VOUS ETES LE BIENVENUS, guys we bring you yet another amazing duo performers popularly known as “TOOFAN” of Cameroonian and Togolese origin. Menah AYO also known as Barabas, left Cameroun to move to Toquoin Séminaire, a neighborhood in the city of Lomé. A year later, Fantohou Kossivi aka Masta, arrived to the same neighborhood with his parents. Masta’s integration was not easy and Barabas remembers it jokingly: “At first, I did not want the new kid to come play soccer with us. But as they say themselves, soccer unifies people”. It is thanks to sports that the pair of talented young men became friends and with nostalgia, they talk about their common passion: “It was a dream. We tried to make it in that field but we could not”. At that time, Barabas and Masta had no idea of what destiny had in store for them.
They are the young musical generation of Togo, Their musical style, which they call “the Ogbragada”, is a combination of Rap and urban music. In 2005, TOOFAN launched their first single, “Epervier Ogbragada”, to support the national football team of Togo. One is a toaster* and the other a composer. Both are soccer fans who’ve always been attracted to sports like magnets. The duet, Masta and Barabas, that form the famous Togolese musical group, Toofan, are henceforth playing in the big league as they recently got nominated at the MTV Awards in South Africa in the category of the best French-speaking group, Toofan was again nominated in BET Awards in the category “Best international artist”. In this category, we find artists as Davido and Tiwa Savage of Nigeria, Diamond Platnumz of Tanzania and Mafikizolo of South Africa.
They are also the Creator of “Gweta” dance concept meaning “dodging jealous people”. Toofan is the group that is most appreciated in the Togolese musical scene. The “sons of the wind” are making the pride of Togo of which they succeeded in valuing outside.
AWARDS:
- In 2014 they won the MTV Africa Music Award for Best Francophone
- They also got nomination for best International Act in Africa, 2014 was actually when they got their first nomination so it must have been one of their best musical years
- In 2017, they won the Nigeria Entertainment Award for “African Male Artiste of The Year” for the non-Nigerian category
- In 2018, they bagged a nomination for the MTV Europe Music Award for the “Best African Act “ but “Stew Queen” Tiwa Savage rather added it to her hot pot of stew.
Alright, these guys seem to be quite easy going and have less of them on the internet and that was why the Boxshow Africa had to take some time out and fly to Togo where we “ fait de nouveaut amis” chuckle all the love of our African brothers.
