Tolü Makay on camogie, music, mental health, and finding purpose

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

Episode 16 of the Insights with Seán O'Rourke podcast features Nigerian-born, Offaly-raised singer-songwriter Tolü Makay. They share a fascinating conversation about her journey through music, identity, mental health, and the courage it takes to follow your true path.
Tolü Makay has emerged as one of Ireland's most compelling musical voices, known for her soulful sound and deeply personal lyrics. From singing in church as a child to her viral rendition of the Saw Doctors' N17 with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, she has captivated audiences across the country.
But her story goes far beyond the music. A former Google employee, Tolü left the corporate world to pursue her creative passion—something she now describes as "100% her life."
Speaking with Seán about her move from Nigeria to Offaly at the age of five, Tolü says that it's difficult to know exactly how the move shaped her.
"I studied Psychology, so I feel like a lot of things that do shape you come down to your environment and also just the genetics of your make-up as well," she muses.
Although she was young when she arrived in Tullamore, she does recall the feeling of being slightly different from her surroundings, describing a moment that she heard a young boy asking his mother about her skin colour.
Despite this "underlying humming" feeling, Tolü threw herself into her new community, playing camogie with great enthusiasm.
"I loved camogie! I was brilliant at it, I thought I was great at it, because you have to be fast. You need to know how to dodge the ball, catch the ball, and get the ball into the net as well. I really enjoyed it, I really wish I had actually continued."
Although she enjoyed her time playing camogie, it was music that called to Tolü as a teenager. Growing up in a religious household, she says that music and religion were intertwined for her family.
"Music was always around, in the context of the religion that I grew up in," she explains.
As a young teenager, though, she expanded her relationship with music, stepping outside of the church and trying out singing competitions.
When she finished school, Tolü headed to Galway to study Psychology before moving to Dublin to attend Trinity for her Higher Diploma. Unfortunately, the tuition became too expensive, leading her to a job in the corporate world.
Now, she says she may return to education one day and continue her dreams of becoming a Neuroscientist: "We'll see how life pans out."
During this time, music remained a passion for Tolü. Although it wasn't providing financial stability, she says it was the thing that sustained her.
"Music was the thing that I needed for myself," she explains. "Music was a way for me to express and relate myself to people, so I needed that."
Eventually, her years of working and studying full-time led to burnout, and she decided to take the leap and pursue music full-time, leaving the stability of the corporate world for her passion.
Thankfully, this leap of faith paid off. In 2021, the singer was invited to record a rendition of the Saw Doctors' N17 with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, which led to a performance at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, appearances on The Late Late Show, The Tommy Tiernan Show, as well as a number of festivals and corporate relationships.
"It made me want to dream bigger," she says. "It made me want to know that a girl from a really small county, a really small town, can become one of those stars that you see on TV."