Here’s the second single from the Bun Vampayah riddim compilation. Big up Toussaint Liberator (US) for this powerful tune, hear the message and share the vibes!
Defender of Roots, Protector of Soul
Toussaint’s vocal versatility will captivate any unsuspecting listener and deliver his proud message straight to the heart. His Indiana childhood spent singing gospel and performing in Mid-Western churches with his family laid a solid musical and spiritual foundation on which he continues to build. Toussaint is a dynamic independent artist with a powerful voice, a serious message, and undeniable talent. Whether performing on stage or working with youth groups, Toussaint is steady in his mission to build a community of music lovers ready for change.
Toussaint’s current projects draw on his commitment to activism and showcase not only his artistic and lyrical skills, but also his tireless drive. 2012 finds Toussaint bursting at the seams creatively with an onslaught of new material soon to be hitting the masses. “Where I Lead” is a throwback analog reggae album produced jointly between I Dwell and Gatorwood Productions and was recently released on 4/20/2012. It features cameos from reggae legends Mikey General and Kulcha Knox Dixon. With Berklee College of Music professor Matt Jensen and timbalero Jose Clausell (Eddie Palmieri) Rebel Tumbao is an afro-cuban ensemble gearing up to move from the studio to the stage later on this year. And in a different vein “Dear Mama Earth”, a modernly smooth soul-reggae sound with an environmental message created with young powerhouse producer Brian McKenna from NYC is also slated for release later this year. Toussaint has joined forces with Amandla and has an album with them in the works called “Power Link” which will appear this year as well. And yes, yet another project is near completion with a group called SOL out of Maryland. Let this be a warning, the funk is back!
When Toussaint writes a song about a personal subject, his delivery will transform the personal into something that is universally human and easily accessible. However, the global African and the African American experience are the thematic underpinnings for all his lyrics. His 2011 mixtape produced by Relic Secure and Secure Dem Sound titled the African Soul Exchange coupled American soul classics made famous by Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway, and Bill Withers with Jamaican roots rhythms to gel thousands of years of history into a single auditory treat, paying homage to a collective heritage while proving that it hasn’t all been done before. In 2010 he splashed onto the reggae scene with his first solo album “Black Gold” put out by St. Croix based I Grade Records. “Black Gold” stood out as unique, was called “soul-roots,” and quickly rose in the reggae charts catching the attention of reviewers and listeners worldwide.
Toussaint has toured around the world and shared the stage with the likes of Isaac Hayes, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Niyorah and Jahdan Blakkamoore among others.