Babajide Awoyinfa
Dtone martins
NEXT 2 BLOW: I Will Make Soul More Popular – DTone Martins
Friday, December 14, 2012Omoba
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By Babajide Awoyinfa
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He plays the guitar like a maestro. He sings like a
lark. His voice recalls the very best of Lynden David Hall and Terence Trent
D'arby on songs like “Sexy Cinderella” and “Sign Your Name Across My Heart.”
With a Lenny Kravitz-style hair, an infectious smile, his guitar slung across
his shoulder, he throws up an image of the itinerant musician. Wait till he
strums his guitar and let loose a string of soul-stirring vocal - his vibes
would overwhelm you with a profound nostalgia.
This soul singer offers something fresh,
original and timeless. One-minute listening is all the conviction you need. His
singles, “Sunkun Ife,” “Ife Gbagbara” and “Kati Kati” are already favourite
sing-along songs. Tony Dolapo Martins, popularly known as DTone Martins, is on
his way to the big time.
In this exclusive encounter, the “Kati Kati
Master” reminisces about his music pedigree; he reflects about the
challenges of not being on the musical bandwagon of hip hop. He unveils more:
his way with women and his fancy for the future. Excerpts.
How did you find music?
It runs in the family. My father happened to be a
musician. So I met it on ground. As I grow up, I grow into it. My interest came
naturally.
At what stage of your
life did you develop interest?
When I was a teenager. I wasn’t forced, rather it was inbuilt. Over time, my father helped me. He encouraged me to play musical instruments. Then I kept on. With time, I started innovating my style called Afric-Soul - a combination of African music and the traditional music. Now I have my independent musical outfit called D-TONE Music Entertainment.
When I was a teenager. I wasn’t forced, rather it was inbuilt. Over time, my father helped me. He encouraged me to play musical instruments. Then I kept on. With time, I started innovating my style called Afric-Soul - a combination of African music and the traditional music. Now I have my independent musical outfit called D-TONE Music Entertainment.
What have you been up to?
Lately, I have being doing events. Of recent, I was at Sisi Oge Beauty Pageant.
I had time out with the beauty queen and I did a song for the late Chief Segun,
a special dedication for him. I also wrote the theme song for the pageant. I
have been to a couple of other events. I’m still working on my PR, doing stuffs
with different organizations. By and large, I am getting myself out there,
getting people to know more about D-TONE MARTINS. My kind of music is not an
everyday music. However, everyone will find interest in it. I respond to
public’s reception to my music. Whenever I’m called for an event (either paid
for or otherwise) I’m always there - to put myself out in the public domain. I
have been paying my price. Nevertheless, not all my shows are free; some are
paid shows, others are charity events, I do some based on friendship. Overall,
I get a lot of positive response to my music.
Tell us about your father
Tell us about your father
My surname is Martins. My father’s name is Tunde
Martins. He used to play with Bobby Benson in his time. Bobby Benson, the man
that sang “If You Marry Taxi Driver, I Don’t Care”. He was based in France,
when he came back, he started playing with Fela. I have had a lot of doors
opened for me at the mentioned of my father’s name in the real music world and
among the old-time musicians such as King Sunny Ade. We performed together at
one of the Felabration show where Omo Baba was the MC.
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