Nigerian-Irish singer praises Gospel roots at literary festival

Singer Tolü Makay praised her Pentecostal church for facilitating “a space where I could grow my skill in singing” in a recent interview.

Speaking to The Irish Examiner ahead of her virtual appearance at the West Cork Literary Festival, the 24-year-old told of how Gospel singing taught her how to connect with a song.

“Music is a huge, important, celebratory and moving section of the programme of church,” she said. “That’s the way you can connect to a higher power. That’s where I got to understand the importance of connecting with a song so that other people can feel the connection that you’re feeling.”

Ms Makay began singing with her local church choir at the age of eight – when she was 16, she started leading it and arranging the songs to be sung each Sunday.

“The adventurous side of church singing is that you can mix,” she continued. “I learned how one song can lead into another song and how to arrange with musicians and how to keep an eye on backing vocalists. I could be experimental.”

In an interview with The Irish Independent last year, Ms Makay credited her choir with teaching her how to perform “without knowing what performing was”.