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Papa Tee... Never Ending... Perhaps the appropriate question to ask is what defines us? What truly defines an individual? His thoughts, words, passion, the color of his face, his swag, or his ideals? When a man’s craft or abilities in a certain field of engagement transform into what becomes his total concentration and commitment, drives his passion, and arrogates to him power and not prejudice, then such creative abilities can no longer be described as a gift but rather a philosophy in realism and a revolution. Therefore, rules of engagement, if there be any, however designed, will be broken. Such a persona doesn’t and will never accede to the norm or what dictates nor influences public opinion. His ways and what he stands for may seem out and away from what is perceived as usual or the norm, but yet you cannot doubt the depth and the power in his creative abilities to get across his ideals and win converts, no matter how silent they may be perceived. In such a setting, he becomes many things and different things, representing different mindsets and voices. To describe Papa Tee as a musician or just an artist would be an injustice to him and his craft; moreover, he would appear largely boxed. To call him a TOTAL ARTISTE would, however, place him on a platform where his expanding journey in his chosen craft, music, makes him more a never-ending subject for discussion anytime. Calling his music reggae, pop, afro, jazz, salsa, afrosoul, new age, and so on will much more create a complex definition for his identity. Therefore, as he puts it himself—"My music is still evolving." Born in Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ojeyomi (stage name Papa Tee), has performed in various capacities of the Nigerian music industry both locally and internationally. He has written, performed, and produced music of many genres and knows his onions in all these varieties. His music breathes a deep reflection of a mixture of an adventure into various forms of music styles from reggae to pop, world music, jazz, and so on.
EARLY DAYS
He started out in 1989 as a performer in nightclubs before he got a contract with Radio Lagos, a state-owned radio station, in 1991 as a DJ/presenter. While combining this with live performances and studio sessions, he met a Nigerian reggae music giant, Victor Essiet of the Mandators, and they worked together with a producer called Lemmy Jackson, releasing an album called STORM. The song "Champion Bubbler" in the album, featuring Papa Tee, was a huge hit and this triggered off his journey properly in the world of music. Twice nominated for awards—"Most Exciting Radio Presenter" category, at the Fame Music Awards and "Most Promising Male" for the prestigious all Africa KORA AWARDS in 2003 for the track "Olodumare" from his self-produced album - PERSPECTIVES. An album of songs that distinctively explores the intricate abilities of Papa Tee to address many subjects embracing various forms of music interpretation both as a producer, songwriter, and singer. Three tracks on the album, namely "Olodumare," "Enitabalaba," and "Touch It," got him featured on the popular program, WORLD TRACKS on Radio France International, a program hosted by Daniel Brown. The album Perspectives indeed brings to the fore the many sides to the entity called "Papa Tee." Every song in the collection is reflective of a story and gives you a reason why it should be on the album. "Enitabalaba" is a very rare and unusual approach to the spoken word, professionally delivered and creatively conceived. Papa Tee makes a daring approach to the spoken word territory without losing his African identity while ensuring that the purpose of a word spoken in this art form is crucial to creating yet another outlet for strong expressions that may have been easily lost in the flurry of western musical interpretation. As one critic puts it, the entire album is indeed a musical travelogue as Papa Tee consciously or unconsciously exposes his musical influences such as Seal, Sade Adu, and others in tracks such as "Olodumare," "In the King's Presence," "Moving with the Flow." Well, it is true that what you perceive mostly is what you end up conceiving. Papa Tee has also placed his stamp on a great many extremely popular and distinctive station ident jingles for three state government-owned radio stations (Radio Lagos 107.5 FM, Eko 89.75 FM, Gateway Radio 90.5 FM, and Lagos Television) while his jingles for other service organizations and products are immeasurable. His repertoire of working with other artists is endless. He has worked with numerous artists both within the country and outside, including King Sunny Ade (Nigeria), Dr. Alban (Sweden), and Nel Oliver (Benin Republic). Papa, as he is fondly called, does not strongly kick against the commercial viability of music because he has consistently over the years advocated for copyright issues relating to artists getting their deserved recognition and encomiums for their efforts. This he has consistently achieved as a consultant in the Music Business, serving as a guide to fellow artists through his radio shows, RIGHT ON POINT and MUSIC PLUGGER on the government-owned station, EKO 89.75 FM for close to a decade. He is the CEO of a record label, ETERNAL PRODUCTIONS, which has become a platform for discovering, engaging, and celebrating new talents and their forms of music. He is committed to the true purpose of music transcending beyond the barriers of time and space, race, or color. Papa Tee is married and resides presently in Maryland, USA. For Papa Tee, "He who never fights a battle never wins, never loses." Plantedworksmediainc2013.
