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The Nigerian pop singer Timaya has announced his upcoming concert in Kenya on the 5th of November at Ngong Racecourse.
In accordance with this information, it is only fitting that we take a look at some facts relating to Inetimi Timaya Odon and his journey to stardom.
1) Birth and Upbringing:
The birth or official name of Timaya is Enetemi Alfred Odom. He was born in Port Harcourt, River State in Nigeria on the 29th of November 1977.
He is the last-born son of a large family that comprises fifteen children. Besides using his stage name Timaya, he is also referred to as 'Egberi papa 1' or 'Dem mama soldier'.
2) A wide understanding of different music genres
One reason that has made Timaya stay relevant throughout his inception into the music industry in Nigeria is his ability to perform in different genres.
He is quite adept in Raga, Hip-hop, dancehall, afro beat, as well as afro hiphop. This has seen him produce quite a number of albums and singles since for nearly a decade now.
3) Rags to Riches tale:
We all love a good underdog story and that is the situation in Timaya's case, his rise to the top has not been an easy journey at all.
The 36-year-old performer tried perusing a degree in banking and finance at university but he dropped out of school after performing grievously in his first examination.
At some point in life he was forced to sell plantains in the streets of Mgbuosimini to make ends meet
Fortunately, his talent for music has always been constant from as far back as high school; he won quite a number of accolades during competitions held amongst neighbouring schools.
4) A big collaborator more-so in his rise to stardom:
The early days of his musical journey saw him perform with underground or upcoming musicians.
More often than not he was a backup singer and at one time he was providing back-up vocals to renowned musician, Eedris Abdulkareem.
Later on, he appeared in videos of a rap group called UDX, which is based in Lagos. He also collaborated with other musicians such as Temi, Biodin, Kunle, Raphael, (Divino), among others artists.
5) His first significant breakthrough:
His first major breakthrough came after releasing his hit song “Dem Mama”.
This conscious song was about the destruction that was taking place in the oil rich Delta region. The track brought to light the brutality emanating from the soldiers and directed towards innocent civilians in a bid to hunt down militants.
This was the beginning of his nickname, 'Egberi Papa 1' (the town crier of the people) of Bayelsa.
6) Philanthropist and peace ambassador:
Owing to his socially aware music and willingness to stand for a good course, Timaya was appointed as the Peace Ambassador in 2011 by the IIFWP (Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace).
He is regarded as a positive figure-head, especially among the youth in his native homeland.
This was noticed especially after releasing his single “Dem Mama” where he lingered on the subject for many years.
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