Hello Bagusians!
We had a chat with Tolu and here is how it went down….
Bagus: I have been meaning to ask this question – Why Tolutoludo?
Tolu: In 2005/2006 thereabout, my department (Economics Dept.) at the University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria paid a visit to the Central Bank of Nigeria Headquarters in Abuja. Following on from that visit, my colleagues gave me the nickname Toludo as I had great ambitions of becoming a future Central Bank Governor and they also felt I ticked all the right boxes to become a future Governor of the CBN. The Governor of the CBN at the time was Charles Soludo so I was conveniently named after him. To the Tolutoludo story, whenever I did spoken word performances in Newcastle, people used to holla give it up for the one and only “Tolu” “Toludo”, before I started any renditions, since then the name stuck like glue and that has been my brand name ever since. However, I am unsure if I still hold the aspiration to become a future CBN governor.
Bagus:Your poetry as seen is dedicated to a period, person, place or object. Is this intentional or unfiltered poetic license?
Tolu: I would say both would rightly fit your summation. Unfiltered poetic license for the fact that those people, events, place and objects would have been so symbolic to warrant my writing about it and yes it was intentional. I am trying my very best to detach myself from my Third poetry collection “Dead Cats Don’t Meow”.
Bagus:Who Am I? was a three page poem in your Dead Dogs Don’t Bark collection that was both poetic and introspective. What was your thought process at the time?
Ans: At the time I wrote the poem, I felt like a boxer who was just crowned a Heavyweight champion. So on reflection, I thought about all the punches and jabs I took to the face metaphorically, I thought about the time I landed on the canvas but refused to stay down even though it would have been far easier to have given up, I thought about the sweat drops and the swollen face. So the poem means a lot to me and I hope people can find comfort in those words and see that they are truly who they say, they are.
Bagus: “Stay True” spoke to me like a sage speaking to a younger Bagus. What or who inspired this poem?
Tolu: Really good to know it spoke to you. Stay true was inspired by the fact that we live in a world where we have so many opinionated people. In fact, some do not mind helping you fly your kite. So, stay true was written to encourage people to stay true to their convictions. People will have a thousand and one reasons why your idea will not work out, there will be examples of people who failed, to discourage you from taking that course of action, but stay true is to encourage people that if you don’t lose heart in the days when it is not making sense, in due season you will have a great reward.
Bagus: A lot of your poetry is dedicated to Newcastle. Any special reason for this?
Ans: Newcastle is the city of my rising star, Pg. 10 of Dead Dogs Don’t Bark tells the story of my sojourn to Newcastle and my love-affair with Newcastle. All my plans to divorce Newcastle has not worked out till date which is an indication that Newcastle is where I truly belong. Let me also add that the people of Newcastle upon Tyne have shown me tremendous love and I will be right to say I am now an adopted Geordie.
Read his earlier interviews on the virtual tour here and here.
His books can also be purchased below:
Dead Lions Don’t Roar
Amazon US Amazon UK Waterstones eBay
Barnes and Noble Tolu’s webshop OkadaBooks Roving Heights SME Market Hub Buboox
All other info is available on http://tolutoludo.com/
Dead Dogs Don’t Bark
Amazon UK Amazon US Waterstones eBay Barnes and Noble Tolu’s webshop OkadaBooks Roving Heights
Join Tolu as he tours other blogs during the course of the week. Do SHARE AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION!