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Tag: Teni

  • “Words I want to be inscribed on my grave” – Singer Teni

    “Words I want to be inscribed on my grave” – Singer Teni

    Singer, Teniola Apata aka Teni, has spelt out the epitaph she desires on her grave when she’s eventually no more.

    Acknowledging the fleeting nature of human life, Teni revealed her tombstone should hold the words, “She lived life on her own terms.”

    She underscored the importance of self-expression while alive, in a bid to be able to tell one’s story by oneself, an opportunity that vanishes at death.

    Speaking with Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, aka Taymesan in the latest episode of “Tea With Tay”, the 30-year-old said: “My father died when I was two years old. If you die today, life goes on. You don’t get to express yourself.

     “Expressing yourself is very important. The people who judge you will die too. So, they would die with their own stories. You die with your own story.

    “I’m living my life because these are my terms to let the world know who I am.

    Read Also: Dad’s assassination traumatised my childhood – Singer Teni

    “It’s my terms to sing when I’m feeling down when I’m feeling up. It’s my term to express myself. I’m not going to be here forever. None of us are leaving this world alive.

    “On my grave, I want them to write, ‘She lived life on her own terms.’ Yes, I want to die happy. I’m going to die empty.

    “A lot of people are carrying so much greatness in them but are too afraid to express themselves. Trust me, the graveyard is full of so many dreams and talents. Things that could have changed the world.”

  • Dad’s assassination traumatised my childhood – Singer Teni

    Dad’s assassination traumatised my childhood – Singer Teni

    Singer Teniola Apata aka Teni has recounted how traumatic witnessing her father’s assassination was. 

    Her father was Simeon Apata, a retired Nigerian army Brigadier-General was assassinated by gunmen on January 8, 1995, in Lagos.

    Teni said she was just two years old when the incident happened in their living room.

    She revealed this when she featured as a guest in the latest episode of the Tea With Tay podcast hosted by actor, Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh aka Taymesan.

    Read Also: Teni named Spotify’s Equal Africa ambassador

    She said: “My father was a disciplinarian. He was a soldier and he owned a school; Apata Memorial High School. He was also a big philanthropist.

    “Growing up with my father passing at such a young age, the trauma of losing my father at a young age affected me. You know, him being assassinated in the presence of all of us and all that stuff. I was 2 at the time.

    “Him passing away robbed me as a child of having a father figure. It sort of made me have trust issues growing up. Because they [gunmen] came into our house purposely to kill him.”

    The singer said her dad would always remain her hero.

  • Dieting is not easy, Teni ‘wails’

    Dieting is not easy, Teni ‘wails’

    Just like Comedienne, Real Warri Pikin, singer Teniola Apata aka Teni has said that dieting isn’t an easy task, practically wailing in a video.

    According to Britannica, dieting is regulating one’s food intake for the purpose of improving one’s physical condition, especially for the purpose of reducing obesity or what is conceived to be excess body fat.

    Teni lamented the intense discipline individuals must compulsorily subject themselves to, in terms of things they consume during the process for desired results.

    She said when dieting, those foods and drinks that ordinarily appeal to a person would have to be scrapped off one’s list.

    In her words, people who’re dieting would eat salad until it literally begins to grow on their heads as well as drinking lots of water.

    Read Also: Teni named Spotify’s Equal Africa ambassador

    Seen in a video teasing wails, the “Billionaire” singer could be heard saying: “Ha! Dieting, it’s not easy. Read my lips, it’s not easy. Your eyes will see many things.

    “You won’t eat jollof rice anymore o! No fried yam and eggs, none of that. You’ll only be eating salad. You’ll eat salad till it’ll grow on your head.

    “Then, you’ll drink water. No Ribena for you. No Malta Guinness, no Coke.

    “Diet is not your mate, can’t you see me? It’s not your mate.”

  • Burna Boy, Teni, others battle for ‘Best African Act’ at MTV EMAs

    MTV has announced nominations for the “2019 MTV EMAs,” including six top acts from the African Continent; BET Award winner Burna Boy & BET Award nominee Teni, South African rapper Nasty C and hitmaker Prince Kaybee were nominated for the Best African Act category alongside Togo’s duo Toofan and Tanzanian musician Harmonize. The “2019 MTV EMAs” will take place at the FIBES, Conference & Exhibition Centre of Seville, Spain, and will broadcast live on MTV base (DStv channel 322 and GOtv channel 72) on Sunday, November 3 at 19:00 WAT.

    Alex Okosi, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) and BET International commented “The Best African Act at the 2019 MTV EMAs has been a powerful platform for elevating African talent and music since its inception. We are excited to reveal this year’s incredible group of nominees who are making waves in Africa and around the world.”

    Internationally, Ariana Grande leads with seven nods. Grande’s nominations include “Best Artist,” “Best Video” for her viral hit “thank you, next,” as well as “Best Song” alongside Shawn Mendes and EMA nominee newcomers Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish, who all follow Grande with six nods each. Latin American sensation J Balvin follows closely with five nominations including “Best Artist,” and Lizzo and Taylor Swift join the above contenders for “Best U.S. Act,” scoring four nods each.

