Tolu Salako is a Nigerian born independent singer-songwriter noted for her R&B/Soul influenced compositions, she has spent most of her life in Nigeria but briefly relocated to Glasgow, and later resided in London to further develop herself musically, studying at the London School of Theology and at the Institute of Contemporary Music and Performance in London. She has been able to use her experience of the live scene in the UK to develop her brand. “She is an artist who has found her voice, her own style, and she is holding on to it – running with it” –
Stereo Stickman
http://stereostickman.com/reviews/tolu-salako-bloom/
For an intimate song-writer, Tolu allows her experiences to feed into her lyrics, so that she produces an authentic piece that each listener can relate to. Her vocal performance is one that shows an evidence of a passionate and skilful performer who possesses the ability to move effortlessly from a soft and delicate sound to a vocal powerhouse, creating a seamless and flawless tapestry.“Tolu Salako shows off her impressive range from a hushed whisper at the beginning to a sweet ecstatic finale” – Beach Sloth
http://beachsloth.blogspot.com.ng/2016/02/tolu-salako-bloom-ep.html
Tolu has achieved an extensive amount of admirable musical moments, such as working with a Serbian International DJ/producer, releasing her debut EP, judging a singing competition, giving a vocal master class, and performing at the Riga Symphony Orchestra in Latvia. She currently offers voice lessons to aspiring singers in Nigeria, while working on new material that she hopes to release soon. Having set her sights on breaking into the international music scene she has been working tenaciously towards building her social media presence and pitching materials to professionals in the industry.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Tolu: I grew up in Nigeria and left for the UK to complete my higher studies before returning back to Nigeria two years ago. As long as I can remember music has always been a huge part of my life, you see my Dad is an avid listener of music so I grew up listening to different styles of music: like country, classical, soul, rock, highlife and so on. I guess in a way being surrounded by these various traditions opened my mind to be more appreciative of the different genres in music. It has also fuelled my creative mind to be more accommodating whenever a different idea pops up in my imagination. Singing and performing was a hobby that we all possessed as a family, as most of us participated in choirs, and when we got bored especially in the event of a power outage, we would of course entertain ourselves through songs. Gradually I became more passionate about performing and began to recognise it as a career path that I wanted to follow. I am glad I made that choice and even grateful to have had family, friends and tutors who kept pushing me beyond my limits. Songwriting on the other hand, was something that I had always wanted to do as a child, as I always came up with the quirkiest of lyrics. So when I got the chance to have a go at it when I was in Uni, I was pretty impressed with the feedback and reception my songs received, I was like hey! maybe my imaginative mind is good for something after all.[Laughs]
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Tolu: I wish I had an interesting story to offer but I don’t. Tolu Salako is my birth name, so there is no witty story behind it, I’m afraid [Laughs]. However I had the opportunity to pick a pseudonym at one point when I was still trying to figure out who I was as an artist, and what I wanted to portray to my listeners, but I kept thinking to myself, if someone used that name to call me on the streets would I even know to respond? My answer was, probably not! So sticking to my name was a better option for me, as it reminds me of who I am and where I came from, so that I never get too big for my own shoes.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Tolu: Great question. Although I do believe that it is important for us artists to be paid for our work, because of the amount of passion and perseverance we put into making it. I understand that for developing artists like myself at this point in our career, we need a vast amount of listeners in order to get heard. At the end of the day, these listeners may become loyal fans, so I guess you could see it as a necessary evil. Yes, I do give out some of my songs along with other incentives for free, especially to motivate people into joining my mailing list. So if you would like some free stuff do sign up, you know you want to.[Laughs]
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Tolu: Onwards and upwards always, never get distracted by where you are, learn from your mistakes and move on. Always put yourself out there and network with as many musicians and music promoters as you possible can, because in the music environment you can never stop learning and as you network with people, you may be given opportunities to perform at various venues, or even get your work promoted by them. As independent artists or artists in general, learn as much as you can about the music business, the more you know about it, the more likely you would be able to sell your act to potential fans. Let your passion and dream motivate you towards growing and developing your instrument. Be confident in your abilities as an artist so that whenever a door is shut in your face, you shrug it off and move on to the next opportunity. Finally, practice, practice, practice. When you invest a lot of time in writing and performing your nerves would eventually become your best friend.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Tolu: Songwriting for me is very therapeutic because it enables me to make sense of my life and the relationships I am surrounded with. I try to write songs that are real and authentic, which may sometimes include an experience I went through or even something that I am currently trying to figure out. I wish I had a ‘usual’ songwriting process cause that would make things a lot easier, but my process varies. I could be messing around on a piano and then an idea slowly creeps in, or I could be fast asleep then suddenly be awoken by a melody. My apologies to those I shared a room with.[Laughs]
