Akiin Shuga: Sweet Symphony of His Success

In the heart of Akinloye Tofowomo, widely known as Akiin Shuga, lies a fervent commitment to professionalism and excellence that has propelled the Shuga Band to the forefront of Nigeria’s music industry, attracting corporate giants and high-net-worth individuals to their sweet melodies. With over two decades of showmanship, Akiin Shuga’s passion for music fused with a business-minded approach has transformed the Shuga Band into an entertainment company that transcends borders, writes Vanessa Obioha

Long after most offices had emptied on a recent Thursday evening, one office remained abuzz with activity. Within the confines of the Shuga Band headquarters, Akinloye Tofowomo, affectionately known as Akiin Shuga, alongside his dedicated crew, toiled away. Their unwavering commitment to professionalism and excellence propelled them to surpass closing time with an upcoming gig on the horizon.

“We would probably close around 8 pm,” Akiin Shuga said vibrantly.

Days like those are common in the Shuga’s establishment. His knack for excellence has, over the years, earned him and his band an enviable reputation as Nigeria’s premier band, attracting both corporate giants and high-net-worth individuals to its sweet melodies like bees attracted to a honeypot.

Right from inception, Akiin Shuga treated his musical ensemble as more than just a group of performers. With an organogram adorning his office walls, he has transformed the band into a well-structured business entity, Shuga Entertainment Nigeria Limited. Having witnessed the shortcomings prevalent in many contemporary bands, Akiin Shuga recognized the importance of treating the band as a business, embracing digital opportunities, and adhering to global best practices. Implementing contractual agreements with clients, initially met with resistance, has now become an integral part of the band’s professional ethos.

In its 25 years of existence, the band’s remarkable success lies in its commitment to staying abreast of trends and continuous improvement.

“It is important to understand that what you have is not enough. What you are able to add to it is what propels you to the future. And the future you talked about yesterday is today; the future is here.”

Exceptional customer service, embracing digital opportunities, sound quality, cultural sensitivity, positive referrals, transparent communication, respecting clients’ privacy and relentless improvement constitute the pillars of their success. The band consistently invests in training and equipment upgrades, ensuring that their performances exude excellence in every note.

Their professionalism and exceptional performances have earned them the trust and loyalty of clients, taking them to captivating performances across the globe, from the shores of Sri Lanka to the backyards of Nigeria’s high-profile clientele.

At the heart of the Shuga Band’s success lies their keen attention to detail and cultural sensitivity. No two performances of the band are the same, as each event and client possesses unique components and cultural nuances. A typical example is the grandiose funeral event of Princess Margaret Obaigbena, mother of THISDAY Newspapers publisher Nduka Obaigbena. Over the course of three nights, the band crafted distinct sets, adapting their music to match the ambience and preferences of each day.

“We pay attention to detail because the devil is the detail,” Akiin Shuga explained. “We knew the first day that dignitaries would be in attendance, so we know the kind of music that will work for that audience. The next day was the burial, and people would be coming after church, so we tailored our music to match that ambience. And then the third day was brunch, after church service on Sunday before people departed for the airport. We are deliberate in our delivery; it is not accidental.”

Citing another example, Akiin Shuga demonstrated how they integrate culture in their performances.

“From our research, we know that the ndi Igbo from Anambra is different from the ndi Igbo of Imo and Delta. They have unique things that hit home. So we integrate some of the nuances of their culture into what we do.”

Given that their audiences are diverse, the band listens to tons of music daily. A dedicated team is assigned to listen to the top trending songs on global and local charts.  The band would then modify these songs in such a way that does not underrate the artist but rather accentuate their artistic vision.

On average, the band rehearses twice a week. Each rehearsal can last for four to five hours. In a year, the band performs at least 60 gigs.

Akiin Shuga, a son of a renowned judge, the late Honorable Justice S.A. Tofowomo has a winsome personality that was noticeable throughout our conversation. It was in the way he switched to colloquial phrases to drive home a point or the number of times he let out bubbly laughter when describing things. This endearing personality masked the challenges life threw at his path from an early age. He had polio at the age of five, but that did not stop him from pursuing his music career.

“My father was a very principled man and wasn’t easily swayed by successes. He believed that there had to be something solid. He didn’t understand why the son of a judge would be a singer or have a band.”

Against his father’s will to pursue a career in law, Akiin Shuga began his music band career as far back as the late 90s when he left the celebrity hangout Pintos. He teamed up with guitarist Laja Gbadegesin, forming a duo. They performed at ‘Dees’, a renowned establishment owned by Olumide Akinmokun, without charge, impressing the audience and making Sundays at the venue a music hotspot. The band later grew to a three-piece ensemble. While Laja left to join the enigmatic musician Lagbaja, the band flourished and gained recognition as Nigeria’s premier live band. Today, the band boasts 14 members.

Despite the little or no encouragement he got, Akiin Shuga never wavered in his dreams.

“Things may not have gone the way I wanted, but I knew that it was not about faith but trusting God. I knew that He was not just going to leave me. I didn’t know what He had in plan for me, but I knew at the end of the day, He was going to come for me. How he was going to do it, I don’t know. What he was going to do, I don’t know. I knew my race was different, and I had to just stay on track.”

Although his father did not witness his outstanding success, Akiin Shuga has a sense of fulfillment seeing his mother’s reaction to his achievements. He mimicked her surprise each time she read about his success.

“Eh, Akiin Shuga, see that boy of yesterday,” he laughed. “She has seen how I have evolved. I am a husband and a father. I made something out of the path that I chose.”

So far, Akiin Shuga has performed for three sitting presidents. The first time was for the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

“The first presidential event we performed at, we didn’t know. We actually went to an event in Abuja with the former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Festus Odimegwu. He was fond of us and usually took us everywhere,” he recounted excitedly.

“So he took us to Abuja and told us that he wanted to take us somewhere. And bingo! It was Aso Rock. This was during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.”

At that event, Odimegwu introduced the band as a ‘gift’ to the president. 

“We did our performance and got a handshake from the president. We were happy. We started doing presidential things, levels don change,” he said jokingly.

Subsequently, he was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Obasanjo’s Presidential Library, where the former president recognised his efforts.

Nowadays, many bands are toeing the Shuga’s way.

“It’s good that we are leaving such a legacy,” he remarked.

Reflecting on those past years, Akiin Shuga said he never envisioned that his band would become as big as it is today. He attributed the success to his wife and team.

“Honestly, I didn’t see it evolving. We knew that we could only get better. We kept on making it better. Adapting our sound and style to keep up with the evolving trends and our versatility in music. The intention was to succeed.”

As he marks the 25th anniversary of his band, Akiin Shuga is encapsulating his experience in three distinct parts: reflection, celebration and the future. Reflection looks at the journey of music from the past to now and the failures and lessons learnt so far. The celebration part is recognising and celebrating their hard work

“It is also to express gratitude through music and reinforce our positive behaviours. Music is powerful in all spheres. What we are is the profit of the power of music.”

For the future, Akiin Shuga is setting new goals as well as embracing opportunities that will aid the band’s growth.

“The future allows us to dream big. Who knows, we may win a Grammy.”