WE ARE BACK FOR GOOD - STYLE PLUS

Tofarati Ige

Some years ago, whenever the trio of Shiffi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi and Zeal Onyecheme of RnB group, Styl-Plus, performed at shows, it was guaranteed that one would find brassieres and panties littering the floor of whatever venue was used. The underwear would have been thrown by their excited female fans who would scream at the top of their voices in appreciation of the talented singers. Those were the days when Styl-Plus’ presence at a show was a guarantee that party goers were in for a good time.

But after some time, they seemed to fizzle out like candles in the wind and nothing was heard from them anymore.





Just like nature, the Nigerian music industry abhors a vacuum so fans moved on and found other artistes to assuage their appetite.

Styl-Plus tried to make some comebacks over the years but their attempts have been largely unsuccessful.

However, the trio has now become a duo, with one of them, Tunde, having left the group to pursue other interests.

The new Styl-Plus is back with a new song, Aso Ibora and they are telling anyone who cares to listen that, this time, they wouldn’t be going away so fast.

Talking to Sunday Scoop, the duo said, “Yes, we have been away for a long time, but trust me, we are back for good. We have gone back to the drawing board to study the kind of sound that fans really want at this time and we are ready for them.”

On the inspiration for their new song, Aso Ibora (which literally translates to blanket), Zeal said, “The single is basically the story of an everyday person who is appreciative of the love shown to him/her. It is also a message to Styl-Plus fans to thank them for their support through the years.”

Shiffi added, “Styl-Plus is known for our unique love songs and this new song is keeping with that tradition. We want our fans to know that we are still those singers that they love, only that we are even better this time. Over the years, we have been getting feedback from our fans that they miss us and we really miss them too. We thank them for their loyalty and we wouldn’t disappoint them.”

Responding to a question on why Tunde is no longer with them, Shiffi waxed philosophical, “It is usually said that 20 children cannot play together for 20 years and the only thing constant in life is change. We are all still friends and there are no hard feelings between us. He only decided to do something else and we fully support him.”

For those who may not know, the group, Styl, as they were initially known, was formed in 1997 by Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi, Yemi Akinwunmi, and Lanre Faneyi as a gospel band. However, Lanre passed away some years later and Zeal joined the group.