Tulele Faletolu

Tulele Faletolu
Birth name Tulele Faletolu
Born 21st December
Origin Wellington, New Zealand
Genres Praise, Worship, Gospel, Soul, Funk, RNB
Occupations Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Songwriter
Years active 2001–2011
Labels Hillsong Music , Independent

Tulele Faletolu, born 21 December in Wellington, New Zealand, is a Christian singer/songwriter and a former worship leader at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia.

Tulele is of Samoan descent and started singing at a young age. He moved from Wellington to Auckland with his younger brother Tolu to attend the Excel School of Performing Arts in the early 1990s.

In 1997, Tulele and Tolu joined Revelation, a RNB/Funk/Gospel Live Band formed by bass player Carl Gavet. Tulele shared vocal leads with Marcus Temu, Tolu on rhythm keyboards (later becoming the 3rd Lead Vocalist alongside Tulele and Marcus) alongside fellow keyboardist Louis Collins, and James Clay on the drums.[1]

Revelation then relocated to Sydney, Australia in 1999 where the band began to gig at places like the Marble Bar formerly at the Hilton Hotel, The Cave at Star City Casino, and their more regular gigs at the Basement near Circular Quay. It was not long after that Tulele began attending Hillsong Church at Baulkham Hills, and within the following months, he then volunteered to be in the Hillsong Church choir while still singing lead vocals for Revelation.[1]

At the beginning of 2001, Tulele was elevated from a member of the choir to backing vocals and sang and recorded some adlib worship for the songs "Emmanuel" and "Worthy is the Lamb" for You are My World even though he was in choir for that album. He was then put forward as a worship leader when his first solo recording was "Away in a Manger" on the Hillsong album Christmas followed by a remake of "My Heart Will Trust" on the studio album, Amazing Love. The first major Hillsong album he sang on was Blessed singing "Magnificent" and "King of Majesty". Tulele then left Revelation to concentrate solely on serving in the worship team for Hillsong and Hillsong United. In 2005 during the Hillsong Live album recording, God He Reigns, he re-united with Marcus Temu & Tolu Faletolu to sing the Mia Fieldes written "All for Love". This would be the last Hillsong album recording that Tulele would appear on as the later released song "Emmanuel" on the Celebrating Christmas album was recorded prior to the God He Reigns album.

In early October 2010, Tulele performed at his first major public appearance in over 5 years with his brother Tolu at the very first Samoan Music Awards and also at a live concert at Lalomanu Village where the Tsunami struck over 12 months prior to this event as part of the FOB Music Festival in Samoa.[2]

On Sunday, 1 May 2011, Tulele alongside Barry Southgate and Dee Uluirewa did backing vocals with Darlene Zschech leading worship at The inaugural Hope Unlimited Church album recording. This marked the 1st time in 5 1/2 years since Tulele actively sung on a church stage of any sort as the last time was at Hillsong Conference 2005.

Discography

List of songs by Tulele as Lead/Backing Vocals or written by him for Hillsong & Hillsong United include:[3]

  • You Are My World (2001)
    • "Emmanuel" (Backing Vocals/Ad lib Worship in Bridge)
    • "Worthy is The Lamb" (Backing Vocals)
  • Christmas" (2001)
    • "Away in a Manger" (Lead Vocals)
  • Amazing Love (2002)
    • "My Heart Will Trust" (Lead Vocals)
  • Blessed (2002)
    • "Magnificent" (Lead Vocals)
    • "King of Majesty" (Lead Vocals)
  • To the Ends of the Earth - Hillsong United (2002)
    • "All About You" (Lead Vocals)
    • "Free" (Lead Vocals)
    • "Need You Here" (Duet with Holly Watson)
    • "Now That You're Near" (Backing Vocals)
    • "All About You [radio remix]" (Lead Vocals)
    • "My God [radio remix]" (Lead Vocals)
  • Hope (2003)
    • "Still" (Lead Vocals)
    • "Can't Stop Praising" (Lead Vocals - co-written with Marty Sampson)
    • "Free" (Lead Vocals on CD Version)
  • Faithful (2003)
    • "Chosen As Mine" (Lead Vocals)
    • "Praises To The King" (Lead Vocals)
  • More Than Life - Hillsong United (2004)
    • "Where the Love Lasts Forever" (Backing Vocals)
    • "Open Up the Heavens" (Backing Vocals)
    • "Always" (Duet with Michelle Fragar)
    • "Soldier" (Lead Vocals/Rap - co-written with Marty Sampson)
  • For All You've Done (2004)
    • "More than Life" (Lead Vocals)
  • Unified Praise (2004)
    • "Free" (Lead Vocals)
  • Look to You - Hillsong United (2005)
    • "There Is Nothing Like" (Lead Vocals)
    • "Til I See You" (Backing Vocals)
    • "Rest In You" (Backing Vocals)
  • God He Reigns (2005)
    • "Praise in The Highest-Album Opening-DVD Only" (Lead Vocals).[4]
    • "What The World Will Never Take" (Co-Lead Vocals with Marty Sampson)
    • "All for Love" (Co-Lead Vocals with Marcus Temu & Barry Southgate also featuring Tolu Faletolu on Backing Vocals)
    • "God He Reigns/All I Need Is You" (Backing Vocals)
    • "There Is Nothing Like" (Backing Vocals)
    • "Know You More" (Backing Vocals)
  • Celebrating Christmas (2005)
    • "Emmanuel" (Lead Vocals)

References