The pandemic might have put a pause on events, movements and socioeconomic activities, but there seems to be no stopping for Nigeria’s gospel energy god, Tosin Bee.
For every big creator in the music industry, there’s always a story about a big break that shot their career to a relevant point of increase and usually, before this point of obvious breakthrough, there’s a story of suffering and strife.
As for Tosin Bee who is a Nigerian contemporary gospel singer, his big break happened at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) open field concert for young people at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. There was an opportunity for him to perform on a stage that had well over a thousand young people as its audience and he did so excellently. This opportunity was golden and he made the best out of it.
“When I first moved to Lagos from Ogbomoso, I used to sleep in the church for countless months. I left Ogbomoso with only dreams and aspirations of pursuing my music career and spreading God’s message. I could only afford noodles and this was my daily routine until my big break.”
“Itty, I don’t know what came upon me that night. I still don’t know how I was able to minister high-level, upbeat praise songs for three hours straight!”
As I sat opposite him, I noticed how much freewill with which he spoke. The setting is a studio somewhere in Lagos. He walks in escorted by two of his friends who are laughing uncontrollably at a joke he said to them. We don’t shake hands as a measure of protecting ourselves from the raging Corona virus and he welcomes me and my photographer like family. Immediately, he orders his band members and producer who have started rehearsals for a show they are preparing for to shut the sound and leave the studio so that we can have the interview.
This is the typical Tosin Bee. His impulsiveness and spontaneity did not only get him to the limelight, but have continued to see him through Nigeria’s gospel music scene, especially as a performing artiste. All Tosin would need to get an audience of a million people up on their feets and dancing is just a microphone. Tosin Bee is an energy god.
“It was the first RCCG ‘Lagos shift’ show at TBS. People had already filled the field and there were so many people present at the venue, but the organizers were still trying to fix some things. They needed something or somebody to keep the crowd engaged while they could put things in order. So they brought an artiste on the stage and told him to bring me up when he was almost done so that I would round up after him for 2 minutes. And that was how two minutes became three hours oh, my brother (laughs).”
And that was it. Ever since, the name ‘Tosin Bee’ has been a household name in Nigeria. He is considered as one of the best gospel performing artistes in the country. Many people call him a praise leader, which of course is true and is good, but Tosin does not like to be boxed.
“I hate being boxed. I do not like it when people box me into being merely a conventional worship or praise leader. I’m beyond that. I’m very versatile and I want more people to realize this. If you put me in a jazz setting, or an R & B setting, or an Afropop setting, I will deliver resplendently too.”
Is this why you started TGIF?
Oh, yes. Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) is a virtual concert I created during this pandemic to showcase gospel music beyond praise and worship. I want more people to see that there’s Afrogospel and other gospel genres that are as edifying as the regular gospel songs that are out there. That’s why I have brought guys like DJ Horphuray, uncle Mike Abdul and my brother, Henrisoul on the show.
So what particular genre of music do you do?
All my albums and singles have been contemporary urban gospel songs. But No Lockdown is different. It’s Afrogospel and I am so happy to be sharing it with the world. It’s Tosin Bee like never before. However like I said earlier, I don’t want to be boxed. Tosin Bee can jump on any sound and make excellent music from it.
Tell us about No Lockdown.
Hmm, Itty. No Lockdown came during one of my rehearsals with my bandsmen. We had finished the main rehearsal and we were just vibing. During the main rehearsal, my keyboardist used a loop which I didn’t like that much, but I managed it because I thought it was the only loop available. So when we were done with the rehearsal and he started playing another very wonderful loop, everybody became excited and we started grooving. We forgot about state curfew and we went on grooving. Maybe we didn’t forget, but we chose not to stop either ways because we were making good music, and then one of them said ‘there’s no lockdown to our praise’ and so the song came from there.
And how did Henrisoul come on it?
I had two people in mind to join me for project No Lockdown. They were Henry and Freke Umoh. I later settled for Henry because I believed he would do better on that particular song and he was super excited when I told him about it. We made magic!
Was Testimony instantaneous as well?
Testimony is my debut album. The inspiration for Testimony came after myself and my band members had a ghastly accident on our way back to Lagos from a show in Ibadan. Very much unlike me, I had decided to sit at the back seat of the car instead of beside the driver. Even my bandsmen were like ‘what’s wrong with oga?’ but I really just chose to sit there. And when the accident happened, the position I sat at was unaffected. I came out of the vehicle without a scratch and in time to help my other band members out of the vehicle. Thankfully, nobody died and only the driver had minor injuries. It was indeed a testimony and I decided to make that my album title.
Which is your favourite track off the album?
This is hard o! Almost impossible (laughs).
Just pick one.
That would be the track ‘Testimony’ itself off the album.
Has it always been music for you? I mean, while growing up?
No. I always wanted to be a lawyer. But when I had the opportunity of attending University of Ilorin, met two friends and they started getting me interested in music. We would since all around the school and in no time, I was a member of quite a number of interdenominational choirs. That was when I picked interest in music and decided to come down to Lagos and pursue it.
So at the end of it all, what makes you feel fulfilled?
Before coming to this studio, I was at the bank to carry out some transactions when one woman left her queue to walk up to me and say that she loves my music and has experienced miracles while meditating on God’s word with them. This is what makes it make sense, Itty. The feedback and the fact that God is working on lives through my music. It feels great to know that God finds me worthy of being a vessel for blessing others.
