First Episode, New Webisode – Tales With Tosinger

Greetings everyone,

It’s been a minute and here is what I’ve been working on. I sing, I write, I act and I tell stories. I am a modern day griot and a cultural ambassador and my name is Tosinger. 🙂

Here’s introducing,  the first vlog/webisode/series, whatever you choose to call it, edition of my weekly (on Tuesdays)  folk storytelling project- TALES WITH TOSINGER,

Folk tales and fables are an educational and entertaining means of passing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next. An African tradition for several generations,  adults would tell tales by the moonlight while teaching morals and lessons. I have chosen to gather adults and children alike around a social app, a youtube video, the millennial way to get the world’s attention 😉

The inspiration….

Enjoy Episode #001 Dawu the Lion King.  DO SUBSCRIBE, like, comment and spread the word. Ese!  ( pronounced “E-shay ” — which means ‘Thank you’ in Yoruba)

✿

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing,

Tosinger

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Afrodreamfest NYC 2015 Review by #VoiceOfAmerica (@VOANews) & #AIT (@AIT_Online) Journalist – Adanma Odefa (@AOdefa)

Afrodreamfest has come and gone but the glorious aftermath still linger in the hearts and souls of the attendees . Afrodreamfest, a touring concert to celebrate African Liberation Day ( #AfricaDay  May 25) and promote upcoming talented neo~afro fusion artists in the diaspora took place this year (May 22 at Meridian 23 and May 23 at Silvana Harlem)  in the vibrant city that never sleeps – New York City. It featured an eclectic line up of artists including myself (Afrosoul), Ayanbinrin – the female talking drummer (Afrofolk), Ogasilachi (AfroRnB), Eli Fola (AfroJazz), Laolu and The Afromysterics (Afrobeat), Aduke (Afrosoul) and bonus features Afro pop artistes – Ayo In Motion and Na!ra. To promote the event, you can also watch my Sahara radio interview with the Humble Prince here 

Below is a heartfelt review by International Journalist Adanma Odefa in the selfie below 🙂

Adanma and Tosinger

 

Afrodreamfest Experience in New York City

When a friend of mine told me about the Afrodreamfest in New York City, my first reaction was, ‘I might as well have an adventure, I’ve got nothing else to do!’. So I packed up and went to New York City from Washington DC not really expecting much. Although I had been in New York previously, the city didn’t fail in keeping me on my toes. Finally, we made it to Chelsea where the concert was holding.

Ogasilachi

Laolu

My first thought was, ‘wow! What strong vocals! What powerful lyrics! What artistic sincerity!‘. This was the reaction the young lady Aduke evoked when she sang. Reeling from that, I sailed through several other performances including the beautiful ‘Naira’ who struck me as sleek, chic and distinct with her rap style. Naira effortlessly executed a marriage of American rap culture and African uniqueness.

Aduke

Na!ra

The icing on cake for me was Ayanbirin. She has such a presence on stage that depicts Africanism in a way that was almost tangible. I gawked in awe as she dominated every single person in the room. Her power was all the more enchanting with her backup drummer and sidekick. Day one ended with dancing and exhaustion. I went back to my lodgings wondering what day two would bring.

Ayanbinrin

By the end of day two, I was glad it was a two-day event. I had missed some of the performances from day one so I got the experience of fresh excitement. It was on this day that I got the opportunity of falling under the musical enchantress’s spell. Tosinger endeared me with her beautiful all African costume and her lively stage presence. Day two icing on the cake for me was AyoInMotion. I am not trustful of my capacity to put into words the powerful emotions this artist invoked in me. He reached deep into my soul and pulled out all things African within me and left me feeling sad for those who are unable to claim African roots.

Tosinger

Ayo in motion

Altogether, Afrodreamfest was precisely a dreamy artistic romance with Africa. I look forward to the next one with a barely contained feverish excitement.

Adanma Odefa
International Journalist,
Voice of America.

