Temitayo  George-Benson who emerged second runner-up at the 2006 edition of West African Idols studied Accounting in England and later switched to management which has contributed a great deal to the heights she had attained in the business world.

She however, still nurses the ambition of taking a degree in Performing Arts because “I believe that’s also my call. You know music is powerful.

It has the ability to change people’s lives and affect their emotions positively. What would life be like without entertainment? What would life be like without interesting and informative shows on Television? The answer is…Life would be boring. Life can be enhanced with good, high standard entertainment.”

For that purpose, she  founded TGI Limited, an entertainment company that specializes in promoting and managing gifted entrepreneurs for various services needed in the entertainment industry. In a recent interview with SAM EYOBOKA during Little Saints Orphanage 16th anniversary Joy Night where she mesmerized the audience with a scintillating performance, she reveals plans to take the music industry by storm with a nationwide live concert. Excerpts….

What motivated you into the entertainment industry?

Temitayo George-Benson

I will just say that God is the one leading me to do everything that I’m doing. I just believe that my life is not all about serving myself without caring about my neighbours. I believe as a Nigerian, I owe this country a duty to make impact; that is going to change somebody’s life. I believe that my ministry is with youths and children.

First of all, my mum runs the Little Saints Orphanage and I just believe I have so much power to influence people especially through the medium of music. I don’t want to be like Jonah that God called to do something but he refused and he was swallowed up and forced to do it anyway.

I want God to know that I want to do it willingly because at the end of the day, the dream is to make heaven. I have lost a lot of people in my life and I’ve realized that I don’t have all the time in the world. It’s all about the impact I’m able to make in the life of my brother or my sister and just live a life that is pleasing to God while leaving a legacy for my children and my children’s children.

Besides the passion for an impact, why is the focus on youths and children? Is it because of mummy’s involvement in orphans?

No! My passion is because of the fact that, first of all, I’m a Christian and God has touched my heart. So, I have a heart that’ after the things of God and my desire is to see that the children are happy. I don’t look at myself as fortunate because I have a mother and father that love me and they take care of my needs. I look at myself as one who is supposed to occupy that position and I’m supposed to show that love to someone else; help someone experience that same love that they didn’t get from their biological mum or dad; help look for a way to provide for their needs, help look for a way to make their lives better, improve the standard of their lives because it could have been me out there in the streets. It could have been me that is an orphan and abused and have nobody. I ask myself all the time, what would I want? God is our ultimate helper but He has called us all to help each other, to lead people to Him and live a glorious life.

Why the vehicle of music?

Ever since I was young, that has been me. I’ve been dancing, singing, putting up performances. It’s something God has deposited in me. You know God has created so many skills in this life. There are artistes, there are performers and there are dancers, instrumentalists, footballers. I think artistes have a social responsibility to use whatever talent or resource they have. Even if they don’t have physical money, they have time, they have their voices, they have their talents, they can use same to promote positive messages that will encourage people to help and to give.

How will you narrate your experience at the Idols West Africa?

Idols West Africa was a wonderful experience for me. It was a grooming experience, I would say. It turned me into a more matured and decisive artiste. It’s giving me a direction. I’ve realized that my direction is to continue to harness my talent and use my skills to create wealth so that I can help the abused, abandoned and orphaned children.

How did you feel becoming the second runner-up?

It was a wonderful experience, but I thank God that since that time, God has blessed me with wonderful opportunities to perform at international concerts such as the Michael Bolton concert alongside other artistes like Angie Stone, 2 Face, Darey, P-Square, Kore from Infinity band and Tolu Odukoya. I appreciate gospel artistes also because they are championing the cause for Jesus.  That’s why I’m inspirational, that’s why I’m gospel.

How did you meet your husband, Desmond Benson?

God led him to me here in my office. He walked in one day with another producer and they started working on my album. And that’s how we got by. We just clicked. God spoke to me and told me that he is the one.

Were they working with Goldmyne or something?

No! He has an independent
production company called Theory Sound. He has his own production and record label. He works with other artistes. He’s very good and I believe that his name is going to blow seriously.

Has he worked with any notable musician that you know?

