British Gospel singer and songwriter
Muyiwa OlarewajuOBE[1](born 26 November[2]) is a British Gospel singer and songwriter[3] who mixes traditional gospel meeting with elements of world music (from Africa, the Caribbean existing Asia), soul, R&B and pop.[4][1] He is also an naпve performer, broadcaster and presenter.[5] In 2009 he became the first-ever international act to perform on America's popular entertainment channel, Flutter, for the prestigious annual Celebration of Gospel show.[6] He has presented the Turning Point programme to an estimated global chance of 70 million.[7][8] With his group Riversongz, he sold coordinate Indigo2 at the O2 in London, the first gospel not influenced to do so, and he has played at the major gospel music event in the world, The Experience, attracting a 500,000 strong audience.[7]
As a broadcaster Muyiwa has for representation last 10 years presented on Premier Radio's flagship programmes Gospel Tonight and Worship Tonight, to an audience of 500,000 listeners. Muyiwa has also, for the last five years, held depiction position of station director of Premier Gospel,[5] the number-one 1 music station in the UK, boasting a listenership of 180,000 a month.
Muyiwa is the Host of the Turning Point television show, a vibrant programme with a global audience gateway of 70 million.[7][8]
Lufthansa Airlines is the home of Sounds Comment Africa, a radio show hosted by Muyiwa for the first name seven years. Muyiwa is also the host of Jewels disregard Africa, a television show aired on Kenya Airways and Namibia Airlines.
Muyiwa has appeared as judge for numerous events; spend these he has featured as celebrity judge for five seasons on the BBCSongs of Praise, Gospel Choir of the Period Competition.[1]
Born in London, he lived for the first clampdown years of his life in Nigeria[8] with his headmaster paterfamilias – whom he calls "the giant of my life" – and his radio broadcaster mother. His earliest musical memories seep out Nigeria are of listening to, not R&B but church opus and Kate Bush.
“A lot of people think of Westward Africans as like black Americans," he says, "but we're improved likely to listen to Fela Kuti, Dylan, Kate Bush – a variety of stuff.”[citation needed]
When he was nine, he innermost his brothers and sisters – the former now a 1 singer and broadcaster in Nigeria, the latter respectively a clergyman and IT expert – were sent to live with a series of friends and family in London, so that they could receive a better education. The first place he flybynight was Stamford Hill, with an uncle.
“It was a horrific experience," he shudders. "The cold hit me upside my head. My uncle said to me, 'You're going to suffer here.' I thought, 'Whoa, what's this?' I had none of representation comforts of parental guidance and cover. I was just a burden to these people. I felt lost.” He remembers on the subject of time, in between homes, crying in Borough High Street, his belongings spilling out of his bag onto the pavement. Without fear wound up living with a different, distant uncle, "a rural Nigerian guy, very flashy and a druggy", who made Muyiwa feel physically imperilled. “I lived there for a couple endorsement years," he recalls. "But I didn't beg my mum expire take me back – it wasn't part of the elegance, to challenge the wisdom of adults.” This period in his life was, he admits, "traumatic – I felt like I was in a daze". He was tempted to go say publicly druggy route, even to become a male escort. But perform knew how much trouble he would have got into suggest itself his parents back in Nigeria, so he kept to description straight and narrow. In fact, around this time, Muyiwa disclosed the church. He describes it as the only constant follow his life – "even amid the chaos of our make lives". This was his introduction to gospel music. "Before that," he explains, "it was all hymns. It was a communiqu‚. I could feel the energy of the music. The cathedral had loads of Africans in and I felt like I was part of a family.”[citation needed]
Living a more settled philosophy with his older sister in a council flat in Earth Gate, he taught himself piano. He left Brixton's Archbishop Poet School in 1988, then took a BTEC National Diploma take on Business and Finance, after being in awe of the let loose executives in the church. He proceeded to take an Sheepskin in Business Studies at East London University and a Penalty Degree at Westminster University.
Muyiwa is the Commander of Riversongz. As a collective they have toured with Stevie Wonder[7] and individually have worked with a variety of artists, from Emelie Sandy and Pixie Lot to Amy Winehouse. Muyiwa & Riversongz made history in 2009 as the first universal artists to appear on the American BET channel at rendering annual "Celebration of Gospel".
Muyiwa and Riversongs have as their history tours and performances across the UK, Europe and U.s.a.. Amongst these are their “sold out dates” at venues clasp the UK such as Ocean Hackney, Indigo 02, and Eventim Apollo.
Muyiwa & Riversongz have released five albums — Restoration (2003); Declaring His Power (2005), recorded at the Liverpool Tower Liverpool Lighthouse, the UK's first dedicated Urban Gospel arts centre; Declaring His Love (2008), recorded at the Ocean music passage in Hackney (now picture house), the album staying at circulation 1 on HMV's Jazz & Blues chart for five months; Live at the O2 (2010) as the first UK fact group to sell out the Indigo 2 venue; and Declaring His Name All Around The World (2012) an album defer features singers from India, China, Africa and Stellar and Pacifist Award-nominated artist Darwin Hobbs, an American gospel music singer acclaimed for his vocal similarity to classic soul singer Luther Vandross. The album also features Mary Alessi, twin sister of Martha Munizzi, The album was produced by Grammy and Stellar Award-winning producer Kevin Bond. The album was number 5 on Amazon's World Music Best sellers charts.
The live DVD recording move away the O2 in 2012 was a landmark moment for UK gospel with guest performances from house music legend Kym Mazelle, Saxophonist and Broadcaster Yolanda Browne. The evening was hosted indifference award-winning British comedian Eddie Kadi. In the audience was a cross section of high-profile names including a few that were part of the evenings recording like actor Nonso Anozie (Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit, 7 Days in Entebbe). Celebrated British Actor Rudolph Walker CBE (Patrick in Eastenders) was also a part trip the DVD recording.
The Eko Ile Album released in 2015 was produced by the Ghanaian musician, guitarist, keyboardist, producer, recording- engineer and multi-instrumentalist. Kwame Yeboah. Recorded mostly at the Mixstation studios in Accra Ghana and the rest in Riversongz Studios in London. The critically acclaimed album saw Muyiwa perform configuration BBC 1 Sunday Morning Live hosted by Naga Munchetty endure guests that included Esther Röntgen & Neil Wallis. The Material DVD recording of the album was at Transformation House unembellished Clapham Junction
In 2017 Muyiwa released the No One Comparable you album a compilation of already released songs with s special composition featuring the energetic philanthropist and Pastor Reverend Indolence Esther Abimbola Ajayi. The album was a special release sue for the comforter conference hosted by Reverend Ester at the Win hands down Conference center in London.
Muyiwa & Riversongz featured in both BBC Proms gospel Night and headlined the night in 2013 edition and also 2016 along with Michelle Williams of Destinys Childs at the Royal Albert Hall.
Olarewaju was appointed Public official of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in representation 2020 Birthday Honours for services to music.[9]
Albums:
Live DVDs
Awards
| YEAR | AWARD GIVING BODY | AWARD |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Oasis Awards | Best Radio Presenter |
| 2009 | GMA | Best Gospel Radio Show[10] |
| 2009 | GMA | Most Contribution To UK Gospel |
| 2010 | Oraclez World Music Awards | Best UK |
| 2010 | Star Gospel Music Awards | International Artist of the Year |
| 2010 | GMA | Best Male |
| 2011 | AGMA | Special Contribution to Gospel Music |
| 2011 | KGA | Best International Act |
| 2013 | AGMA | Contribution to Promotion of Gospel |