To see videos, do visit https://www.youtube.com/user/AfroDreamFest

For photos visit, click https://www.facebook.com/AfroDreamFest/photos_stream

Don’t forget to leave a comment and share your thoughts. Visit www.afrodreamfest.com, sign up on the email list to stay updated on future events.

Beautifully Dreaming Positively Doing

Tosinger

Dare To Be Daring – #YourTurnChallenge Day 6

This is Day 6  of the #YourTurnChallenge, an initiative to practice the art of shipping by writing one blog post every day for a week.

As a child I stuck my finger in fire

Just to know how ‘hot’ heat is

Broke open a living, breathing snail

Just to see what goes on inside, within

I’m the cat that curiosity never killed

The lioness that ate more than meat

The thirst for adventure will continue for life

I’ll dare to venture from time to time

Crossing boundary lines of creativity

Breaking rules like Picasso’s artistry

I’ll dare to be different in my chosen ways

Some restrictions may not allow it again and again

But I’ll do what I can with what I have

Until it’s time to throw caution to the wind

And skydive off the edge of a very high cliff 🙂

 

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing

Tosinger

When Network Does Not Equate Networth – #YourTurnChallenge Day 4

Day 4: Something you do well. #YourTurnChallenge

As I write this, I just finished making an introduction. All it takes for me is the click of a button, a few good words and an email introduction and good vibes start to roll, and sometimes to my ignorance, they bankroll too. All done out of goodwill, based on established reputations. Mr John is in your network, so is Mr Doe,  you’ve known them for eons, albeit on platonic levels, even say in business circles, but neither Mr John or Doe added any worth or value to you or vice versa (financially speaking) for one reason or the other but you introduce them to each other and they are the better for it. That, right there, is a good example of when network absolutely did not even add a dime to your net worth. They say your network is your net worth, so why would one have a seemingly high network and be as broke as a church rat.  What is going wrong with what is being done well. Is something not right somewhere? Are the right people in the network? Is the network not being used well to one’s advantage maybe? It’s one thing to know people, on the other hand, is knowing them relevant to your life, progress, business, career, future?.

Networking. Not a big deal. I connect.  I introduce albeit online/social media. In business, ‘they’ call it PR/Branding.  And that’s what it is when it is structured. When it is informal and unstructured, it is ‘Word of Mouth’ which is said to be the most effective and traditional mode of ‘marketing’, but which unfortunately is the most ‘less monetized’, you can’t trace the chain of who initially said what to who, you can’t track gains and losses, words are like eggs, once broken, it spills.

Guard your influence/your network

“You’ve got a great fanbase/ following, please help me share this link” No Sir, No Ma’am. My value statement and beliefs are important. It’s more like I love this content and I think it will benefit whoever reads this/listens to this within my network/target audience. What is worth sharing is worth sharing well. Quality is key.  I share what I believe is worth sharing not what friends or random persons cajole me to share, if it doesn’t even resonate with my business values, it will not be a paid for PR/Branding service.

You read in some notable influencers’ Twitter bios – “Tweets are not endorsements”, these are disclaimers that are necessary to be communicated, just in case for example, an unsuspecting individual connects with a tweet subject (just because Ms XYZ tweeted about it) and their business deal goes sour.  So yes, sometimes, network does not equate to net worth. People may have made millions on your tab, you made it happen yes and that’s about it. There is consolation in the fact that – “Give and it shall come back to you in other ways not necessarily monetarily, goodwill shared is a seed that will always bring a good harvest, pass it on, the God who sees in private rewards publicly, karma has its ways, universe bounces back good energy”..so many sayings to compensate for when network does not equate to net worth. Even the bible says:

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin

So if not why not, if you know Sallie Mae needs to meet John Doe to make magic happen, go ahead and make that intro, they’ll thank the day you were born.  Guard, but yet be selfless with your network and expect your emotional/spiritual assets to grow significantly.  Or better still, revamp your network to see the financial growth you need. Right? Wisdom is the principal thing. Comments anyone?.

