Toussaint

There are at least 2 artists who share the name Toussaint 1) Toussaint Protector of Soul Music, Defender of Roots with a husky tenor that is the epitome of soul, and with musical influences that range from roots reggae to gospel to neo-soul to hip hop, Toussaint carries a sound that is true to his nickname, “the Liberator”. His music is liberated from any boundaries in form or name. Yet Toussaint remains firmly grounded by his foundational pillars of soul and roots. As a “soul roots” singer unlike any other, and with an epic debut album on tap, Toussaint is poised to break new ground worldwide. Toussaint began his musical journey where most of the celebrated soul voices of the past began: in the church. The son of a Baptist preacher and a gospel singer, Toussaint spent the majority of his youth singing in various churches in and around his home state of Indiana. Following a relocation to Boston in 2001, he began to sing with a wide range of groups where he learned to jump easily from the blues, to old-school R&B, to funk, to reggae. In 2006, the word of Toussaint’s vocal prowesses and songwriting spread to the ears of the soul/funk trio, Soulive, who invited him to join the band as their lead singer. Toussaint penned all of the lyrics for the acclaimed group’s album, No Place Like Soul, released on the newly revived Stax label. Touring the world and performing at legendary venues across the world for nearly two years, Toussaint was able to share the stage with renowned artists such as Isaac Hayes, the Rolling Stones, John Legend and the Dave Matthews Band. Toussaint’s stage performance, vocal strength and songwriting reached new heights during his tenure with Soulive. After taking a break from the music scene in 2008, Toussaint has returned in full force, bringing his original soul reggae music to audiences in the northeast with the bands Buru Style and the Trama Unit. 2010 finds Toussaint poised for another swell in the storyline of his career. Connecting with St. Croix-based I Grade Records – the label behind several notable reggae releases by Midnite, Dezarie, NiyoRah & others – Toussaint has recorded an epic album of original soul-drenched, genre-defying roots music: Black Gold. Black Gold is a record that is both timely and timeless. It is Pan-Africanist in outlook, and it addresses themes that come up often in reggae music, such as fighting the exploitation of the masses by the elites. However, Black Gold is also very here and now. In that vein, the song "Roots In the Modern Time" stands out. There, Toussaint sings about how people often neglect their roots in the pursuit of the comforts and symbols of the modern world.The Liberator also makes time for affairs of the heart on the ballads "Unforgettable" and "Hello My Beautiful," but he reminds listeners that there is much work that needs to be done to lift up the downtrodden on the anthem "Changing".On Black Gold, Toussaint explains that while much has changed in the world, too much has remained the same. And with the gulf between the rich and poor being wider than ever, reggae music is more relevant than ever. People should listen to Toussaint for the same reason they listened to other reggae greats - for the message and the music. 2) A Christian hip hop artist from Birmingham, Alabama USA. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.