    To tease this year’s nominees, MTV poured fans a “taste of Seville” with beautiful coffee art reveals. As a play on the traditional Spanish cortado, the nominees for “Best Artist,” “Best Video” and “Biggest Fans” were revealed via artistic foam cream visuals. The videos premiered across MTV’s global digital platforms and a coalition of media partners.

    Voting is open at mtvema.com until 01:30am CAT, on November 2, 2019.

  • Teni, Rema, Fireboy, others thrill at Nigeria’s first prom concert, Afroprom

    Teni, Rema, Joeboy, Fireboy and Flash were among music stars that thrilled attendees of the first prom concert, Afriprom, which held on Sunday at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Tagged ‘Afroprom,’ the event which was organised by J. Vanni Global was anticipated by thousands of students since it was announced.

    Speaking on getting students from over 100 secondary schools to attend, Assistant Creative Director and Road Manager, J. Vanni Global, Adebisi Odubela said: “We had to visit every school because we wanted these teens to know that we were serious about creating a platform for them.”

    Attendees were also treated to comedy from ace comedian Ushbebe, alongside electric dance renditions by celebrity dance group Dream Catchers, and Don Flex & the Extigate team.

    The audience also listened to inspirational speeches from musician-turned politician Banky W, Red Media co-founder, Debola Williams and Bada Akintunde Johnson, Country Manager of Viacom International Media Networks Africa.

    Read Also: Banky W, DJ Lambo, Reminisce, Teni, Others Share 3-days with Fans at BUDXLagos

    Also speaking at the event was Mrs Adebimpe Ihekuna, Group Head, Products & Markets Development Group, Polaris Bank Limited, who addressed the audience on seven important keys required to drive unimaginable success.

    The title of Prom King and Queen were voted in by the audience from a shortlist of three, selected from hundreds of entries. Master Ogbole Kenneth, a recent graduate of St Gloria’s college, Ikeja, Lagos and Miss Okonkwo Angela of Apex Brilliant Academy, Alimosho, Lagos emerged winners of the maiden prom King and Queen crowns respectively.

    In addition to their star prizes, the prom King & Queen will also enjoy an exclusive lunch with a celebrity act next weekend.

    Commenting on the success of the event, J. Vanni Global Creative Director, Mobola Abiru said:

    “This is what we always wanted to do: create a platform for these teens and young adults to mingle and network freely, learning key life values yet having the time of their lives. We are proud of this initiative and how great this turned out to be.”

  • TomTom signs Phyno, Teni as Brand Ambassadors

    Popular candy brand, TomTom has signed rap act, Phyno and rising singer Teni as Brand Ambassadors.

    At the unveil ceremony on Monday in Lagos, the product’s company, Cadbury Nigeria Plc., said it wanted to connect further with their consumers through music. And the contract would involve the duo featuring in the TomTom’s brand and marketing campaigns, including advertisements and special appearances at its events.

    Both Teni and Phyno expressed excitement at working with Tom Tom. “I’m really excited to work with Tom Tom,” said the Uyo Meyo crooner who revealed that Tom Tom had always been part of lunch box as a child.

    Phyno also praised and thanked the brand, saying: “A session without Tom Tom is hell. Thank you Tom Tom for choosing me and choosing Teni to represent this brand.”

    The Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc Mr. Amir Shamsi expressed delight at the influence of the ambassadors and said: “The Nigerian entertainment industry has remained a major sector for the Nigerian youths to thrive and TomTom is very delighted to go all the way to showcase passion points of millions and hopefully contribute to the success of many more.”

    In his remark, the Marketing Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Aruleba Olumide, said that the choice of Phyno and Teni is strategic to the new marketing objectives of the brand.

    “Our cool, youthful and music loving consumers admire these super talented musicians; they see them as their culture Icons,” Aruleba said.

    “Wherever they are enjoying themselves, with TomTom, they can be sure to have the best of times.”

    Also speaking at the event, incoming Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Yimika Adeboye, said that the company is very positive that the chosen brand ambassadors will help drive brand awareness and association with core consumer.

  • Phyno, Teni become TomTom brand ambassadors

    Two leading rap artists Phyno and Teni have been signed on by TomTom, the household candy brand of Cadbury Nigeria as its Brand Ambassadors at an unveiling ceremony in Lagos.

    The company revealed the desire to connect further with their consumers through music informed the engagement of the talented duo and they would be featured in the TomTom’s brand and marketing campaigns including advertisements and special appearances at the brand’s events.

    The Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc Mr. Amir Shamsi expressed his delight at the influence of the ambassadors on the objectives of the company for the TomTom brand.

    “The future is now. Despite being a candy of heritage, TomTom remains youthful and cool. The Nigerian entertainment industry has remained a major sector for the Nigerian youths to thrive and TomTom is very delighted to go all the way to showcase passion points of millions and hopefully contribute to the success of many more,” he said.

    Marketing Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Aruleba Olumide believes that the choice of Phyno and Teni is strategic to the new marketing objectives of the brand.