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

Tosinger

State Of The Onion – #YourTurnChallenge Day 3

 

Day 3 #YourTurnChallenge is centered around – “Tell us about something that you think should be improved”. I know a lot of people will have loads of suggestions for improvement with regards to  POTUS’s SOTU address from last night. I’d like to switch things around and not go there, why not start with the state of mind of every individual. The man/woman makes the home, the homes make the community, the community makes the town/city, the town/city makes the state, the state makes the nation which in turn chooses the man/woman that leads her. It’s a cycle. So let’s deal with the nitty gritties of the state of individuals’ onions. Do your onions make you cry? or do you know well enough to slice them under running water to avoid the tears? What is the state of your onion? Are they all good or rotting in the vegetable rack? Here is a story I’d like to share about the onion that made my eyes water.

Let’s call her Ms Angel. She crossed my path today. A little precious Caucasian boy calls out to her “Mom”!. She looks at me and answers the question I did not ask.  She tells me the story of her 3 adopted children, all under 10. You see, Ms Angel has a Caribbean accent, she must have been originally from Jamaica maybe. 2 of the 3 of the kids are of a different race, they were abandoned babies. The pretty little doll eyed 2 year old’s name is “Miracle”. Miracle because she was birthed in a hospital restroom, abadoned and later discovered. Ms Angel adopted her and showers her with love. She is improving health wise and Ms Angel is grateful to God. I fast-forwarded my imagination and pictured them all grown, this Mom who saved them all, loving on Ms Angel like crazy and someone will tell them otherwise about color. No way! They are color blind with a clear vision of love. My eyes started welling up.  I said a prayer for them.The onion of this situation made me realize you cannot choose the circumstances of your birth, what you look like or your genetic formation. It also affirms that “love indeed conquers all”.  With a foundation of love in a home like this, the nation can be stronger. It is as you grow older that you start to make decisions that will determine what the next generation will be like. It’s time to choose wisely and make decisions that positively affect the next generation.

You have onions all around you. What do you make of them? Do you  let them make you cry and that’s it? or do you close your eyes and slice them under running water? Do you use them to cook or you let them rot away? What is the state of your onion? I will like to improve on the state of mine, I won’t just let them make me cry. I’ll make them useful.  I will do something.  Cook them. Stir fry them. Do something. Be the change I want to see.

Beautifully Dreaming…. Positively Doing..

Tosinger

 

While They Were Sleeping…. #YourTurnChallenge Day 2

#YourTurnChallenge Day 2

While they were sleeping, I pray

While they were sleeping, I read & write 

While they were sleeping, I get inspiration

While they were sleeping, I think & reflect

Your state of mind actually determines what you do while ‘they’ sleep. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be during the night, or when ‘they’ are literally sleeping;  basically ‘they’ are sleeping when ‘they’ are not aware of your toil, hustle or challenges. As I write this, I have multiple  browsers open, I think I suffer from a mild case of self diagnosed internet specific ADHD, I know I am not alone. I can’t seem to focus on writing a blog post at one go without multitasking, but I stand challenged. Focus.

Back to the topic –   today’s guide question of the 7 day  #YourTurnChallenge ( a blog post a day for 7 days, here’s Day 1)  is “Tell us about something that’s important to you”. Focus for one, is important. Focusing on what is important (Focusing on my life’s purpose,  my faith in God, family, leaving a legacy for future generations) The ability to focus on the task ahead, the goal in view, the vision in sight, the dream on the horizon – important!.  Because, really, how can I ‘ship’ if I don’t keep my eyes on the target, the destination, the light at the end of the tunnel. As I write this, ‘they’ are still sleeping. Who are they? Well, ‘they’ is a mental construct. ‘They’ are _________ insert whoever_______ you think ‘they’ are.

