Tosin

A renaissance force to be reckoned with, the music of composer, percussionist, and vocalist Tosin speaks highly of his African origin. It is also easy to see other influences, such as jazz, Latin music, funk, etc, in his music. As a prolific writer, Tosin writes and sings in his native language - Yoruba - and also English and Pidgin English. His musical inspirations over the years are Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango, Bob Marley, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Sting, Seal, King Sunny Ade, and Haruna Ishola.

Growing up in Nigeria, Tosin's father's vast album collections served as his initial education in music - consciously listening to the diverse music collections from around the world, as well as reading the liner notes intently in order to get familiar with the studios, producers, the musicians and the process. This eventually reflects in his approach to music productions. Tosin professes that "my music is a mixture of African rhythmic textures and some elements of jazz, blues and funk, with lyrics of hope, love and human realities." Possessing infectious groove, Tosin has shared his versatile groove possibilities with different artists, which include Taj Mahal, Carolyn Malachi, Fatoumata Diawara, Spyro Grya, Femi Kuti, Baba Maal, Julie Dexter, and many more. 

In 2014 and 2017, Tosin received the Individual Artist Award for the best World Music Composition from the Maryland State Arts Council. In 2017, he was featured on the Drumeo Channel for a master class on African rhythms applied to the drum set. In 2016, Tosin appeared at the annual Percussive Art Society's International Convention as a clinician/performer. His Drum Monologue has also been featured on MTV's Real World show. Plus an interview/performance with his group on Fox 5 News and Voice of America.

As a bandleader, with 4 albums released, Tosin and his groups have performed at various venues across the US as headliner as well as openers - the most recent being at the Apollo Theater for the Africa Now! festival. With strong passion for teaching, Tosin continues to impart knowledge of music and drumming on aspiring drummers and non-drummers alike. In the same vein, he does not relent in writing new materials for his band, as evident in his latest album release - Afrika Rising - on Ropeadope records.