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Tolu “TolumiDE” Yeboah, a Nigerian singer-songwriter and governor of the Recording Academy Washington, D.C., chapter, is on a mission to advocate for artists’ rights in the face of fast-advancing artificial intelligence (AI).
“There’s always something to address to just help sustain this music community, to make sure the arts still has integrity, and there’s a good fair share, in regards to the pay, in regards to making sure credit is kept intact,” she told The Washington Informer.
As a leader at the local chapter, TolumiDe participated in the Academy’s annual Grammys on the Hill advocacy activities in May. She told The Washington Informer that artists are concerned about “predators” if protections aren’t put in place by Congressional leaders.
For instance, AI has the ability to replicate an artist’s voice and sell it without the creator’s permission or adequate compensation.
“You leave room as the artist and the creator to really hurt financially and room for someone to be able to take your work and reproduce it without you getting anything,” TolumiDE said.
A case that explains ToumiDE’s concerns is already underway. On May 16, in the United States District Court’s Southern District of New York, a 37-page class action lawsuit alleged Lovo, Inc., an AI voice company, used “millions of voice-over productions—without permission or proper compensation.”
Despite mounting fear of the unauthorized use of AI, TolumiDE said she is “hopeful” for the future as artists collaborate, brainstorm and proactively address and present concerns to lawmakers. These efforts, she told The Informer, aim to provide assistance and implement measures that mitigate potential threats to creative individuals.
Tackling AI has become a bipartisan matter with both parties from across the aisle corralling to protect consumers. Representatives Anna G. Eshoo, a Democrat from California, and Neal Dunn, a Republican from Florida, introduced the Protecting Consumers from Deceptive AI Act. This bill requires a label to be added on deepfakes, the AI that uses individual likenesses often to deceive or spread misinformation.
“AI-generated content has become so convincing that consumers need help to identify what they’re looking at and engaging with online,” Eshoo said in a statement, with Dunn adding in part, “The rise of innovation in the world of artificial intelligence is exciting; however, it has potential to do some major harm if left in the wrong hands.”
Beyond Advocacy Straight to the Heart of Music
When TolumiDE isn’t advocating for musicians’ rights, she’s working on her craft outside of her job as a full-time graphic designer. She has performed at many places in Washington, D.C., such as the Nigerian embassy and Blues Alley, and is gearing up for her show at the Carlyle Room on June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
She said her dream is to one day perform at the Kennedy Center, but until then, she has been promoting her single titled “Throwback,” which was shot in Lagos, Nigeria.
It explores the concept of revisiting a time as a kid when she had minimal concerns and didn’t require much to have a “good time.”
“It was really just me flipping through all my old photos and videos and just feeling really happy about some of the experiences I’ve had,” she said. “Joy is my wealth. I’m rich because I have joy…I backtracked to the good old days when I didn’t have any bills…before we were all grown and now have so many cares in the world.”
A Different Kind of Afrobeats
“Suya Soul” is what TolumiDE calls her music genre, describing it as a blend of Afropop, Soul and R&B.
“It’s a subset of Afrobeats,” she added.
As for the term “Suya,” it originates from a dish in Nigeria: a savory meat skewer, usually prepared with beef, chicken, or lamb, that has been marinated in a blend of spices and subsequently cooked on a grill.
“Suya is really popular in Nigeria and also actually other parts of West Africa, and I thought to just describe my version of Soul music because I feel like I’m just adding some African spice to Soul music,” she told The Informer.
TolumiDE said that when people listen to her music, they can feel a taste of Nigeria and feel a connection back to their “home.” But that isn’t the only thing she facilitates through her music.
“Connecting. Not just directly with African-American brothers, but also connecting Africans with African Americans and the Caribbean, so that there’s more dialogue, there’s more fusion,” TolumiDE said. “And so I just feel like that’s one role I’m conscious of playing.”
She says being in the D.C. music scene requires her to do “sharing for those who want to know” more about her Nigerian heritage.
“When we are aware of [cultures], we know more about each other…that’s the one way we really grow, adding “We’re more unified, we’re more accepting, more understanding and more compassionate,” she told The Informer.
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