Biographies

Tosin Otudeko

A poet and songwriter, Tosin’s love for performance poetry grew alongside a passion for performance, a thirst for theatre, a way with words and from ‘hearing drum beats in her head’.

Inspired by melody, metaphors and reflections Tosin captures her thoughts from paper to the stage, with a mix of sounds, rhythm and inflections. 

Her journey into the world of words, sounds and pictures has birthed an original musical Heartbeat, as well as a repertoire of songs, and poems. 

Jumi Fola Alade

Jumi sees poetry as a fascinating tool that gives expression to a passionate and unorthodox voice.

A “proudly Nigerian” poet, vocalist and lyricist with a tender tough stripe of cultural touché and spiritual commentary, Jumi's artistic style is bold and imaginative with a conversational voice that sounds almost reticent.

Jumi’s foray into the world of creative arts has produced Imole, an innovative compilation of inspirational tracks that weave recitals, songs, poetry, word games, wit, metaphors and subtleties amongst varying genres of music.

U’mau

Vocalist

U’mau is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and composer based in London. Her fusion sound of folk, jazz and Afri-Brazilian rhythm has been described by BBC London Radio and Soul Culture Magazine as ‘sophisticated’, ‘heartwarming’ and ‘refreshingly difficult to pigeonhole” while 234Next say her debut album Sound Journeys of the Lost and Found, is a “meticulously presented dose of refined talent.”

Tolumide

Vocalist

Tolumide is a Nigerian Canadian R&B/soul Afro-pop singer songwriter. Her songs are mainly English lyrics, with the occasional interjection of African languages such as Yoruba, Pidgin English, Igbo and Twi.

 Influenced by the Afriucan legacies of her childhood years, she offers a range of dynamic performances and has gained new fans and rave reviews for her debut album My Love.

Ayo-dele Edwards

Actor

Ayo-Dele Edwards is a London based singer/actress, who from an early age has been surrounded by various genres of music. Her name means ‘Joy has come home’ in Yoruba, a tribe and language spoken in Nigeria, Western Africa.
 
Ayo-Dele is currently working on her project ‘Forever Becoming’ which combines her British and Nigerian influences expressed through songs and stories. Her latest collaboration is NAIJA, the MUSICAL – a three year development project which she is co-devising and writing with UK based renown freelance theatre practitioner, Femi Elufowoju, jr.

Surrounded by eclectic rhythms and sounds, Ayo-Dele became fixated with music a huge cultural signpost at every corner she turned. Merging her British musical repertoire with the African heritage was inevitable and grew into her main passion
 
Kevin Golding

Actor

Kevin is a professional actor and upcoming film-maker.

His main body of work has been in theatre, having also worked with Ayo-Dele Edwards in MOREMI.
 
Film and TV credits include SILENT WITNESS, FOOTBALLERS WIVES and COUNTERFEIT BUTTERFLY.

Most recently his role in OTHELLO was described as "visceral, proud, tormented and broken at times and never anything but honest".
 
At the moment he is preparing to shoot his second short film and is in the process of writing his first feature film. He is thrilled to be working with Tosin at this event.
 
Efosa Lawal

Music Director/Sound Master

Efosa Lawal is UK based producer, songwriter and musician. His versatile range has enabled him work with a diverse group of artists & musicians both as a producer and an instrumentalist in his own right.

He has been responsible for producing the original track recordings for the musical, HEARTBEAT, as well as other Garden Theatre works including Tosin Otudeko’s performance poetry pieces.