I am Akintunde Akinsanmi, a brown skinned male from Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Nigeria. I was born in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, where I spent most of my childhood. I am from a family of seven, inclusive of my parents, Dr Francis Akinsanmi of blessed memories and Dr (Mrs) Temilola Akinsanmi.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Akintunde Akinsanmi, a brown skinned male from Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Nigeria. I was born in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, where I spent most of my childhood. I am from a family of seven, inclusive of my parents, Dr Francis Akinsanmi of blessed memories and Dr (Mrs) Temilola Akinsanmi.
My family moved to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria in the late 90s. I was deeply involved with the choir from my early days till I got to college and made friends with Shifi, Yemi,Lanre and eventually Zeal. We created a three man group, STYL-PLUS. STYL-PLUS, a name gotten from the first letters of our names.
Shifi-Tunde-Yemi - Lanre - Zeal (the plus, for he joined after lanre passed away). After graduation from University, I, Shifi and Zeal went ahead to make our first official recordings in 2003 which eventually shot us into fame and stardom. Songs like Olufunmi, Runaway, Call My Name and Imagine That were by far the most played and requested songs on radio in the mid 2000s.
In The year 2012, I had to break away from the group to pursue many other passions like audio and video productions, programing, agriculture and advertising. Between 2012 and 2020, a series of singles have been released together with an album.
Some of the notable singles are: Jesu Feranmi and Kinimolese, While the album is a thirteen track compilation of unreleased songs called “Sounds Of Lugica”. At the moment, I am a Musical Artist, Music Producer, Video Producer, Music consultant, Farmer and an aspiring amateaur boxer.
2. What inspired you to pursue music as a career?
I started getting a little bit more interested in music when my elder brother Deji, taught me a few chords on the piano. I honed my skills for about 2 years before meeting up with Shifi and we created an acapella group called STYL. We did covers of popular gospel acapella artists and then discovered BoyzIIMen.
We fell in love with their way with music and I must say, they are the greatest influence on the group and the individuals of the group. We evolved into writing our own songs back in school, and with the acceptance of the musical and art loving community, we were encouraged to take it to the next level and the next till we found ourselves a household name in Nigeria and many other parts of the world.
3. What type of music genre you mostly like to work on?
I mostly like to work on Ballards, Soul and R&B. Anything mid tempo resonates with my core, although I find myself in the unfamiliar zone of uptempo music occasionally.
4. What impact you want to create through your music?
I see music as a tool. A tool for communication, direction and education. I want my music to be remembered for the sincerity in its message. I want my music to convey the exact message I am trying to pass across to my listeners.
5. What are your future projects and goals?
As much as I always say, Nobody is guaranteed of tomorrow, I intend to go full christian gospel on my music in the near future. I also intend to mentor younger highly skilled artists and be the guide I never had.
6. Which artist has inspired you the most and why?
As a music producer, I listen to a wide selection of music. In the past, I listened to boy bands and some solo acts. The most memorable for me are - BoyzIImen, All 4 One, Jodecci and New Edition. Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars are my recent likes.
7. What tips and advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
My advice to younger artists is for them to have a worthy role model who can give them guidance on their journey and help them grow. Furthermore, I would like to tell them to believe more in their peculiarity and try to be themselves at all times.
8. Which is your favourite book and why?
My best book is ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell. It is the best book for me because it accurately depicts the current state of my Country, Nigeria where the rules keep changing to favour a select few.
Interviewed By - Prashansa Maurya
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