‘They’ is whoever you empower ‘they’ to be. ‘They’ brought the gas prices down , ‘they’ just sent some good vibes my way, ‘they’ gave me a virtual pat on the back, ‘they’ said I can’t wear my hair this way, ‘they’ said “keep pushing”, ‘they’ said “we will get back to you”  or ‘they’ live by the wishing well but definitely don’t wish you well.  Angels, enemies, believers, leaders, the government, bosses, the naysayers, the gatekeepers, the policy makers, the controllers,  savages,  humans, decision makers, family, friends, the stranger down the street, the talking heads on TV, the faceless CEOs, the invisible internet trollers, haters, lovers, copycats, fans, demons, facebook friends, twitter followers, instagram stalkers, pastors and healers, whatever. ‘They’ is whoever ‘they’ are in your mind. As long as ‘they’ aid your progress, or you don’t let ‘them’ pull you down, you are ok. They (whether negative or positive) should always be your catapult of success, whether ‘they’ are aware or not, in here or out there.

I seem to do the most important things while they are sleeping.. I write new songs and I draft blog posts…because I am a Singer and a Writer, expressing my talent is important to me. So, I just got Day 2 of my #YourTurnChallenge down. What do you do while ‘they’ are sleeping?

Beautifully Dreaming….Positively Doing…

Tosinger

 

 

Day 1: It’s My Turn To Sing … and Write – #YourTurnChallenge

Hello there. I am participating in the #YourTurnChallenge. I’m doing the #YourTurnChallenge starting today Jan 19 — 1 blog post every day for 7 days powered by Marketing Guru and BestSelling Author Seth Godin (who I’ve followed for a while) and curated by his project manager @winniekao. No regrets.

Why am I doing the ‘Your Turn Challenge’?

I’ve chosen to do this challenge because I  know that I need to stretch. What am I stretching? my mind, my state of mind, my abilities. My resilience. This challenge will definitely make me stretch, intellectually, mentally and even spiritually. It’s also good for where I am creatively at the moment. The #YourTurn challenge came at a very good time when I was  hitting a roadblock with the whole blogging thing. As a blogger, my first post of 2015 was delayed until Jan 14, that does not sit well in the blogosphere which depends on frequency of content. And when I eventually posted, it was audio visuals – videos, photos and musical expressions; something I usually do when I have no words to describe my state of mind or when I am just absolutely speechless on a situation. The situation in this case being the massacre of about a reported 2,000 or so of my Nigerian people by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram, coming at a very politically sensitive time. But will my keeping mute help? No. It’s time and it’s my turn to write. It’s my turn to speak up, put pen to paper, write, sing, address issues, be the change I want to see.

Thanks to my subscription to Seth Godin’s blog and grateful that he stepped out to write his book  ‘Your Turn’ ;  I would have missed this life changing opportunity. Life changing? Yes! because if I say I am a Writer (albeit a very underground and succinct one) Why does the momentum to write (express) fluctuate like the waves of the sea?. So it is very life changing to get a wake up call to rise up to the occasion and conquer fears of contradictory mental voices of one’s adeptness.

Frustration number 1,  is anyone out there? The readers, “where they at doe?” . My blog was the best place I could express my writings on topics/subjects I am passionate about – the Arts, Africa and the diaspora, hoping someone out there is reading.  Being a writer of brevity, the blogosphere was a space I could express my interests without being judged (per se) on the specificity of content or the length of it  (Side note – Seth Godin’s blog made feel OK about the latter part).  However, I thought twice about the challenge. What if my post was too short, what if I hit another roadblock? but I breathed a sigh of relief, there was no word limit, and there were question guides. Phew! Good. It’s a challenge but it’s a pleasure.

My body of writing work includes but have not been limited to a few random, seasonal,  freelance copy-writing work for brands here and there, ghostwriting, academic work and a short poetry blog which has not been recently updated. I have made absolutely no attempts to write a novel and my short stories/poetry has not made it into any anthologies. I waded in the waters of the writing space, but never really took a dive.  But wait.  I do sing.  And I am known for that. Oh yes, my songwriting  – writing lyrics to music is a great strength of mine and singing is my thing, more than a thing; it’s my calling. I do it well and I am well received doing it. So that exactly is  what’s my turn to do. It’s my turn to sing and write more. Generations have come and gone, they did their part, they left their footprints. Now It’s my turn.

