Reports say Tunde of the R&B group Styl Plus
has left the group. The R&B group had not been able to attain the
success achieved by their debut album that
contains songs that will be forever green in
many hearts. Despite the travails, the group has managed
to stay together, releasing a song to debunk
rumours of a break-up after four years of
being together, each of the members singing
lines that they remain faithful to the group,
but the break-up has started as Tunde’s decision to leave will definitely leave a big hole
in the group which naturally would encourage
other members to try their luck in solo
careers. If the reports are anything to go by, Tunde
has rebranded himself as NativeBoy, and has
recorded several songs under his own record
label B.A.T. Records. As much as Tunde will be sorely missed if Shifi
and Zeal decides to continue with the group,
his departure won’t come as a big shock.
Tunde won’t be the first member the group
would lose. Lanre was lost to death in 1999,
while Yemi left the group in 2002. In 1999, the group which started in 1997
consisting of Tunde Akinsanmi, Shifi Emoefe,
Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi which was
then called STYL lost a member, Lanre Faneyi
who died, paving the way for Zeal Onyecheme
to join, and the name of the group changed to STYL-Plus. Yemi left in 2002 and the remaining
three members of the group launched the
group’s label STYL-PLUS in 2003.
Tunde, Shifi, and Zeal were dubbed Africa’s
Boyz II Men after their first album Expressions,
which featured several chart-toppers. Tunde’s decision to go solo may not be
unconnected to his unbridled passion for
music which other members of the group may
not share the way he’d have loved. Sources who studied in the same university
with members of the group who all studied at
Federal University of Technology, Akure say
Tunde is the one really passionate about
music; Shifi played more of basketball, while
Zeal was just a fine boy with a nice voice, although they were all members of the Rhema
Campus fellowship choir. Tunde may be tired of not working hard
enough as some of their fans have suggested
when asked why they think the group might
have gone down, so to say. Going solo may be the best thing for his
career. Of course, if he had always wanted
this, I believe he’s waited enough.
www.informationnigeria.org/2012/12/tunde-leaves-styl-plus.html