Tonye Garrick (born 27 August 1983), simply known as Tonye is a British-born Nigerian singer and songwriter.[1] Her a cappella song titled "What About Us?" was used at the Nigerian Youth Presidential debate in 2011.[2] Born in England, Tonye was raised in France, Nigeria and the United States of America where she dropped her job as a business consultant to pursue a career in music in 2013.[3] In 2015, she released a marriage-themed single title "Ari Belema" which got her nominated in the "Most Promising Act" category at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[4] She is signed to Made Men Music Group since April 2016.[5]
Tonye | |
|---|---|
 on NdaniTV | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tamunotonye Nneka Nkiruka Ibiyemi Garrick |
| Born | 27 August 1983 England |
| Origin | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, fashion and interior designer |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Made Men |
| Website | iamtonye |
Growing up
editTonye is a native of Benin City in Edo State, South-South Nigeria. Her name "Tamunotonye" was given to her by her grandmother who is a native of Kalabari, Rivers State.[6] She grew up listening to songs by Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Celine Dion and Brenda Fassie before she developed her interest in music at the age of 7.[7]
Early life and education
editBorn in England into the family of an Edo State father who was a diplomat and an Anambra State mother, Tonye had most of her early life in Nigeria, Paris and the United States of America.[8] She attended Vivian Fowler Memorial College and Queen's College, Lagos where she completed her secondary school education.[9] She holds a bachelor's degree in International Business & Fashion Merchandising after graduating from Marymount University.[10]
Career
editPrior to picking music as a profession, Tonye had previously worked for UBS Financial and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited as a business analyst. She dropped her corporate job for a career in music in 2013 and went on to release her first official single titled "Were Niyen" which was received to critical acclaim.[11] On 2 October 2014, she released another song produced by Password titled "Criminal" which did well to gain grounds. In 2015, her song titled "Abi Belema" became popular and thus winning her a nomination at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[12] She cites Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Brandy and Aaliyah as her musical influences.[11] In an interview granted to Thisday Live on 21 June 2014, she said she is working on her debut studio album.[13]
Discography
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGA | GHA | RSA | US | US R&B |
AUS | UK | |||||||
| "What About Us" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
| "Were Niyen" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Wait For Me" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Criminal" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Criminal (Remix)" (featuring Timaya) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Ari Belema" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Written in The Stars" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award ceremony | Prize | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Most Promising Act | Nominated | [14] |
| ELOY Awards | Music Artist of The Year | Nominated | [15] |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Tonye Garrick: the singer getting Nigeria dancing". True Africa. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Badu, Ama (7 January 2015). "Afrobeats Artist Tonye Releases New Promo Photos". GlamAfrica. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Ajose, Kehinde (29 August 2015). "I left my plum bank job for love of music – Tonye Garrick". Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ "The 10th NEA Awards 2015– Nominees List". NotJustOk. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ 18 April 2016. "Iyanya Singer's record label Made Men Music Group signs new singer Tonye". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Filani, Sola (21 March 2015). "I would like to date Don Jazzy because… – Tonye Garrick on love and music". YNaija. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Falode, Tolu (25 September 2015). "Statistic With Tonye Garrick". Genevieve Magazine. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Okon-Ekong, Nseobong (30 August 2015). "A CHILDHOOD DREAM COMES TRUE". Thisday Live. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ "Deeva of the Week – TONYE GARRICK". Naija D.E.E.V.A.S. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ "I understand my body – Tonye Garrick". The Punch. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ a b Odukoya, Lanre (9 March 2013). "I Started Singing By Accident". Thisday Live. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Obioha, Vanessa (1 March 2015). "Changing the Face of Music". Thisday Live. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Showemimo, Adedayo (21 June 2014). "My Father is Not Happy with My Music Career, But..." Thisday Live. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Segun, Oleniju (11 June 2015). "Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2015 Full Nominations". 36NG. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Aina, Idris (5 October 2015). "Yemi Alade, Seyi Shay, Di'ja & More Battle For Glory at the ELOY Awards 2015". Entertainment Rave Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
External links
edit