ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Oga Otumala is a man that GOD helped. He rose from the humble beginnings of Igede land in Benue State, where he was born in the 60's, to the height of performing arts in Nigeria and Africa in the 80's. He gave his life to Jesus Christ at the age of seven.
Described as one of Atlanta's most notable producers, Oga Otumala has captivated both aspiring musicians and audiences all across the globe. His status as a seminal figure was solidified by various accomplishments in the entertainment industry.
He first fell in love with music when he was in elementary school. He amazed his parents and school teachers when he constructed a guitar out of bamboo plant before he even learnt the art of playing the instrument. This laid the groundwork for his thrust into the world of music.
He first made his debut appearance in front of a large audiences with live performances on television programs. A few which include popular programs like "Youth Panorama" and a radio show called "Youth Forum". Oga Otumala thrilled and captivated his audiences. The strength and soulfulness of his songs at an early age was remarkable. He has remained true to his own vision and distinct sound.
Before leaving for the United States in 1988, Oga had already left a huge mark winning seven first prizes, two of those international precisely: The Greenbelt World Music Festival, London and All Africa Music Festival in Kenya. He released his debut album in 1986 titled "The Real Solution" which was a smash hit in Nigeria.
In 1987 Oga was the only Nigerian representative in the USAID for Africa where he co-toured over 40 countries with other international artists for the "We Are The World" project to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia.
Not only in Nigeria and Africa has Oga made his mark, in his many years stay in the United States, Oga has further worked so hard not just as a singer-songwriter and performer but also as an artist-developer, producer and engineer.
Consequently he is the first producer born on African soil to be a voting member of the Grammy Awards, the highest entertainment body in the world.
In 2006, Oga's song, " I Am an African" became the first English number one song in Addis Ababa and was also translated to Amharic and performed by an Ethiopian Artist. The song generated the interest of the African Union (AU) to be made as an anthem for Africa.
Oga Otumala is a humanitarian. Throughout his career, he has dedicated his life to fight for humanity, assist and mentor emerging artist and producers. Such commitment has created not only hope in aspiring young talents but also a foundation to embrace perseverance for greater success.
There are many people of African descent from various countries in the Western Hemisphere. There are millions of African-American, Caribbean, and other cultures and our purpose is to form links among the African peoples of the West: to get to know each other, to share concerns and experiences, and collectively fight the problems of racism and marginalization which afflict us no matter where we reside. With the creation of the B.T.A. comes the newly reactivated feeling of a coming together of people who have been long deprived of their motherland.
Interestingly, the African Diaspora has always been global and in many ways involved in the transmission of information, culture and technology. African men and women were involved in the transfer of their abundant technical skills in metallurgy, crop production, sailing and the manufacturing trades, among others, to the Americas. Africans in the Americas also brought music, transformed it, and exchanged it. Indeed, they brought their technical know-how, and they brought, made and cross-fertilized cultures.
The BTA Foundation Plan is multi-dimensional and uses the relative advantages in existing Black communities all over the globe. BTA seeks to strengthen this comparative advantage by seeking to also support entrepreneurial activities, through musical concerts and other activities, which provide the greatest multiplier effects for income and employment generation for African tourism as well as the restoration of Africa, spiritually, economically, educationally and culturally.
The plan recognizes the ethno-cultural difference and employs models that build self-esteem and generate permanent tourism to different parts of the African countries. Such activities such as musical concerts, spiritual growth provide real mechanisms of encouraging relations between the regions, which is still not fully tapped.