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Tolu: Yes I do have a website and I also offer freebies to those who sign up to my newsletter, so do check it out if you can:
http://www.tolusalakomusic.com
I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud and Youtube, I also have a cool group on Facebook called the ‘Verse and Lyric Café’ it is a platform for musicians and music lovers to hang out, celebrate different styles of music, and network with like minded folks. We would love for you to join us. My songs are available for streaming and download on iTunes, Spotify and all other digital stores worldwide.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Tolu: Hmm.. interesting question, I would send my Mum and Dad on a holiday and then use the rest to make more music, so I guess my ‘year off’ would be spent working.[Laughs] As a musician you never get a day off, there is always something you need to be working on. Maybe when I have reached a point in my career and I am able to make that amount of money without even thinking about it, maybe I would then decide to take a break, but until then no rest for this lady.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Tolu: Social media, and the internet has played a huge role in promoting my music because I have definitely made a few contacts via these channels. I also spend a lot of time, putting myself out there, collaborating with other performers, writing for other artists and producers. Just basically advancing my brand through various channels. One of the things I love about this industry is that no man is ever an island, we all need each other to grow and develop our careers. I am extremely grateful to the radio hosts, and platforms like Exposed vocals that have either been kind enough to grant me airplay or have promoted my music on their website. So thank you to Exposed Vocals for this awesome opportunity.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Tolu: Yes indeed! I am currently working on a single, it’s a song that has been challenging to complete, both emotionally and composition wise. I love to write songs that are taken from different places in my life and present them to the world with the hope that someone out there would connect with it. However turning a mirror on yourself is sometimes the most difficult and painful thing you could ever do, because it’s like climbing into the depths of your soul and becoming anxious about what you’re going to have to crawl out with. I guess the anxiety is feeding into the instrumental arrangements as well, because at the moment it feels like there is an unequal equilibrium between the lyrics and the arrangement, which is what I am fighting hard against. The last time I had this issue was when I was working on the title track for my EP Bloom but I got through it and was completely amazed by how well it was received. So I am hoping my hard work and perseverance will pay off.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Tolu: Uhm.. making music! Music is such a huge part of my life so much so that the thought of not doing it becomes alien to me. Everything I do outside of music is because of music, and it is focused on the things I need to do to further develop myself and to keep my vision for my career alive. I do have other interests apart from music but I do not consider them as my plan B. For me having an alternative weakens my effort towards achieving my goals.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Tolu: I currently teach vocalists in my country while doing session work and writing for other artists, because I have responsibilities and the money would help with those. However I try to use every opportunity I may be given to write more, gig as much as I can, and do a lot of self-promotion so that I can gain more audiences. The truth is if we as artists don’t sell our brand no one is going to recognise us or pay attention are they?
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Tolu: I mentioned earlier that I would be releasing a new single this year, but that is not all from me, so if you would like to know more about what I am going to be getting up to,please sign up to my newsletter to find out more.
Social Media
Website: http://www.tolusalakomusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tolueasalako
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tolueasalako
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/tolusalakomusic
Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/tolueasalako
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4e0PIJPiTiEWL4qe5XYund
Music Link
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tolueasalako/sets/bloom-ep-1