Ben Tomoloju recently released no less than 100 songs of his own repertoire, built over a period of 40 years.
The award-winning composer, singer, journalist and theatre director, is billed to be the special guest artist at the ongoing Freedom Park 10th anniversary celebration on 18 October.
The multi-disciplinary artist, journalist and culture communicator is scheduled to perform some tracks from his newly released 100 Songs of Ben Tomoloju compilation live. 100 Songs of Ben Tomoloju on Google Play Store. App was launched last August by the promotion outfit Concrete Communications.
Tomoloju is a renowned playwright and dramaturg, several of his plays have been showcased around the world, He has represented Nigeria in various cultural missions within and outside Africa. He is a trailblazing journalist, cited in “Who is Who in Nigeria” in 1988 as the pioneer of professional arts journalism in the country.
Producer, Ropo Ewenla said, “100 songs of Ben Tomoloju mines more than 40 years of creative exploration to bring you a variety of songs in different genres. It is a collector’s item.” Ewenla continues, “This is not just art, this is history and we hope that in times to come, we will be able to get the necessary support to do a lot more for Nigerian arts and artists.”
In secondary school the multi-talented Tomoloju began to exhibit his potential as an all-round artist with great prospects. He wrote his first play, ‘The Son of a Witch and Sweet Poison” at the age of 18 in the early 1970s, under the tutelage of Niyi Osundare, now a globally renowned poet.
Some of the songs have been harvested from Tomoloju’s popular plays over the years, they include, ‘Jankariwo’, ‘Mujemuje’, ‘Askari’, ‘Iphigenia Finds Aiyelala’, ‘Amona’ and several others.
The artist dedicates the songs to members of the Kakaaki Arts Kult, the art producing fraternity, which he founded in 1980 for the development of young talents, while he was an English/English literature High school teacher in Lagos.
Several of the budding talents of Kakaaki Art Kult are now icons and veterans in their own right in the performing arts and media today. They include Jahman Anikulapo, Antar Laniyan, L’oni Spak Awoyokun, Ola Tehinse, Leo Onwordi, Bayo Fayaman Adesewo, Kay Tomoloju, Akeem Anisere, Abiodun Ayoyinka (Papa Ajasco), Kola Olawoyin, Sunday Adewale. Others are Salome Eketunde, Omo-Oba Jerry Adesewo, Tomi Ogunjobi and Toyin Adewale.
Tomoloju revealed, “The collection of 100 Songs Of Ben Tomoloju is about humanity, about fellow human beings growing spiritually, intellectually and materially.”