    “The choice of Phyno and Teni as brand ambassadors for the TomTom aligns with our mission to project the brand as youthful and cool. Phyno has taken rap in indigenous language to the next level since he broke into the Nigerian music industry. Today, he is easily one of the best rap acts in the country.

    “For Teni, breaking into the Nigerian music scene was as easy like a hot knife through the butter. Ever since her emergence, she has continued to wax strong. Both artists definitely enjoy the power of cool, which only TomTom can bring. We are simply delighted at these partnerships,” Olumide stated.

    ‘Phyno’ and Teniola expressed delight at their engagement by TomTom and the opportunity to form a deeper

    bond with ever growing fans of young people that are always open to cool new experiences. They both look forward to very exciting times in their ambassadorial roles.

  • Local Boy shows love to Teni

    Laaylow Entertainment artiste, Brite Benson, otherwise known as Local Boy has shown his interest in one of Nigeria’s reigning stars, Teni the Entertainer.

    The US-based Afro-Pop singer chose Teni over other Nigerian female celebrities.

    “I don’t have anybody in mind than, Teni,” said Local Boy.

    “I love Teniola because she is a great artiste.”

    Local Boy started music as an undergraduate while studying Cyber Security in the United States. Since then, he has made several appearances on big stages both locally and internationally.

    To grow his fan-base, Local Boy caught the attention of music lovers when he performed his yet-to-be-released song, ‘Sokoyokoto’ at the just concluded Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

    “This just a tip,” said Local Boy to the crowd.

    “I have a lot coming, you guys should watch out for me as I am ready to take you on a different journey. I promise to give you all good vide, anytime, any day.”

    The multi-talented act became a prominent figure in 2017, when he dropped an impressive pop single titled, ‘Slay Mama.’ He followed up with ‘One Way’ featuring CDQ.

    “One Way is just a street slang,” said Local Boy on his motive for recording the song.

    “You know, when a vehicle is touring a One way on the street, it became an offence which means the person is doing a bad thing. So, the song is to preach righteous to people who are doing wrong things.”

  • Gidi Fest announces Patoranking, Niniola, Teni, other performers

    The Gidi Culture Festival has announced artistes in its first line-up for the festival.

    They include Patoranking, Niniola, Teni the Entertainer, Moonchild Sanelly and DJ Neptune.

    They artistes are expected to perform at the 6th edition of the annual music, food, art, games festival which will hold on April 20, 2019.

    The festival will be presenting a carefully curated and diverse line-up of some of the most exciting acts on the continent making waves across the globe.

    Patoranking played his first major show at the inaugural edition of the festival in 2014, just as Niniola, a multi-award-winning artist has been working with Sarz to establish house music in the Nigerian pop consciousness. Her younger sister Teni the entertainer is another clear standout in the Afro-pop world.

    Johannesburg-based artist Moonchild Sanelly comes to Gidi for the first time this year and brings her empowering character and trademarked hair with her. The ghetto funk superstar draws inspiration from a rich background of kwaito, hip hop, and jazz, and turns it into a colorful combination of GQOM music, fashion, and dance. There is also the multi-award-winning, DJ Neptune, who is known for his diverse representation of sounds from across the continent.

    The popular Next Gen stage is back for a second year at Gidi Fest and features some of the underground talents moving and redefining the Nigerian sound; Boogey, Mo’ Believe, Tems, Ogranya, Mich Straaw, Blaqbonez and Dami Oniru

  • Teni goes global, gets emotional on stage

    Teni The entertainer is gradually gaining international recognition. The female artiste whose style of music is different had encounter with some reporters from London and South Africa.

    Teni uploaded a video on Tuesday with the reporters, giving them a feel of her music in Lagos, Nigeria wrote, “Just wrapped up an interview with a team from London, and South Africa. They came all the way for me. Thank you”.

    The artiste was also at the U.S Consul General office, some days back for the #SayNoToElectionViolence, movement, where she encouraged all to come together as true citizens of Nigeria for the betterment and future of Nigeria.

    Last Wednesday, Teni got emotional during her stage performance at the Industry Nite, in Lagos.

    The multiple award-winning songstress, amazed by the love shown to her by the audience, while performing her hit single, Uyo Meyo, gasped her way through floods of tears to say: “You know, this na tears of joy.”

    “Because for every time I went to every other persons gigs. I was happy for them, sincerely. And so, when mine came, they will give me more patience. Because, I never envy anyone before me.”

    Teni’s career kicked off after the release of her single, Fargin, 2017. She then gained prominence when she followed up with hit singles, Askamaya and Case, last year.

    Teni has been tagged, ‘Nigerian Missy Elliot’ by music lovers due to her tomboy kind of outfit. She came out in 2016, but had her said hit single Fargin released in 2017, under Dr. Dolor Entertainment label. The same year she showcased her songwriting skills on one of Davido’s hit song ‘Like Dat’.

    Teni has released several songs such as Fake Jersey, Case, Askamaya, Uyo Meyo, and others, winning her  two awards (Rookie Of The Year Award in The Headies, 2018 & Best New Artist Award at Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, 2019).