TOSINGER RELEASES A NEW EP TITLED ‘ODE TO ACCRA’

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
From America to Africa, warm welcoming melodies ring true in a new 3-track EP released by Atlanta based Afrofolk/Afrosoul Nigerian Singer-Songwriter, TOSINGER. The new EP titled ‘Ode to Accra’ was birthed and recorded in Accra during a 3 day sojourn. It was inspired by the vibe and love for the city and her people.

The intro on the EP pays homage to Mama Africa, the Motherland, reflecting the sounds of Accra, rightly tagged “City Vibrations”. Track 2 – “Find Your Way Back Home ft Bubunaé” is a folksy acoustic number, a gentle plea to all to connect back “home” and on Track 3 “Se Daadaa Le Wa?” produced by Kunle Kuti which he laced with highlife guitar riffs, Tosinger’s vocals pierces through diasporic time and space as she checks on her audience in her native tongue of Yoruba .. singing “Se Daadaa Le Wa?” which means “Are you doing alright?”.

Ghanaian music artist, Bubunaé who co-wrote and featured on vocals on Track 2 also executively produced the project with Decorusbeats as the music producer. ‘Ode to Accra’ was officially released on June 21st, 2021 and is currently available on all digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, Tidal etc.

See https://linktr.ee/tosinger for download and streaming options.

Tosinger · Ode To Accra EP

ABOUT TOSINGER
Atlanta based Afrosoul/Afrofolk Indie Singer-Songwriter TOSINGER, has been singing for more than two decades in Nigeria, the UK and now in the US. With a couple of published works to her name, her music displays a heartfelt conveyance of originality and inspirational lyrics.
Tosinger expresses an afrocentric sublime musical flow that is soulful and folksy, sometimes jazzy, with subliminal messages incorporating her Yoruba language and cultural sounds which sits her comfortably in the world music space.
An eclectic artist in her own right, Tosinger is also an actress and an event curator.
For more info, please visit http://www.tosinger.com
Twitter and Instagram @Tosinger

Advertisement

AfroQueen of the LapSteel Guitar?

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel

Lap Steel Guitar

Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar which is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position on the performer’s lap or otherwise supported. The performer changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings as opposed to a traditional guitar where the performer’s fingertips press the strings against frets. The bar placed against the strings is called a “steel” or “tone bar”. – Wiki

My name is Tosinger. I am a Nigerian singer/songwriter based in Atlanta, Georgia.

I believe I will be the first Nigerian female artist to learn, write songs and perform with the Lap Steel Guitar otherwise known as the Hawaiian Guitar.  Please let me know of any contentions in the comment section. I am writing this post just to register it on the blogosphere,  internet and digital world.

I did not pick up this instrument to be a first of anything. I already could play some other instruments on the basic level including the talking drum, acoustic guitar and keyboard by ear. I picked it because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I have always love the sound of it in Nigerian Juju music as made popular by King Sunny Ade. Read more about it here as to how and who started playing it in Lagos, Nigeria. I felt one with it and at  home with it. It is said to be more challenging but I find it more comfortable for me, even more so than the acoustic. Before my legendary beloved musical Papa Majek Fashek passed, he made me promise him that I will pick up the guitar and focus on it as my main instrument. I will fulfill this promise in his memory.

Lap steel is widely used in American folk, country, western and blues music. Here is a list of only five female country music players, all white, that I could find on the web that play the lap steel.  I googled “female lap steel guitarists” and didn’t see a single black woman.  Googled some more and this article showed a more diverse list, albeit very inspiring pioneers, still no Black/African (See link -> https://sheshreds.com/issue-13-history-steel-guitar/#comment-48321) even no mention of those from the sacred steel music tradition.  I do not see them on the mainstream scene. There are many other types of guitars and numerous wonderful female players but not of the lap steel, which may be considered obsolete but not on my watch.

I pay homage to Sister Rosetta Tharpe  the Godmother of RocknRoll  considered the first  black female guitarist and Peggy Jones aka Lady Bo  the Queen Mother of Guitar, one of the first (perhaps the first) female rock guitarists in a highly visible rock band, Bo Diddley’s band (Wiki)

Big ups to Fatoumata Diawara on the electric and Helen Ibe also representing Africa nicely on her guitar with the younger afrobeats millenial generation.

I documented my growing journey via Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter with albeit amateur mobile videos, days 1-30. I am 43 as at 2020 when I focused on the lap steel.  I challenged to touch it for 30 days consecutively, even after 30 days, a day will  not go by (until the day that I leave this earth) that I will not touch the lap steel except for absolutely unavoidable reasons.

I hope to bless the world with new songs written on it and play and perform and warm hearts with it as long as I do music. So help me God.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk 🙂 . Check out my home on the web at http://www.tosinger.com for more about me and my music.

Love, Peace and Beautiful Music,

Tosinger

MY FIRST LAP STEEL GUITAR

MY FIRST BABY, MY FIRST LAP STEEL GUITAR. I CHOSE THE COLOR RED  BECAUSE I WANTED TO FEEL EMPOWERED AS I LEARN IT.

Update

So I continue to dig deeper, haven’t found an African/Nigerian yet, but I found this African American sister, Nikki Brown, and I daresay there might be  more in the church that play the type of lap steel called “Sacred Steel” of the Sacred Steel tradition of COGIC.

Exclusive Interview with the Eclectic Woman of Art, Musician, Writer and Storyteller, TOSINGER!

funtaqa

She is the  definition of true beauty, deep in thought and delivery. All you need is an opportunity to engage her. She’s got the warmest, sweetest personality that rejuvenates your belief in humanity once more.

This lady relates her own way and we make bold to say “it’s the ideal way for humans to engage one another”.

Ladies and gentlemen, please meet the eclectic woman of art, musician, writer and storyteller, TOSINGER!

funTAQA caught up with her when she visited Nigeria recently and she’s got quite some gist for her fans.

Excerpts below: 

How long have you been into the music business?

Professionally? Since 2003, so about 13 years now. Before then, as a little girl growing up, I’ve always sang in church and any platform of opportunity I find to use my voice.

What are you listening to lately?

Depends on my mood per time, but currently it’s a…

View original post 1,436 more words

Naija Chronicles and a New Release: 💭 SiLenT ThOuGhTs 💭 – #BringBackOurGirls

Hello Friends,

Heartwarming greetings from my African sunkissed heart to yours 🙂 and a Happy new month of August to you!

I just arrived from my home country of Nigeria the past month of July, promoting my debut album “Organically Singing”  and  garnering some press/media presence and on ground performances. Follow me at  @Tosinger on instagram  to have a sneak peak of that journey, see a few pics below. Thank God for His mercies, grace and favor and thank you Lagos for your hospitality.

Singing at Jazzhole, Lagos

Interview with Tosyn Bucknor of Top Radio 90.9 FM

Performing at Freedom Park, Lagos with Seun Olota

Interview with Harry Itie for TVC Channel “On The Town”

After radio interview with Olabisi Omidire of EkoFm

 

RhythmFM 93.7 interview on Celebrity Live Wednesday

With Etuk Ubong and the band at Jazzhole

I am also delighted to present to you a creative product of my visit to Nigeria which is officially released digitally today. I worked with the multitalented Producer/Musician – FloRocka– on my latest project, an audio drama/spoken word titled ‘Silent Thoughts’.

Meeting the talented Florocka 6 years after. Prior to this, 6 years ago, I did digital artist promotions and social media marketing for his very first project – The OverFlo

With Flo and Rapper DMSquared

‘Silent Thoughts‘ is an Audio Drama/Spoken Word/Storytelling Project with an afro-theatrical edge addressing the issues of our times. As a spoken form of art on a musical backdrop, ‘Silent Thoughts’ intends to provoke and inspire thought towards change. Things have been quiet lately about the Chibok Girls. Whatever happened to #BringBackOurGirls? What is currently happening?

Download here

Subscribe to my email list at www.tosinger.com  for a link to download on your mobile.

Watch ‘The Making’ of Silent Thoughts

In other news, do take a moment to read my interview with The Guardian NG

Thanks for your love and support.

Blessings to you and yours this new month and beyond!

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…
Tosinger
Singer I Songwriter I Storyteller

Artivist mode 🙂

Afrodreamfest NYC May 22 and May 23

Ongoing for three years now, AfroDreamFest is an annual touring concert that celebrates and promotes neo afro-fusion artists/genres of music from the African continent in the diaspora to commemorate African Liberation Day. (May 25) . Previous ones were held in Atlanta and Houston and it is coming to NYC this year. For more about Afrodreamfest see – www.afrodreamfest.com

As the convener, I wanted to see a platform for afro-indie artists in the diaspora who make meaningful good music to come together and share a stage,  it has been a journey and an ongoing one as the event continues to brand itself in the afro~diaspora traveling across select cities across America. As years go by, the hope is to have interested sponsors push it to a wider reach on a bigger stage with larger audiences who appreciate the afro fusion music these talented artists are putting out. Performing in New York on May 22 at world music venues Meridian 23 on Friday May 22 and on Saturday May 23 at Silvana respectively  are Brooklyn based  Afrobeat band ‘Laolu and The Afromysterics’, myself, Afrosoul/folk/acoustic music ‘Tosinger’, AfroRnB artist ‘Ogasilachi‘ , Afro Jazz Artist ‘Eli Fola’ and from Nigeria, Ayanbinrin- Africa’s foremost female Talking Drummer and a guest artist from Nigeria, afrosoul artist Aduke. Tickets are available online at $10 and will be $15 at the door. Doors open at 7.30pm and show starts 8pm till 11ish on both days. See you there if you are in New York, great way to spend the memorial day weekend holiday and enjoy/support good music. ~https://afrodreamfestnyc2015.eventbrite.com ~

 

Here’s a glimpse of what you will experience live.

Ayanbinrin

Eli Fola

Tosinger

Laolu

Ogasilachi

Aduke

To stay updated on Afrodreamfest,

like on Facebookat https://www.facebook.com/AfroDreamFest , follow on Twitter@afrodreamfest and check out videos at www.youtube.com/afrodreamfest.
Website:www.afrodreamfest.com

Beautifully Dreaming…Positively Doing..

Tosinger

 

 

Afrikan Keresimesi (#Christmas) Carol @Tosinbeats @Tosinger

This blog post is following my writer friend Malaka‘s comment  saying — I’m the only person she knows who has vehemently insisted there are Christmas carols written and sung in Yoruba (my native language from Southwestern part of Nigeria) — 🙂   And there are really, traditional ones and one I incorporated here ‘Olugbala’, an original I wrote in 2012.  However, in this post, I am sharing a homely informal spontaneous recording of a composition of my musical brother ‘Tosin’ who I’d spotlighted sometime ago on the blog . He did a quick fly by Atlanta a couple of weeks ago.. and we decided to do an impromptu acoustic recording of a Yoruba ‘Owambe’ (party vibe) Christmas Song he wrote.

Here’s wishing you all a fantastic Christmas filled with love, joy , peace and everything Jesus the reason for the season brings. Enjoy and share!

 

Tosin says:

I grew up in post-colonial Nigeria, but the residue of colonialism was still palpable enough to have some impact on the post-colonial kids. For instance, I had British teacher in elementary school, and a British principal in high school. So we kept to some “oyinbo” (Caucasian) mannerism. However, I was able to, and still, blossom in my African way of life through enculturation fostered by my parents and my surroundings. And my musical direction is a reflection of this way of life.

With that said, I recently thought about doing an Afrikan Christmas Carol. Not that some African composers have never written some before, but I realized that we just repeat the same ol’ ones. So, on Wednesday morning (Dec. 10), the Heavens blessed me with a new composition. It was a few hours before my flight to Atlanta. And on getting to Atlanta I decided to do a quick collaboration with my Nigerian sister also called Tosin. The style of music I employed for this song is called Owambe.

  Hope you enjoyed it!

************************************************************************

In the mean time, the campaign for my debut album ‘Organically Singing’ is still on.. just a few days left!! If you haven’t, please check out the link here http://bit.ly/1wK84Iv contribute, support, pre~order/get perks for this good music about to be cooked, the kitchen is set, the cooks are skilled, we just need help with getting the ingredients to begin the process. Thanks to those whose hearts believe in the project and have been sharing the link. Campaign ends on Dec 29. Thank you! And the meraki goes on …  Season’s Greetings!

 

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

Tosinger

Merci Beaucoup – Preview from #OrganicallySinging

Presenting a short acoustic spontaneous version of ‘Merci Beaucoup’ (Thank you very much) – work in progress song from my upcoming debut album project ORGANICALLY SINGING Summer 2015.  I invite you to join me on board this uniquely refreshing organic and healthy afro~soulful music journey at http://igg.me/at/organicallysinging .  I appreciate your contribution to the indiegogo campaign (currently 9% at 28 days left …Help!!! :D) where you can  also lock in your pre-public/pre-order and get perks as well. A special thank you to all who have supported so far.

Laolu Senbanjo on Acoustic Guitar, Kunle Ade on Percussions and Eli Fola on the Saxophone. Recorded at Complete Studios, New York Oct 2014

 

Beautifully Dreaming.. Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger