| Tonye | |
| Birth Name: | Tamunotonye Nneka Nkiruka Ibiyemi Garrick |
| Birth Date: | 1983 8, df=y |
| Birth Place: | England |
| Origin: | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter, fashion and interior designer |
| Years Active: | 2010–present |
| Label: | Made Men |
Tonye Garrick (born 27 August 1983), simply known as Tonye is a British-born Nigerian singer and songwriter.[1] Her a cappella song titled "What About Us?" was used at the Nigerian Youth Presidential debate in 2011.[2] Born in England, Tonye was raised in France, Nigeria and the United States of America where she dropped her job as a business consultant to pursue a career in music in 2013.[3] In 2015, she released a marriage-themed single title "Ari Belema" which got her nominated in the "Most Promising Act" category at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[4] She is signed to Made Men Music Group since April 2016.[5]
Tonye is a native of Benin City in Edo State, South-South Nigeria. Her name "Tamunotonye" was given to her by her grandmother who is a native of Kalabari, Rivers State.[6] She grew up listening to songs by Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Celine Dion and Brenda Fassie before she developed her interest in music at the age of 7.[7]
Born in England into the family of an Edo State father who was a diplomat and an Anambra State mother, Tonye had most of her early life in Nigeria, Paris and the United States of America.[8] She attended Vivian Fowler Memorial College and Queen's College, Lagos where she completed her secondary school education.[9] She holds a bachelor's degree in International Business & Fashion Merchandising after graduating from Marymount University.[10]
Prior to picking music as a profession, Tonye had previously worked for UBS Financial and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited as a business analyst. She dropped her corporate job for a career in music in 2013 and went on to release her first official single titled "Were Niyen" which was received to critical acclaim. On 2 October 2014, she released another song produced by Password titled "Criminal" which did well to gain grounds. In 2015, her song titled "Abi Belema" became popular and thus winning her a nomination at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[11] She cites Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Brandy and Aaliyah as her musical influences.[12] In an interview granted to Thisday Live on 21 June 2014, she said she is working on her debut studio album.[13]
| Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGA | GHA | RSA | US | US R&B | AUS | UK | ||||||||
| "What About Us" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||
| "Were Niyen" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Wait For Me" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Criminal" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Criminal (Remix)" (featuring Timaya) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Ari Belema" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Written in The Stars" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Award ceremony | Prize | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Most Promising Act | [14] | |
| ELOY Awards | Music Artist of The Year | [15] |