EARLY DAYS
He started out in 1989 as a performer in nightclubs before he got a contract with Radio Lagos, a state-owned radio station, in 1991 as a DJ/presenter. While combining this with live performances and studio sessions, he met a Nigerian reggae music giant, Victor Essiet of the Mandators, and they worked together with a producer called Lemmy Jackson, releasing an album called STORM. The song "Champion Bubbler" in the album, featuring Papa Tee, was a huge hit and this triggered off his journey properly in the world of music. Twice nominated for awards—"Most Exciting Radio Presenter" category, at the Fame Music Awards and "Most Promising Male" for the prestigious all Africa KORA AWARDS in 2003 for the track "Olodumare" from his self-produced album - PERSPECTIVES. An album of songs that distinctively explores the intricate abilities of Papa Tee to address many subjects embracing various forms of music interpretation both as a producer, songwriter, and singer. Three tracks on the album, namely "Olodumare," "Enitabalaba," and "Touch It," got him featured on the popular program, WORLD TRACKS on Radio France International, a program hosted by Daniel Brown. The album Perspectives indeed brings to the fore the many sides to the entity called "Papa Tee." Every song in the collection is reflective of a story and gives you a reason why it should be on the album. "Enitabalaba" is a very rare and unusual approach to the spoken word, professionally delivered and creatively conceived. Papa Tee makes a daring approach to the spoken word territory without losing his African identity while ensuring that the purpose of a word spoken in this art form is crucial to creating yet another outlet for strong expressions that may have been easily lost in the flurry of western musical interpretation. As one critic puts it, the entire album is indeed a musical travelogue as Papa Tee consciously or unconsciously exposes his musical influences such as Seal, Sade Adu, and others in tracks such as "Olodumare," "In the King's Presence," "Moving with the Flow." Well, it is true that what you perceive mostly is what you end up conceiving. Papa Tee has also placed his stamp on a great many extremely popular and distinctive station ident jingles for three state government-owned radio stations (Radio Lagos 107.5 FM, Eko 89.75 FM, Gateway Radio 90.5 FM, and Lagos Television) while his jingles for other service organizations and products are immeasurable. His repertoire of working with other artists is endless. He has worked with numerous artists both within the country and outside, including King Sunny Ade (Nigeria), Dr. Alban (Sweden), and Nel Oliver (Benin Republic). Papa, as he is fondly called, does not strongly kick against the commercial viability of music because he has consistently over the years advocated for copyright issues relating to artists getting their deserved recognition and encomiums for their efforts. This he has consistently achieved as a consultant in the Music Business, serving as a guide to fellow artists through his radio shows, RIGHT ON POINT and MUSIC PLUGGER on the government-owned station, EKO 89.75 FM for close to a decade. He is the CEO of a record label, ETERNAL PRODUCTIONS, which has become a platform for discovering, engaging, and celebrating new talents and their forms of music. He is committed to the true purpose of music transcending beyond the barriers of time and space, race, or color. Papa Tee is married and resides presently in Maryland, USA. For Papa Tee, "He who never fights a battle never wins, never loses." Plantedworksmediainc2013.
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