Timi Dakolo

Timi Dakolo is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and music producer born on January 20, 1981. He gained prominence as the winner of the inaugural season of *Idols West Africa* in 2007. He began his music career as a preteen singing in his church choir in Port Harcourt. He was a founding member of the singing group Purple Love, which was active from 2003 to 2005. Dakolo is often referred to as the "Nigerian King of Soul" and "The Chorus Leader." He holds a Master Certificate in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music. His albums include *Beautiful Noise* (2011), *Merry Christmas, Darling* (2019), and *The Chorus Leader* (2024). His catalog includes songs such as "Everything (Amen)," "Great Nation," "Iyawo Mi," "Wish Me Well," "Medicine," "I Never Know Say," and "Heaven Please." Dakolo won "Best Recording" at the Hip Hop World Awards (now The Headies) for the song "Heaven Please." While he is a Christian who performs at gospel events, he has clarified that he does not categorize his music under the gospel genre.