Timi Dakolo is a Nigerian singer born on January 20, 1981 in Accra Ghana to a Nigerian father, Bayelsa-native David and a Ghanaian mother, Norah, who died when he was thirteen. He Emerged winner of the inaugural season of Idols West Africa in 2007, which got his a recording contract with Sony BMG. He was raised in Port harcourt by his grandmother, Ateni Dakolo and his aunty, Susan Larry.

Timi started singing in church at the age of twelve. In 2003 he joined the singing group Purple Love as a founding member. They dominated the Port Harcourt club circuit, but disbanded in 2005 as all its members had gained admission into the University of Port Harcourt. Around that same period, Timi won a local talent hunt contest G.E FACTO held in Port Harcourt.

In 2006, Dakolo auditioned for reality show Idols West Africa in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria. His songs of choice were Commissioned's More Than I and Lemar's Time to Grow. His vocals impressed the judges, and he was seen as a contender for the prize. In the final three weeks of the competition it was revealed by the producers of the show that Timi had the highest number of votes each of those weeks. A week before the viewing of the Top 24 performances, Dakolo received the news that his grandmother had died.

After winning Idol West Africa in 2007, on January 1, 2008, on New Year's Day, Timi Dakolo was shot at the lobby of the Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt. He had gone to the hotel to attend a church service in the company of his friends. The attack was a random act of violence by a faction of Niger Delta militants and did not target Timi. Although a hotel security guard was murdered in the attack, Timi escaped with a flesh wound, was rushed to the hospital, treated and discharged on the same day.

Timi Dakolo released his first single comprising three songs in October 2009.

In 2011, he released the song "There's a Cry". The music video was filmed in Nigeria. He is currently signed with Lone Records/Now Muzik.

Timi Dakolo is one of the Judges on The Voice Nigeria.

He married his sweetheart, Busola Dakolo (nee Amupitan) in 2010. They have three children.


SOURCE // https://okhype.media/artist/283/timi-dakolo