Toyin Sokefun-Bello is her real name, but widely and professionally known as TY Bello. She is a famous Nigerian singer, songwriter, photographer and humanitarian.
She was born on January 14 in Ogun State. Nothing much is known about her family background.
Educational Background
TY Bello is a graduate of Economics from the University of Lagos.
TY Bello’s Music Career
TY Bello started off as a journalist before venturing into photography. She later made a full career in gospel music.
Prior to pursuing a solo career, she was a member of the now defunct gospel band Kush, an acronym for Kinetically Ushering Salvation into Hearts and Homes. The group has other members as Lara George, Dapo Torimiro and rapper Emem Ema.
Kush gained popularity in the early 2000s with the single, “Let’s Live Together”. The group successfully released an album before it was disbanded.
Bello has since released a good number of hit singles, including:
- Greenland
- Ekundayo
- This Man
- Freedom
In 2008, Bello released her debut studio album, ‘Greenland’, produced by Mosa Adegboye. The album was very successful, embodying the themes of love, family and nation.
The song was also inspirational and motivated Nigerians to free themselves from the shackles of poverty and despair to a place of hope. It also earned her awards for Nigeria Music Awards and a Sound City Awards.
In October 2011, Bello was one of the celebrities featured in an eight-minute anti-rape video compiled by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth Development. The anti-rape video shed light on the victim of a gang rape at Abia State University in 2011.
In December 2013, TY Bello released her single “Yahweh” featuring Wale Adenuga. The song features additional vocals from Nwando Okeke and Nosa. The first line of the song was written in 2004 during a photoshoot.
On 19 February 2011, Bello released “The Future” as the lead single from the album of the same name. The song urges Nigerian youth to be the change they seek. The Kemi Adetiba-directed music video for “The Future” was released on 3 April 2011. It features cameo appearances from Tara Fela–Durotoye, Sound Sultan, Chude Jideonwo and Banky W.
TY Bello has so far released her second and third studio albums. The Morning Songbook for free digital download on SoundCloud. It was released without any promotion and comprises 10 tracks, including “Yahweh”, “Thirsty” and “Jesu Jesu”. The album also features collaborations with M Sugh and Fela Durotoye.
In 2016, Bello was instrumental in the success story of hairstylist/bread hawker, Olajumoke Orisaguna whom she discovered in the background during a Lagos photo shoot with British rapper Tinie Tempah. After a makeover and professional photo session, Bello arranged for Orisaguna’s picture to appear on the cover of This Day’s Style magazine.
The said woman and mother of two children, Orisaguna, has since signed with an agency and now a model.
Bello was the official photographer to former President Goodluck Jonathan. She also worked for Thisday Fashion Magazine.
Her Humanitarian work
TY Bello is also a humanitarian. She organises an annual photography exhibition to raise funds for orphans in Nigeria.
She is also the director of Link-a-child, an NGO created to promote awareness on on orphanages in Nigeria and seeking sponsorship on their behalf.
In July 2011, TY Bello was honoured by the non-profit Communication For Change organisation in a five-part documentary film series, titled ‘RedHot’.
Her Personal Life
TY Bello has been happily married since October 2014 and the union is blessed with twin boys named Christian and Christopher.
Awards and Nominations
TY Bello has been nominated for various awards and won some, including the 2009 Best Female Video at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards.
TY Bello’s Net Worth
TY Bello is one of the highly celebrated Nigerian gospel singers with an estimated net worth of about $700,000 dollars.
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