He’s worked with the likes of Davido, BOUQUI. He’s worked with me. He’s partly a member of Six Team gospel group from back in the days.

Where will you go from here?

Temitayo George-Benson

I have released a debut album which I wrote after Idols West Africa. I decided to sow that album as a seed to the Little Saints Orphanage. So whatever project we do, whether it’s a campaign for street children or whether it’s a documentary about the orphanage, we use my music. My next album is going to be more commercial.

When are we expecting that?

That will be between now and the end of the year. We are already working on it. One of my very fine songs titled In Your Hands, which I co-wrote with my producer, Edmond Benson will be part of that album. It’s going to be a hot song. You people should look out for that song.

How many tracks are we expecting?

I love the number 12 because there were 12 disciples, 12 months in a year, my mum was born on the 12th of December. I was born on the 12th of April, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya died on the 12th of September, there are 12 hours in the first part of a day. I’m just committed to the number 12. I just feel that 12 is very significant.

You talked about a project you are proposing. Can you expatiate on it?

I’m actually starting my own concert “Temitayo Live In Concert.” It’s something I want to do to also meet all the people that have been influential in my growth throughout my music career; sit with them one-on-one, celebrate them, get them to listen to my music, create more awareness also about the ministry that I’m into and also encourage them to also support that. And I’m planning to take it on a tour. We’re going to Calabar,  Abuja and so many places. I will be working with different people. I’m forming a team of people who are very inspiring, very committed and willing to make sure that every aspect of my concert becomes a major success.

What will be the format?

We are still in the planning stages but I believe it’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be very international. I want to give people the standard that they don’t see everyday here in Africa. I want it to be very international.

Who are you going to work with so that you can achieve this excellence?

I’m going to keep working with sets of people God has put in my life, my family, my sponsors, friends, a lot of people who do events management and different kinds of people. People that have been influential even in this event; we have people who sponsored decoration, people who sponsored food, people that are very passionate about the vision and the ministry. And because they know that the proceeds from my event are going into the ministry, they are going to be very happy to support also.

Who is your role model?

First of all, Jesus is my greatest role model. I look up to Him because of the kind of life He lived here on earth; a very selfless life. It wasn’t about Himself; it was about helping the needy, helping the sick, helping people who need help. And I realize that there are lots of people that I have to help. I don’t know who exactly or where exactly they are but I know that God is going to lead me to do my part, to help them. In my music, I’ve had great role models, great international ones. The likes of Angelique Kidjo, the likes of Asa, the likes of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Sade Adu, great gospel people like CeCe Winans. I like people that sing about love, life and inspiring things. It helps people to improve in different aspects of their lives and relationships.

If you were not born into this family, where would you have been?

If I was not born into this family, only God knows the answer to that. I’d be exactly the same way. I want to be an international performing artiste that uses her time and talent to help orphans and abandoned children, to improve the standard of their lives.

How would you describe the music industry  in Nigeria?

I’ll say it’s fast growing, it’s improving in great dimensions and it can only get better. I want inspirational and gospel artistes to be encouraged and continue to do good music; music that glorifies the kingdom.

I learnt you lost a friend in the recent DANA air crash in Lagos. Can you talk about it?

All I’ll say about the Dana crash is that I lost someone I love very dearly, Eyo Bassey and it made me realize that time is short. I felt very depressed for a long time. I did a lot of soul searching and I asked God a few questions in prayers to figure out why all these things happen. I wanted to understand why  bad things happen to good people and all I got is that the life in this earth is splitting.

People are clinging on to this life as if they have all the time in the world. There’s a graduation that we all have to pass and some people don’t care. They need to care more about where their families and friends are going to end up. They need to lead more people to Christ, win more souls, help people who cannot help themselves.

That’s what life is about. It’s not about storing up treasures. We really don’t have as much time as we think we have. We have to know where we are going. The aim of life is not to store up treasure, but to live a legacy, affect lives, make impact, live a life that’s pleasing to God so that you can move on and spend eternity with God in Heaven and not in hell. I’m not really thinking about myself right now, I’m thinking about how to make impact in my generation.