Tunde Baiyewu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tunde Baiyewu
Baiyewu in 2020
Background information
Birth name	Emmanuel Babatunde Baiyewu
Born	(1968-11-25) 25 November 1968 (age 56) London, England
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Polydor (1993–2003) RCA (2004–present)

Tunde Baiyewu (born Emmanuel Babatunde Baiyewu on November 25, 1968) is a talented British singer and songwriter. He is most famous as the lead singer of the music group Lighthouse Family. When the group took a break in 2003, Tunde started his own solo music career. He has released two solo albums: Tunde in 2004 and Diamond in a Rock in 2013.

Tunde's Early Life and Music Journey

Tunde Baiyewu was born in London, England. His family was from Nigeria. When Tunde was five, his father, who was an engineer, sadly passed away from cancer. After this, Tunde moved to Nigeria with his mother and younger sister. This move helped them be closer to their relatives.

While in Nigeria, Tunde learned to speak the Yoruba language. He also attended a boarding school near Lagos, which was the capital city at the time. Ten years later, he returned to Britain. He went to the University of Northumbria in Newcastle upon Tyne and earned a degree in accounting.

It was in Newcastle that Tunde met Paul Tucker. Paul was also a university student and worked in local bars. Tunde and Paul became friends and decided to form a music group together. They named their group Lighthouse Family.

Lighthouse Family's Success

Lighthouse Family released their first album, Ocean Drive, in 1995. The main song from this album, "Lifted", became very popular. It reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.

Ocean Drive was a huge hit! By the end of 1997, it had sold over 1.8 million copies in the UK. It stayed on the UK Albums Chart for 154 weeks, which is a very long time. This album earned a "six-times Platinum" award, meaning it sold a lot of copies.

Their next album, Postcards from Heaven, released in 1997, was also very successful. It also reached "six-times Platinum" status. Their third album, Whatever Gets You Through the Day, also earned a "Platinum" award. Overall, Lighthouse Family has sold more than fifteen million albums during their career.

Tunde's Solo Career and Other Projects

In 2004, Tunde Baiyewu released his first solo album, simply called Tunde. A year later, in 2005, he appeared on a special TV show called Strictly African Dancing.

In 2006, Tunde was featured in an ITV documentary called Faith in Music. This show explored his life and music journey. It covered his early life in Africa, his time with Lighthouse Family, and his solo work. The documentary also showed him performing songs from his solo album.

In 2013, Tunde announced his second solo album, Diamond in a Rock. It was released on March 4, 2013, along with a single called "Move". Later that year, in October 2013, Tunde joined the group M People as a supporting act for their "20th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour".

Lighthouse Family released a new album, Blue Sky in Your Head, in 2019. This was their first new music in eighteen years! They also had two sold-out tours in the UK to support the album. The group officially split up in July 2022.

Since 2020, Tunde Baiyewu has been working on new music. He is inspired by artists and songwriters from the 1970s. He has teamed up again with Mike Peden, who produced Lighthouse Family's music. Tunde has recorded songs inspired by famous artists like Elton John, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and Bill Withers.

Tunde's Family Life

After Tunde's father passed away, his mother later married Olusegun Obasanjo, who became a former president of Nigeria. Tunde's mother passed away in 2000.

In March 2007, Tunde Baiyewu married Tope Adeshina, a model from Nigeria. Their wedding took place in Lagos, Nigeria. Tunde and Tope now live in the UK.

Tunde's Music Albums

Here are the albums Tunde Baiyewu has released, both with Lighthouse Family and as a solo artist.

Albums with Lighthouse Family

Solo Albums

See also

In Spanish: Tunde Baiyewu para niños