Today’s spotlight is on a man who was given a second chance at life!
Tosan Arugha, A graduate of Delta State Polytechnic, Southern Nigeria, Arugha is currently perfecting his talent by rehearsing songs and practicing to get better.
Arugha’s story is, however, tinged with tragedy, In 2010, he survived a bomb blast in Nigeria’s oil-rich but volatile Delta region.
The militant group; Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), claimed responsibility for the attack which left Arugha hospitalized for six months.He sustained injuries, including burns on his face, but said music kept him going during his hospital stay.
His words:
“Before my third surgery, I realized I could blow music with my mouth. I make music to keep myself happy. I did not want to fall into the circle of boredom,I was in hospital for six months after the incident.
When he recovered, Arugha took his newly-discovered talent to his church, where he quickly gained recognition in a Christian gathering. But he didn’t gain prominence until his brother encouraged him to join social media. He introduced me to social media influencers; who urged me to open an Instagram account to sell myself publicly.
“I spend most of my time working on new music because I can be called to perform at any time,” he said.
Tosan Arugha has an unusual talent, he can play the saxophone without the instrument itself. Tosan plays the saxophone almost perfectly but he plays it differently from how it’s expected to be played.
The 35-year-old has been dubbed the human saxophone because he makes a sound remarkably similar to the woodwind instrument using just his mouth.
Through coordinated blowing similar to whistling, Arugha thrills audiences with renditions of popular Afrobeats songs from Nigerian performers such as Teni Entertainer and Burna Boy. The unusual talent has made his Instagram videos an instant hit, with thousands reposting them on the social media site.He has also received cash donations from fans impressed with his mouth saxophone skills.
Recently he was given a platform by Amaju Pinnick, former NFF Chairman in one of Niger Delta’s biggest event ‘Warri Again’ held October 6th and the crowd was in awe of his performance; which made Ayo Makun popularly known as AY promise to make him a guest appearance in is his upcoming shows in Lagos and London.
His experience changed the trajectory of his life and as it is said, he has made lemons out of the lemonade life dealt him.
