Segun Atanda/
Dr Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli (MFR) has just made a shocking revelation on Facebook.
He is 70 years old today.
If you find this hard to believe, you are not alone.
Since the 70s, Nigerians have been familiar with the iconic and never changing, never aging face of Tee Mac, whose forever young image has amazingly masked his age.
Many Facebook users expressed shock today when Tee Mac posted this message on his wall: “Well today I am 70 years old. Honestly I feel great and thanks God for my good health. I thank my family, my children and my wonderful dogs for all the love I received over this years. I would like to also thank YOU my dear FAceBook friends for all the love shown to me. You are my extended family. Even I have not met many of you I feel like knowing you forever! God bless you and let’s stay friends. Dr Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli (MFR)”
The Man Behind the Mask
Tee Mac has a combined first degree in Economics from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, with a specialization in classical music concert performance and philharmonic composition of the University of Lausanne.
During a rich career spanning over 40 years, he formed numerous bands, including Tee Mac & Afro Collection in the 1970s.
He recorded his first LP, United, with Polydor International in Germany with his European band Tee Mac United, in the late seventies.
Tee Mac hit the global music charts with two songs: “Fly Robin Fly” and “Get Up & Boogie” (owns 50% of the copy right) and toured extensively with his third band, Silver Convention, in the mid seventies.
He worked with celebrated Welsh singer, Shirley Bassey, as her musical arranger and conductor and also worked as a composer for Cidi Croft Enterprise and later for Universal Films in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Even though Tee Mac spent a lot of time touring across the globe (Far East, Latin America, Europe, North America and South Africa), he was always investing in local Nigerian initiatives, becoming one of the pioneers of the Classical Music Society of Nigeria, which eventually founded the Muson Center, Nigeria’s leading music school.
In 2007, he was elected president of the Musician Union of Nigeria PMAN, investing time and energy into helping develop the Nigerian entertainment industry.
In 2009 he was appointed the Nigerian Director of the Motherland Group, (initiated by Michael Jackson’s brother, Marlon, of The Jackson 5) which is getting support from the Lagos State Government to build a historical slave museum in Badagry.
In 2011, he was elected Chairman of FAME Corp, owned by top Nigerian Musicians and Nollywood stars, to build cinema houses and concert halls all over Nigeria.
Tee Mac was awarded the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) national honor by President Umaru Yar’adua in 2009 for his vital role in brokering peace with the Niger Delta militants and fighting for their rehabilitation.
In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate degree in Arts from Bradley University in Illinois, where he serves as chairman of the board of trustees, and teaches philharmonic composition as visiting associate professor.
Tee Mac has investments in solid minerals (he is the chairman of Allied Minerals Ltd., Cass-Cotan Mining and Processing Ltd.) He is chairman of Tee Mac Petroleum (Nig) Ltd., Chairman of Tee Mac Productions (owns a recording studio), Chairman of the board of the Tee Mac-HEMLA Foundation (to build music schools for the underprivileged youths of Nigeria), Chairman of ACC (Anti Counterfeiting Collaboration, an association of Trade Mark owners), Chairman of The Entertainment Foundation of Nigeria, umbrella of all the entertainment associations of Nigeria, music and films; Director in Hemla-Ogoni Resources Ltd., Director in D&H Energy Nig. Ltd, and the West African representative of Daewoo and Hemla (Norway) gas and oil solutions and Executive Director and shareholder in James Bay Engergy Nig. Ltd.
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