MTN Project Fame West Africa 2010 is arguably one of the best ever, producing contestants who are capable of holding their own anywhere in the world of music. Tolulope Abraham Adesina is a singer, producer, songwriter, native of Ogbomosho in Oyo state. He is one of the dependable singers the 2010 show produced. Tolu grew up and lived in Kaduna but Project Fame brought him to Lagos and Tolu is determined to stay until fame pays him.
Speaking to Showtime, Tolu said he’s been singing since childhood, his girlish voice being one of his greatest assets.“I’ve been singing since I was 11 and my first background in music was in Baptist Church children‘s choir where I was taught how to sing and perform and by the time I was 16years, I had my first major performance at a grand opening at House on the Rock Jam Mega Festival in Abuja. That is at the stadium where I sang the national anthem and everybody was like blown away because of my girlish voice and since then, it’s been a wonderful journey
Background,” Tolu said.
MTN Project Fame wasn’t the first competition Tolu would be involved in in his journey to realising his dreams; he’s been to seven others.
“I was at Nokia First Chance; West African Idol and so many of them and singing to veterans like Donnie Mclurkin, Kim Burrel at B.E.T auditions” but finally, Project Fame saw talent in me and I went as far as I did,” Tolu disclosed.
For someone who grew up loving music and had the support of parents who obviously are music lovers – Tolu’s dad he says had a music library growing up in Kaduna, as big as a record store- he knew he wanted music and musiche was going to do. So when he lost out at the 2010 Project Fame, he didn’t feel defeated. After the show, Tolu came out with ‘Arewa’.
“Yes, I released a song after Project Fame called “Arewa’’ and it’s a beautiful song, a song about Nigeria’s beauty. Arewa in English means beautiful woman. When I dropped the song, people loved it because of the sincerity in the word and the technicality of the music.
“It was RnB and then, there was a lot of Yoruba in it. People loved it because it was indigenous and international. Later, I dropped a video for it and it was played in couples of stations like Soundcity, On TV, AIT, to mention a few. I’ve also dropped lots of single like ‘Wine it’ and presently, I’m doing a new song which are three singles in one.”
Tolu has grown so much since Project Fame. Tolu says he’s ‘three things’ presently. “I’m a producer, song writer and performer ;so these three things are what I find pleasure in .I produce artists to help them actualize their dreams and recently, I did something for Skales which is coming out in his new album ‘Adaba’. So, producing is a kind of introducing the other side of Tolu to the world.”
His influences in the music industry Tolu says are Asa and 2Face. “I believe in their style of music. They have a message because each time I listen to 2Face, no matter what he’s singing about, there’s always something to learn from it. His music is poetic .And Asa is also soulful, lyrical and she was the first female artiste to make us proud in the music industry.”
Internationally however, Tolu says his biggest influence is the just-engaged-to-Ryan Press Brandy. “If you listen to my song, there’s a lot of Brandy’s influence in it,” he says.
He wishes to be a name when said internationally and nationally, people will identify with. And for the upcoming acts, Tolu has a word; “Believe in yourself, you cannot give up on yourself .And the last person to give up on you is you.”
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