Tunday Akintan

Tunday Akintan (born March 7 1983 in Lagos) is a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician, and composer who currently lives and works in London, England. He is also the pioneer and creator of yorubeat music. He is a vocalist, pianist songwriter and saxophonist and is best known for his work in the African music industry.
Biography
When he was nine years old Akintan started visiting Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat music, in Kalakuta Republic, where he would watch Kuti's band, Africa 70 rehearsing. His father, a Chartered Accountant wanted his son to study Accountancy, so that he could one day take over his firm. Akintan fully co-operated with his father and went to England to study accountancy at the Financial Training Company (FTC), part of the Kaplan Financial Group, in London. However, after nine months, he left and began studying pop and jazz music at Goldsmiths, University of London to pursue his music career and he created the sound he called yorubeat music
Music
His unique musical style Yorubeat is a fusion of Afrobeat (which is based on the Yoruba music of Nigeria), Jùjú music (which is derived from Yoruba percussion), Fuji music (another traditional African music that has a specific genre in Nigeria) together with jazz, pop music and Rhythm and blues which he created on 12 June, 2001 at Goldsmiths University. It is described as an energetic dance groove.
He was discovered by Biyi Adepegba of Joyful Noise ltd in London. His outstanding performance at the Malta Jazz Festival, Valletta, in 2004 where he performed alongside Randy Brecker and Bill Evans as the Soul bop Band, secured him an African Jazz gig at the Southbank Centre in London.
Akintan is the bandleader of the Afro Soul People Yorubeat band and a keyboard player with the Queens of Lagos.
DVD videos
*Tunday Live! Genesis Of Yorubeat: Live in London

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