Thompson Thompson Egbo-Egbo, his name is as unique as his journey. Moving to Canada from Nigeria when he was 4, he started playing the piano at the age of 6. His aptitude and affection for the piano was almost immediate and will stay with him forever.
Growing up in subsidized residential area of Toronto, Egbo-Egbo was amazed that a group of people thought enough of the residents to build a musical school where the neighborhood children could enjoy the luxury of music lessons at fee that was affordable to them. This experience made him understand the importance of the arts in the lives of children and society as a whole. It also led him to found the Thompson T. Egbo-Egbo Arts Foundation in the hope that children regardless of their social and economic circumstances would experience the benefits of music.
His involvement in music has afforded him many opportunities. He has been called upon to play in the presence of many dignitaries including H.R.H Prince Charles, H.R.H. Prince Edward, and H.R.H. Prince Phillip. In addition, he has performed for Quincy Jones. In 2007, he was asked to produce a medley tribute to the inductees of the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame. These inductees included Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Oscar Peterson and Joni Mitchell.
Egbo-Egbo's musical Journey has taken him from playing the tuba across Canada with the Hannaford Street Youth Band to performing on stage at the Hackney Empire theatre in East End London with the Canadian production "Da Kink In My Hair". He toured with Canadian R&B sensation Ayah and recorded and performed with Afro-punk artist Siadah Baba Talibah.
Upon completion of secondary school, Egbo-Egbo studied Jazz Performance at Humber College in Toronto, while working as a musician. After graduation from Humber, he continued to work as musician in Toronto. Since the fall of 2009 he has continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which is where you will find him now.
Thompson Egbo-Egbo decided to give back to the community that helped him achieve his goals by creating The Egbo Arts Foundation so that children will have the opportunity to develop and flourish.