Helen Paul Bamisile

Helen Paul Bamisile is a comedienne, singer and actress from Nigeria.She is best known as a stand-up comedienne and popularly known as Tatafo. Her style is quirky and spontaneous, and her petite stature and voice range make her childlike.

Early years

Helen spent most of her early years with her mother and grandmother, both in Lagos. As a kid, she used to entertain small groups of peers, neighbours and friends within the neighbourhood. As she grew, the entertainer in her also developed with time. In many of the interviews she later granted to several media houses, she would recall that her growing up was not easy, as it was filled with "ups and downs" - raised by two discplinarians but meanwhile, the entertainer in her knew no boundaries. She is a graduate of Theater Arts of the University of Lagos.

Media experience

She has worked as both a freelance and full-time presenter at several media houses, both in Nigeria and otherwise. These include Lagos Television (LTV 8), Continental Broadcasting Service (CBS), MNet (as a co-presenter on Africa Magic Channel 114's "JARA"), amongst others. She broke out as a naughty comic character on a critically acclaimed radio program known as “Wetin Dey” on Radio Continental, 102.3FM, Lagos. She is known on the programme as “Tatafo” - a witty kid who addresses and lampoons societal issues in a satirical manner. The show has, over time, garnered massive and ardent listenership/followership in Lagos and several other states of Nigeria. She also presents programmes on TV Continental.

Comedy

Helen's journey into the world of Entertainment started when she worked at Eko Reelmix Studios, Radio Lagos/Eko FM as a front desk manager whilst doubling as a back-up and voiceover artiste. During this period, she featured on several music projects with artistes and music groups including P-Square, Infinity, Olufunmi, Yinka Davies, etc. She also recorded radio jingles for a number of companies and brand names, including Bank PHB, Peak Milk, Indomie Noodles, and Cowbell Milk.

As a comedienne, her first professional performance happened whilst she was still a fresh undergraduate of the University of Lagos. She attended an event with a group of friends but the stand-up comic billed to perform failed to show up. Her friends practically nudged onto the stage by her friends who believed that she could perform even better than the comedian billed to perform at the show. The organizers, who were at that time agitated, later heaved a sigh of relief when Helen mounted the stage and put up a superlative performance that elicited a thunderous applause from the crowd.