Tosin Bee:  I’m Single, My Kind of Woman Must Be….

Tosin Bee is a contemporary African gospel musician. Already, he has an album titled “Testimony”, which he described as a summary of all God had done for him. In this interview, he tells Tosin Clegg how he stated his music career and future plans

Things that shaped me and my music

Music started with singing with some of my friends. We did that every evening in Ogbomoso, although they were older than me, but they saw something I couldn’t see then in myself. So every evening, we go round the neighborhood singing really loud, actually just to show off. We were really enjoying the attention then. After a while, I moved on to Ilorin. I did my ‘A’ levels there at Kwara Polytechnic. I was always singing, at a point my friend Tayo advised I join a church choir, but I told him no way, because I was the shy type. On the long run, I joined my church choir, then I joined Gold Heart Mission, and Kingdom Minstrels for Christ, also Latter House Family. These were in our denominational choir, and we meet in the evening on Sundays for rehearsal or ministrations. I also had a group with two of my friends, Samuel Aliyu, and Rumide Jeffery, and all these shaped me and my music life. Then I moved on to Olabisi onabanjo University, Ago-iwoye, while studying, I joined Redeemed Christian Fellowship, (RCF). RCF really shaped me; I joined the choir, SOLM. Along the line, I was made the worship team leader after which I was made the music director of the fellowship. From there I came into Lagos in 2010.

Tosin BEE is a coinage from my surname 

TOSIN is my name, Adejumobi is my surname. It was Mr. June Jack, the first person that was going to manage me that gave me the name, by removing the “BI” from my surname and changing it to ‘BEE’, but that was after trying many names.

Growing up was fun 

I am from a beautiful family of six. Though, from a really humble background, but ours was a beautiful family, of course. We had challenges here and there, but who doesn’t have one?

A day I won’t forget in a hurry 

God really showed up and he caused men to stand up for this small boy during my album launch, especially Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye, the mother in Israel RCCG. She came and stayed through the launch. You know, this is one of the best things that have happened to me. Mummy, I love you so much. “Mama Daa Daa”. Of course, another person I must talk about is Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Charles Kpandei, my very pastor. This man is my number one fan. He believes so much in what God can do through me. The album title is “Testimony” and it was just a summary of all God has done for me. It was my Testimony. Special thanks to Daddy and Mummy Odesola, Leke Adeboye, Kunle Ajayi, Mr. Tosin Adewuyi, and everyone that made it happen.

I do contemporary African gospel music

Gospel music is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of the African-American church. During the late 1800s, African-American churches in the southern United States started fusing various styles of music into their worship services, including African-American spirituals, hymns, and sacred songs. Contemporary African Gospel music is built on cross-pollination with western popular music and genres of African popular music.

I’m in the studio at the moment, working

I would be releasing new songs soon, followed by a tour of cities in and out of Nigeria. Also so far, I have worked with Nosa, Efe Nathan, Tosin Martins, Wole Oni, Masterkraft, Big Bolaji, Laolu Gbenjo, the list is long. Of course, I’m looking forward to working with quite a number of people, but let’s keep it sealed for now.

All gospel acts preach the same message 

So, there is no room for comparison, but know one thing, I enjoy so much grace. It amplifies the little I do that I wonder sometimes if I actually did this. Also, the spirit of excellence in my approach and method of delivery is another thing. In five years, I believe I must have taken a good number of nations of the world for God, and I believe gospel music will forever be a tool in the propagation of the gospel.

The secular music industry

You can say secular music is more about entertainment and business. Generally, there is music business, and anybody can do this, as long as you know your way, but the moment the word “Gospel” comes in, then it has become ministry and in ministry it’s all about the kingdom. In this case, money is not priority but soul winning. However, if you are committed to the kingdom business, then God will be committed to your life and everything that pertains to you.

Initially the major challenge was money 

You know it’s difficult to do music without money. But God has been faithful. In terms of success, it’s in the testimony of how God has blessed lives through our ministry, and the testimony has been overwhelming.

Performances, fans and dealing with fame… 

Wherever we are called to minister or perform, we make sure we go with an unusual fire of the Holy Ghost, and lives never remain the same. You call them fans, I call them friends. They are very important people to me, and I try as much as possible to relate with them well, I even welcome suggestions and ideas from them; after all they are my friends. Concerning fame, well I always tell myself, what is it that you have that has not been given to you by God, so by God’s grace I try to introduce humility in all I do. To go far in life you must be humble.

I’m single 

And my kind of woman must be beautiful, God-loving, God-chaser, hardworking, praying wife and of course a mother.

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