What is it that it’s your turn to do? Is it your turn to _________? ( see below, an excerpt from Seth Godin’s book)

Ship.

Speak up.

Stand out.

Build a following.

Market a product.

Make a connection.

Solve an interesting problem.

Write, sing, invent, create, ask a

question, launch a project, organize a protest,

open the door for someone, question authority,

make a short film, direct, produce, create, or adopt.

Learn a new skill.

Help someone who needs you.

Be missed if you’re gone.

Your Turn to make a ruckus

How will I be missed  when I’m gone..? What is my legacy? Well, I have my songs and my writings, I’ll love to keep copy-writing for other brands for income,  express my poetic side and write more short poems and of course continue to mark my footprints on the blogosphere. How about you?

Can I? Will I? Sure. I’m up to the challenge. A mini step to the bigger steps. And this is why I am doing the #YourTurnChallenge. Thanks Mr Godin.

 

 

Beautifully Dreaming…Positively Doing..

Tosinger

Three Nigerian Friends & Their Tedx Talks Worth Sharing

I am inspired to present to you, my fellow Nigerians who are doing great things, expressing their talents and walking in their callings, in their different spheres of influence in the diaspora. They were recently recognized to give Ted Talks in their respective resident cities.

I have interacted with them over time and I am surely blessed to ‘know’ them. I call them my ‘social media comrades’ and hopefully I believe, Deo Volente, we shall cross paths in real life.  Get acquainted, watch and be inspired.

Here’s presenting Yejide Kilanko, Ayokunle Falomo and Kafayat Quadri and their inspirational talks on TedX

Yejide Kilanko – Canada

Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Yejide Kilanko is a writer of poetry, fiction and a therapist in children’s mental health. A mother and wife, she currently lives with her family in Chatham, Ontario.Yejide’s debut novel, Daughters Who Walk This Path, a national bestseller, was published by Penguin Canada, April 2012 and Pintail Books (Penguin USA) January 2013.

The novel has been translated into German and Thai.In 2012, Yejide was named one of the top five hottest up-and-comers on the Canadian writing scene by the Globe and Mail. Her next book, A Deep and Distant Shore, is forthcoming from Penguin Canada, winter 2015.

www.yejidekilanko.com

 

Ayokunle Falomo – Houston, Texas

writer. storyteller. dreamer. poet – whose pen is a metaphor for a shovel, to unearth those things that make us: human.

“So, what brought you here?”, or the more direct variant “Why are you here?”, is a question I’ve been asked quite a bit. I’ll attempt to answer that briefly but I’m sure there will be more to talk about. It started with a move here to the United States with my Dad, November of 2007 after the completion of my high school education in Nigeria.I graduated from the University of Houston in the Fall of 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology (minor in Medicine and Society) with the intention of pursuing Clinical Psychology. Life had different plans however. Close to the time of applying for Graduate School, I found out about & switched interests to School Psychology (which I currently pursue at Sam Houston State University). When I’m not doing any Psychology related stuff, I write & perform poems that attempt to answer yet another question “what makes us human?”

| Blog: #ofDreamsAndDeeds
about.me/AFalomo

 

Kafayat Quadri – Malaysia

Kafayat Quadri started playing guitar at the age of 13 years. Her father, a land surveyor introduced her to the guitar since she was 6 years old. He later bought her a mouth organ which he taught her how to play. He played tunes from Rex Lawson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Haruna Ishola on the guitar and mouth organ sometimes accompanied with the talking drum.
Kafayat’s first guitar performance was at her secondary school (FGGC, Shagamu) in 1996 at the school’s Annual Musical Concert…

Kafayat Quadri – Guitarist, Poet, Singer/Songwriter. Connect at https://www.facebook.com/KM.Quadri

Beautifully Dreaming.. Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger