It’s Not Just All About ‘AfroBeats’ – Here’s New ‘AfroJazz’ Music For You from Shola Emmanuel

Hello Friends,

How is your 2020 going? New Year, New Blessings I pray and I have New Music to share with you.

When you hear the names : Orlando Julius, Manu Dibango, Hugh Masekela and Fela Kuti, what comes to mind? You are correct! Classic and Legendary African Saxophonists whose music has influenced the diaspora and the world at large.

These legends were so widely influential and seriously talented that their music has been sampled and international and western musicians yearned to work with them and some succeeded in collaborating with them, thus spreading the impact of African music globally.

Presenting one of such, for our current generation is:

Shola Emmanuel – Afro Jazz Saxophonist and Music Interpreter

Shola Emmanuel

Carrying this musical torch, Nigerian sax maestro, Atlanta based and world traveling Shola Emmanuel is one of the current wave of afro-musicians in the continuing lineup of legends for the  history books, who is also making a mark in the diaspora. It’s not only about “afrobeats” from Africa which is the rave right now, talents abound in all forms of music (from Africa, in different genres) including and not limited to classical, broadway, folk, pop, folk, rock, soul and Shola Emmanuel represents the Jazz world perfectly.

Following his recently concluded sold out, full house concert ‘Kind of Music’ ( see video) he is releasing a single titled “IFẸ ” which means “Love” in his native Yoruba tongue. IFẸ (pronounced “E-Feh”) is the first single to be released off Shola’s ‘Kind of Music’ album. And guess who the female vocals on the track belong to? Yep, you got it right. Yours Truly. 🙂 The lyrics of the song says “Ife Lo L’aye” which means “Love makes the world go round” and ain’t this the truth.

Shola Emmanuel at his ‘Kind Of Music’ Concert, featuring Tosinger on a piece

Click here to stream the IFẸ song when it comes out on January 31st.  Hope you enjoy it. If you do. Feel free to spread the word and share.

Here is a promo file if you want to groove to it and post on your social media to support good music. Promo link here https://sholaemmanuel.com/ife-promo/ 

Thank you friends!

Love, Peace and Beautiful Music,

Tosinger

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Tosinger releases a new song – FIELD OF DREAMS 🍃🌱

Indie Singer/Songwriter Tosinger has released a new song titled FIELD OF DREAMS 🍃🌱. Smooth and ambient, calm melodies and inspiring vocals on a bed of jazzy piano licks played and musically produced by a young maestro, Timothy Ogunbiyi, a current Jazz graduate student of New Jersey City University. FIELD OF DREAMS 🍃🌱 written by Tosinger is a breathe of fresh air lyrically and musically. The vocals in usual Tosinger fashion are soothing and glides on your ear buds to connect to the listener’s heart and soul. The lyrics are motivational and very inspiring.

Recorded at Studio 42 in Brooklyn, New York, FIELD OF DREAMS 🍃🌱 has a simple, minimal, dreamy vibe that is very refreshing. The song lyrically inspires one to dream big and keep the faith. Difficult to box genre wise, Tosinger is Soulful and Ambient, Timothy’s piano elements and upright/double bass played by Chris Gomez are undoubtedly strong Jazz wise, afro drum patterns played by Benjamin James of the Nigerian “The Cavemen” band gives it a World feel, the guitar licks towards the end of the song played by Philip Uzo gives the song a Pop Rock uplifting feel. Nevertheless, Tosinger is more at home with this musical direction, ambient and eclectic musical elements easy listening in nature.

Overall, FIELD OF DREAMS 🍃🌱is a musical masterpiece that will have a lasting legacy as a classic for generations to come. Feel free to choose your favorite platform of download at this link https://linktr.ee/tosinger and share. Enjoy!

Lyrics

Verse 1

Come open your eyes

So I , so I can see your soul

Run through the field of dreams

Run as fast as your feet can take you and soar

Run through the field of dreams

And fly

Chorus

Seek and you will find your heart’s desires

More and more

More than you can ever imagine

Gather them in the field of dreams

Verse 2

Come and close your eyes, so tight

So you’ll imagine what’s in store for you

Come and see the light that shines so bright

For you and me

Chorus

Seek and you will find your heart’s desires

More and more

More than you can ever imagine

Gather them in the field of dreams

Spoken

Whatever you seek is seeking you

So sow your seeds and in due time

You’ll harvest them

Coda

Field of Dreams Field of Field of Field of Dreams

Coast To Coast- Are you searching for Love?

Happy Valentine’s Day

Hope you love yourself first

And as you search for love

Coast to Coast

Then you will find it

God’s love – Self Love – Others Love

In that order

Happy Valentine’s Day

Enjoy Coast to Coast – A song about searching for true love

Coast to Coast produced/arranged/written/played by Jazz Pianist Timothy Ogunbiyi featuring Tosinger on Vocals. Recorded at SoundXtreem Studios (Bossbeats) and mastered by Neks

LYRICS
Coast to coast to find love o
North to South to feel some warmth o
Climbed mountains swam oceans odo(streams)
Ife ni mo n wa
(It’s love I’m looking for)
mowi o , mowi o
(I am saying this)
Owo po, tibi wa
(There’s lots of money and I’m romantically able)
Ile wa , olapo wa
(There is a home and lots of wealth)
Wa
(Come)

Tolulope fo igba aya mi
(Tolulope broke my heart)
Lakunle fe da ori mi RU
(Lakunle almost ran me crazy)
Andrew took a piece of my heart
Ife ni no wa lo
(It was love I went looking for)

Nibo nife wa
(Where is love)
Nibo nife wa
Nibo nife wa
Come fill my heart

Love, Peace and Beautiful Music,

Tosinger

BLOG REPOST – Tosinger releases new single “LA MUSICO”

 

Tosinger releases New Single “LA MUSICO” Afrosouljazz Singer Songwriter Tosinger just released a feel good Latin jazz vibe song that is pleasing to the ears and light to the soul.  It is titled “La Musico” which she says is a song about the joys of music. According to Tosinger, “La Musico” doesn’t necessarily derive from any language in particular even though the first thought would be Spanish. ‘Music-o’ is actually a play on the word “Music” characteristic of African/Nigerian expression of emphasis, i.e always adding “o” to the end of a word or phrase as can also be heard in some parts of the verse of the song. ‘Musico’ however upon research, is literally derivative of an Italian word meaning “expert musician” so it all works. And “La” is just well, what it is, “La”, it works well as a referential preposition and also as Tosinger adds, if you want to hum to music you sing – “La, la, la” :), so it’s all in relation to and about music. The music of the song was produced by versatile Bossbeats of Soundxtreem Studios, and written, arranged and performed by the talented Tosinger herself. Yemi Conga played the live percussions and Funsho Pitan played live on the bass guitar. This will be Tosinger’s 2nd single of the year, the first one was “Heaven Knows” released January 2017 to usher in the new year and ‘La Musico’ nicely rounds it up on a good note and will obviously be a classic for all times. ‘La Musico’ can be downloaded on Bandcamp (and will also be available on all digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Soundcloud, Spotify etc) The lyric video featuring dancer and actor Femi Olagoke will be released on YouTube on November 7, 2017. More about Tosinger at www.tosinger.com Follow @Tosinger on social media Listen, Share and Download below– —Thanks for supporting good music.  LA MUSICO by Tosinger http://www.tosinger.bandcamp.com LA MUSICO by Tosinger

 

 

Terra Cotta/Open Stage Fridays Launches in Atlanta

Hello everyone,

It’s been a minute and you will see why as you read on. The first quarter of the year is about to round up and  I hope you’ve got those goals you set for 2017 started on and your dreams are being facilitated by real active/action steps. 😉

Four years ago, my passion for promoting good music and  upcoming talented musicians led me to putting together a concept of creating a platform for afro-indie artists of all genres in different US cities to perform on a common stage, a touring concert called Afrodreamfest, it picked up and kinda wound down due to lack of sponsorship/funds, skipped a year but hope to pick up soon.  Fast forward to 2016,  I thought, why not let “charity” (in this case, a business, artpreneurship) begin at the place I call ‘home’ for now, and this idea led to the birth of Terra Cotta ATL, a brick and mortar space with a similar vision (of Afrodreamfest) having local indie artists (afro or not) share a common stage of expressing themselves musically with a live band for a live intimate audience – concerts, open mics, soirees etc. It also gives the community the opportunity to enjoy live music culture which is fast being replaced by online streamings and downloads.

There is nothing like experience in-person energy of music and why not make it available for music lovers who can enjoy this without breaking the bank as they do for  the big shots who tour, while supporting the upcoming ones.  Welcome Terra Cotta, (I got the inspiration for the name from red brick/earthenware signifying the earthy colors of Africa, reds, oranges and deep browns, the color of Africa, the sun, the sand..etc. I am sure you get the idea 🙂 )

Terracotta, terra cotta or terra–cotta (pronounced [ˌtɛrraˈkɔtta]; Italian: “baked earth”, from the Latin terra cocta), a type of earthenware, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic, where the fired body is porous.- wikipedia

Terra Cotta is now officially open and is also very affordable and available to the public for rentals, meetings, pop up shops, product launches, workshops, rehearsals, screenings and exhibitions. It is located in Marietta, Georgia which is just about 15mins ~ ish from downtown Atlanta.  Check out the website here, sign up and send us an email at terracottaatl@gmail.com

A regular programming of the space will be Open Stage Fridays and I am excited to announce the first open stage Friday will be taking place on March 17,2017.  See details below ~

Here’s announcing and inviting YOU to Terra Cotta Open Stage Fridays

WHAT IS “Open Stage Fridays”? Produced by TOSINGER of DreamWeavers Entertainment Open Stage Fridays is an open stage intimate music event (but with pre-registered artists) at TERRA COTTA ATL, indie artists perform live to an audience of music lovers in a cozy atmosphere with an artsy ambiance. Currently free with RSVP every 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. Break away from social media and come and enjoy some live music sessions with Atlanta based unique artists of all genres. Friday, March 17 will feature renowned Nollywood actress and singer, Stella Damasus, Cameroonian dancehall artist Taybid & Afrornb and Afrobeats artist, Sammy Brown. Hosted by Cape Verdean Beauty and Singer – Marijo Monteiro Next Open Stage Friday will be on April 7, 2017. Lineup to be announced soon

DATE AND TIME Fri, March 17, 2017 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST LOCATION TERRA COTTA 136 Fairground Street Southeast Marietta, GA 30060

Also, on March 31, I will be performing with my Cape Verdean friend and singer, MariJo

Artist Features MariJo + Tosinger in Concert (March 31, 2017 @ 7pm, $10)

West Africa shines through these two vocal powerhouses, Cape Verde meets Nigeria and share the music stage at Terra Cotta. Break away from the ordinary and come and experience and enjoy unique music like you’ve never heard before in a cozy, artsy intimate setting. Live music, so close it vibrates your soul and relaxes your body. See you there. Click here for tickets

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @TerraCottaATL

Sign up on our email list on our website www.terracottaatl.com

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

Tosinger

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

 

 

Artist Spotlight – @Asa_Official Latest Album #BedofStone – Out Now

Following her second album, Beautiful Imperfection, which was released on 25 October 2010. Naïve Records Pop/Soul Afro ~ Singer/Songwriter Asa has done it again with the release of her latest work – ‘Bed of Stone’.  She started off taking the french musical scene by storm with the release of her first self titled album and the ripple effect is now being felt internationally with her subsequent musical projects, warming quickly into the hearts of soul music lovers all over.

Available here –

iTunes: http://smarturl.it/bedofstone
Deezer: http://bit.ly/1mH7EbR
Qobuz : http://bit.ly/1q52Hgk
Spotify : http://spoti.fi/XLvs8F
Fnac (CD) : http://bit.ly/1okEAX8
Amazon (Vinyl) : http://smarturl.it/bedofstonevinyl

I personally have an affinity for her free spirited, honest, Yoruba + English style and vibe , there is no Asa song I do not ‘feel’ so I know I am not 100% in the best position to give a full and unbiased review 🙂 so here’s what to do, check it out and send me your reviews and I’ll post them up duly.

About Asa

Born Bukola Elemide, Aṣa was born in Paris, France to her Nigerian parents. Her family returned to live in Nigeria when she was two. Aṣa grew up in Alagbole, a border town in Ogun state near Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria.

She states that the city is “buzzing with energy but also home to a deep-rooted spirituality. Christianity thrives shoulder to shoulder with Islam in an atmosphere of tolerance, and the turbulent city moves endlessly in an infernal and yet harmonious ballet of love and hate, laughter and violence, poverty and wealth”.[citation needed] Twenty years later, Aṣa returned to Paris where her life as an artist took off.

Whenever Asa came home from school in Nigeria, she discovered musical acts like Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Femi Kuti and Angélique Kidjo. This was while she was in pursuit of educational excellence, and these musical acts are whose footprints she dreamed of following… Culled Wiki

Enjoy the video of Asa performing a live studio Deezer session of 3 of her songs, including her first hit ‘Jailer’

00:13 Jailer
03:58 Dead Again
06:54 How Did Love Find Me

Connect with Asa
Twitter – @Asa_official / Instagram – @Asa_music

www.asa-official.com

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

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

RIP AFRICAN LEGEND, KING OF SOUKOUS : Tabu Ley Rochereau

You know I have a bias for ‘African World Music’ and of course being that the music that I make could easily fall into that category ( musically/lyrically) . So I follow the music and the news in that category of the entertainment industry closely.  We will surely miss a legendary musician who paved the way and passed the baton of good African cultural music to the rest of us. Congolese Tabu Ley Rochereau made beautiful Afro-Highlife, Jazz, Africando music with Papa Wemba et al. It would be awesome to meet these legends and glean from them before they leave us, above all, the musical legacies they leave behind, live on.

Tabu Ley Rochereau (November 13, 1940 – November 30, 2013 ) was a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa’s most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered Soukous; he internationalized his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American rumba (Source – Wiki)

As published on Standard Media –

“At 72 years Old, the legendary Tabu Ley passed on today while in a Belgium Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a stroke that he had suffered in 2008, but had often been affecting his health. The performer, whose popular hits like Muzina, Maze and Sorozo rocked millions of fans in Africa, is a celebrated musician, whose songs continue to enjoy airplay years after they were released. Thanks to his massive contribution to African Music, Tabu Ley was recently in in Kinshasa to accept an award for his contribution to the country’s rich heritage and cultural diplomacy and was set to perform at a Gala Night today. News of his demise has thus left his fans saddened but despite the loss many still have tons of praises for his contribution to the African culture and Music. Having launched his career in Kinshasa in 1959 both as a composer, singer and dancer, in Joseph Kabasele’s African Jazz, Tabu Ley was one of the few of his generation of musicians, who included Joseph Kabasele, alias Grand Kallé or Nicolas Kasanda, alias Nico. When asked about his health state in a previous interview, Tabu Ley had said : “I feel very well as you can notice. As per my doctors, my health conditions are improving every day. The thing is that I have to accept my current condition with good-naturedness. I am 72 years old and find it normal to face some physical weaknesses. I am a Christian and trust in God,” . At the time of his death, Tabu Ley composed around 2,000 songs and produced 250 albums.”

His Music

Rest on Tabu Ley, The Dream Goes On…

xoxo

Tosinger