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.

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT : Richard Bona

Hello Friends,

Here’s some great music to wind down your week. I present to you a genius of his craft, vocalist and guitar maestro extraordinaire -> Richard Bona.  A friendly banter we had back in 2013 proves that he is just as real as his talent. Are you ready for some of his  jazzy earsplosions? 🙂 not just yet, here’s some 411 on him.

“Like many African songwriters, he sings lessons and parables. The language of his music is less specific; it draws on pop and jazz from across Africa, the Americas and Europe. His songs assume a virtuosity so complete that it only has to whisper.” – The New York Times

Richard Bona (born October 28, 1967 in Minta, Cameroon) is a jazz bassist and musician. His actual African name, as he said during a live performance with Bobby McFerrin in Montreal, is Bona Pinder Yayumayalolo. Bona was born into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a young age. His grandfather was a griot – a West African singer of praise and storyteller – and percussionist, and his mother was a singer. At 4 years old, Bona started to play the balafon. At the age of 5, he began performing at his village church. Not being wealthy, Bona made many of his own instruments: including flutes and guitars (with cords strung over an old motorcycle tank).

His talent was quickly noticed, and he was often invited to perform at festivals and ceremonies. Bona began learning to play the guitar at age 11, and in 1980 aged just 13, he assembled his first ensemble for a French jazz club in Douala.The owner befriended him and helped him discover jazz music, in particular that of Jaco Pastorius, which inspired Bona to switch his focus to the electric bass. More at Source – Wiki

Enjoy this front row 1 hour straight Jazz Experience.

Here’s one of my favorites ~ ‘Eyala’

Richard Bona, thanks for sharing your gift, as you inspire your audience and other African Artists  on the globe and in the diaspora to continue to bear the musical torch of AfroFusion music. For more about Richard Bona’s music, discography and tours, visit http://www.bonamusic.com

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

Photos, Music & A Birthday Wish

It’s my birthday, Yeah Yeah! It’s my birthday! January 27!! For those who wonder what my age is, I’ll help you out just by saying I am close to knocking on the 40’s door. I can hear you say “But you don’t look it” I I don’t ‘cos my mom doesn’t look it 🙂  Thanks mom for the genes.. lol and above all, thank God for his Grace, Mercy and Favor all through the years. Without Him, I won’t be where I am today.

So I decided that I was gonna do a promotional pictorial 7 day birthday countdown (on my social media platforms), a countdown also to the release of a new acoustic song  featuring Oriri  titled ‘This Smile‘ recorded at Sound Resort Studios, Atlanta. This SMilE ~ is a song about my famed smile that inspires others to smile because “it’s free therapy” 🙂 And in so doing, also announce a mini launch  of my NGO – Adopt A Guitar, Inc. that will be putting smiles on the faces of young talents.

 ‘Adopt A Guitar’ is partnering with ‘Playing For Change’ for a 2014 drive to donate acoustic guitars to talented underprivileged youth/students in African countries. The vision is “14 Guitars” 2014 Drive. Starting small with 14 Guitars for 14 deserving talents. The 2 selected schools are : Bizung School of Music & Dance in Tamale, Ghana & Ntonga Music School in Gugulethu, South Africa

And here is presenting, my very organic, simple, acoustic, unplugged music offering ‘This Smile’ (from my 2014 musical work in progress tagged #OrganicallySinging) Click here –> http://www.noisetrade.com/tosinger/this-smile to download and kindly leave a tip to support ‘Adopt A Guitar’ . It’s all about talent, heart, music, development, putting a smile on the face of another, by giving guitars to very talented youth who cannot afford it otherwise . I have partnered with ‘Playing For Change’ to give out 14 acoustic guitars this year. I call it the ’14 Guitars 2014 Drive‘ . Dreams can surely come true! This is my birthday wish. Thank you all in advance for your support.

And for those who didn’t catch  the 7 day countdown visuals, do see below. Here goes a big shout out to the very talented and artistic Photographer, Ms Lola Scott of Lola Scott Art, Atlanta

Lola Scott and Tosinger

And… Thanks to Adebola Oyeku of Boundless Beauty, she does natural make up flawlessly.. highly recommended and the lovely dresses are from Studio D’Maxsi Designs of Maryland and Hair (Makeda Twists) by Xpressyourkinks.

Adebola MuA and Tosinger

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

And last but not least, here’s thanking all my friends and my family esp my three men who are as solid as a rock in supporting all my creative endeavors. God bless you all.

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger