Criticisms don’t move me anymore — Taaooma

Skit maker, Maryam Apaokagi, popularly known as Taaooma, has said that as a popular person, she has grown a thick skin to criticisms.

Some weeks ago, a picture of her being carried by two of her colleagues had gone viral, and was criticised by some members of the public.

In an interview with Saturday Beats, she noted that she was not surprised by the criticisms. She said, “I have been ready for things like that ever since I realised that I am popular. It is very normal for people to talk. Many people just take out their anger and frustrations on celebrities, and that is quite understandable. We are in the public eye, and things like that should not surprise us.

“That was an innocent photo I took with my colleagues, but a critic decided to create intentions for us. Things like that don’t surprise me anymore. They have said worse things in the past (laughs).”

Taaomaa also opined that collaboration was key to succeeding as a creative. She said, “As a content creator, collaboration is essential. My recent collaboration has been in the works for quite some time, and I am glad they eventually saw the light of day. I believe that collaboration takes one far as a creator, and that is the goal; to keep moving forward. It helps to expand one’s audience beyond Africa to the rest of the globe.”

Asked about the effect that working with American acts, such as Terry Crews and King Bachelor has had on her career, she said, “I have achieved some of the goals I set for myself, as I am a very determined person when it comes to ticking things off my bucket list. This is one thing I have always looked forward to, and ticking it off my list is a great catalyst for myself and my career. As for other things that might come from it, I guess we will wait and see. There will be more collaboration, but I cannot say which for now. I will just keep working towards many more.”