for. Once I take up a job, I put everything I have into it, from my voice, hands, legs, body language. I go into it fully and I enter my role fully.”
“I make it natural. You will see my 2 ears stretching out because this is the only job I have. I don’t have 2 jobs. Its a job I have been doing since I was a little kid. I grew up in it. I had my kids in it. I married in it. A job I h ave been doing with which I sent my kids to school and they came out in bright colours and you yourself, you are still doing well”.
How did she get into Theatre? How did she start? “I started small by small, were were ni. I started from when I was in primary school. When I finished primary school in Lagos here at Ansarudeen at Ereko, at Alaporo. My mum used to sell Cigar there. I came out from that school. At the store we used to take goods to I saw a man and some people there. We call him Mashado. May God bless his soul.
He is dead now. That is my 1st Oga. I saw them acting, drama. I got to that place through one of my brothers. I told him, me too I like this job. I want to start acting. That is how I started. My father didn’t let me rest. He will come looking for me. He will beat me. He kept shouting at me, that he wants me to go and read my books and study.
I so much love acting, that the script I was given that I have been taken at Ansa-r-Udeen, Isolo, I threw it in the gutter. It is this job I want to do. I don’t want to go back to school. But I knew I should have continued schooling like my dad said. I take solace in the fact that the little I read is more than what some people read. Ope ni fo’Olorun. I have no regret.
But let me say it is good to go to school ooo. Schooling is very important.
Sibe sibe Alhamdullilai! That is why I told all my kids, you have to go to school. And they obeyed me. They all went to school and they came out tops”.
How come she stands out in any movie she does? “Because Ki ko ni mi mo. I was taught and I listened. In those days we used to do serious rehearsals at night. In those days, rehearsals are usually in the night. All of us will be there, with icons like Baba Mero, everybody. As we do rehearsals, they will teach us what to do and what not to do.
There was a time after I got married to my Oga, Oga mi Rafiu Balogun, he will carry drum and throw at me, once I make mistakes.
He doesn’t tolerate nonesense. When I now get home, I will write all my lines on a paper including all the incantation, I need to recite once I enter the bathroom, I will lock myself in there and beging to recite my lines. I will continue to cram what is in those exercise books and papers because I must not forget those lines. I must not forget.
That is why I remain for ever thankful to my Oga and husband because he taught me a lot. He really disciplined me a lot. And I was also a good student. I followed his teachings and I studied him very well. I usually say something to people. In this acting industry, I am well trained. Without being proud about it, I will say I am good at it. I studied it very well. I might not be able to sing ooo, but this acting ooo Bisimillahi, there is no where you turn to that I won’t turn with you. Acting is my life”.
Which group did she start with? “It is the group I called Mashado. You can’t know him.
He is late now. This Mashado man and Oga Bello were all with Baba Mero then. I started with Mashado. But by the time I got to Balogun, the first play I did with them immediately was Atoka in 1976.
I did television programme in 1975 at NTA 10. In the days of Owala, Segun Bankole, I met one of them recently who did 70th Birthday. We thank God. After NTA 10, came LTV 8 in 1980. So we started coming here at LTV 8. We started recording here. In NTA then, it was their studio. It was in their studio that we will perform our drama under heavy lights.
After LTV took off in 1980 that we began to go and record in some houses and we would bring the recording for them to show Ope fun Olorun. One day, I came for a programme and I told them that LTV 8 was established before my very eyes in 1980. I know everything. LTV 8 and NTA 7 came on about the same time. They were competing. The 2 stations were.
At that time it was 13 episodes. They will give somebody 7 and another person 6. Once you go to NTA 7 they won’t answer you here. For example, the film Feyikogbon should have been given to my husband, Rafiu at NTA 7 but he said he can’t leave here.
We used to share with Osumare. They can give Osumare 7 and we are given 6. That is 13 episodes. Ope fun Olorun that we can tell the stories”.
Which movie brought her out? “Haaa! Since I was in NTA 10 in 1977/78. That was when they used to call me Abeni. That was my nick name then.
When we left there and came here, we did Abeni Ajagun in 1980 here. We now did Atoka Abeni Ajagun in 1981/82, Olowo Mo Ju Ore was our Producer of Atoka then. I have helped Olowo Mo Ju Ore sell his songs before called Kengbe Oro. At that time, he used to play small size record (Awo). I used to help him sell it on the streets. Ona Ope Po. I thank God am I not the one that everyone is talking about today?. Let me stop here.
If I continue I won’t stop ooo. I will go on and on. (Ope ni fun Olorun).
How did Madam Saje get that nickname?
Why is she called Saje ti o loga? “It was Baba Suwe who gave me the nickname Madam Saje during one of our dramas in 1990 at NTA 7 Tejuoso. We were doing Erin Keke at NTA 7 Tejuoso at that time and I used to tie my gele in a very unique way. I used to tie my gele like Madam Kofo. It used to be big and elaborate and he just said Madam Saje.
Oni gele Saje. That was how the name stuck.
Alhaja Fausat Balogun, (also known as Madam Saje was born 13 February 1959. She is an actress who stars majorly in Yoruba movies. She starred as Mama Saje in a 1990 Television series titled Erin Kee Kee. Fausat has starred in over 80 movies.
Fausat Balogun is married to the famous actor, Rafiu Balogun. He was her boss before they got married. She hails from Oke Ode Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State. By the time she was famous, her children were adults. Her eldest son is a director, and her youngest daughter is an actress.
She has acted in so many films like, Oyelaja, Owo Onibara, Okan Mi, Akebaje, Ladigbolu, Morenike, Oko Mama E, Tanimola, Nkan Okunkun, Adufe, Leyin Akponle, Laba Laba, Itelorun, Omo Elemosho, Iyawo Ojokan, Ife Kobami, Gbogbo Lomo, Asepamo, Eto Obinrin, Iyawo Elenu Razor, Kokoro Ate, Omoge Elepa, Olaitan Anikura, Oju Elegba, Langbodo, Ologo Nla, Abgara Obinrin, Eepo, Moriyeba, Orisirisi (Kose Gbo), Serekode, Ojo Ikunle, Alase Aye, Imported Lomo, Adun Ale, Ileri Oluwa, Ogbun Aye, Omo Pupa, Òmìn, O Ti Poju, Olowo Laye Mo, Irenimoyan, Alaimore, Olasunkanmi, Salawa, Adebimpe Omo Oba, Alaroka, Oro Itan, Ebi Dapo, Aromire, Awele, Oro Idile and Ogbon.
At the 2016 edition of the City People Entertainment Awards, she was bestowed with a Special Recognition Award for her “remarkable contributions to the growth of the movie industry in Nigeria”.
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