15 Reasons You Must Love Toto Asia
Wiki Article
The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities abroad, and doing business in France and Germany, Indonesia, Korea and Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. North America was seen as a market that would grow for bidet and washlet toilet seats, as opposed its "base" markets in Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto was recording Toto words to ensure the future generations could read the words. However, many words were being replaced with foreign ones, such as dui, which is Bengali for verandah.
Origins
The early history of Toto which began in 1917, mirrored Japan's economic expansion. In the early years of its existence, the company made goods to meet demand for modern, contemporary urban housing. To accomplish this, it used the country's first tunnel kiln to produce ceramics in a continuous flow. It also pioneered the use of automation to control production, allowing for more efficiency and consistency.
The company began expanding internationally in the late 1980s to take advantage of new markets and sales opportunities. The company established the Cera Trading Company to import and market other manufacturers' products in order to complement its own range of sanitary earthenwares and plumbing fittings. This strategy helped increase sales and expand the company's market share in the world.
In the 1990s, Toto had shifted its emphasis to research and development of household appliances that are water-related. It also improved its distribution system to better serve the needs of its customers and boost profits. The company implemented a just-in-time method of managing supply chains and applied the same methodology in its sales program. This resulted in a higher level of customer satisfaction.
Toto continues to invent in the toilet technology. Its latest toilet, for instance is equipped with a powerful tornado flush that is more ecologically friendly than traditional toilets. The company also uses recycled water in its manufacturing process and has a green purchasing policy. Apart from toilets, Toto manufactures faucets and bathtubs, as well as hand dryers that are more efficient in energy use than typical models.
The first museum of the company was opened in 2015 and features exhibits on Toto's most iconic products and their evolution, its group companies (all related to ceramics) and the history of plumbing and other products like bath units and, in a different gallery, Toto products sold around the world. The museum also has a bathroom that features the WASHLET toilet, as well as other toilet-related innovations.
Before forming Toto members of the group performed sessions for a variety of musicians. Boz Scaggs' album Silk Degrees featured keyboardist David Paich as well as guitarists Mike Porcaro & Steve Lukather as well as drummer Jeff Porcaro & Steve Lukather. They also appeared on records by Steely Don, Seals and Crofts and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
You would expect a group with a name like Asia to be a prog rock band however, it's actually a fairly straight forward rock band. The band began as four-piece, and released two albums: 1979's self-titled debut and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. However, even though the group have a diverse musical background their biggest hit was achieved in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a huge blockbuster, but not without its share of issues. Record companies put the band on place with the directive "give us an album that is a success or we'll take you off the market" and the pressure was on them to give it. Toto was able to achieve this feat with the help of the smash hit "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is a result of their previous experiences since the members had been session musicians for artists such as Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, and Seals and Crofts prior the group. Their distinctive sound has become the standard for the '80s, and has influenced many contemporary artists.
The album begins hard with songs such as Running Out of Time or Unknown Soldier that show the band's ability to write fantastic AOR tunes here that slowly get into your head. But the album also contains some slower, more jazzy tracks such as The Little Things and Chinatown. The album closes with Great Expectations. This song is a mix of folk and the distorted AOR, which should sound completely wrong but actually works extremely well.
After Toto IV, the band's fortunes began to wane. David Hungate left the band to pursue a solo career, and the band was dominated by drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball was fired from the band in aftermath of drug-related charges. However, the band continued as a trio, which included Michael Porcaro and Steve Lukather.
Toto released Isolation despite the turmoil. It was not as popular as IV. The band was able to release an album that topped the charts, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. The album was the last of Toto's lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new vocalist.
Tours
The band has performed around the globe to an audience of millions, and has sold-out shows across Europe, North America, Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. The band has a wide repertoire, and its catalog has been played more than one billion times via streaming services all over the globe. The band's music has influenced many generations of fans.
Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have forged a deep and vibrant friendship that flourishes professionally on a global scale. In 2018, the duo celebrated their 40 Tours Around The Sun with an incredibly successful global tour. The album that bears the same name was ranked at #5 on the Billboard 200. The band's newest tour features their most popular songs, rarely performed live deep-cuts and a selection of songs from Lukather's and Williams' individual catalogues.
TOTO has a customer satisfaction rating of 20 based on its Net Promoter Score, which is a measure of how likely customers are to recommend the brand. Promoters are those who praise the company and actively encourage others to use their products or services. Detractors have negative opinions about the company and actively discourage people from using its products or services.
Join Toto to enjoy a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour includes luxurious accommodation, a cruise on the most luxurious cruise ship on Halong Bay and an exploration of Angkor Wat, a mystical temple that the French called Indochine. You'll also spend one night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that will delight the senses. This is a trip that you shouldn't miss!
Line-up
Turn Back, the band's third studio album, was an ode to the classic sextet structure and a more consistent, stronger effort that had a more grittier edge. The more edgier sound of Turn Back was a reflection of the maturation in the group. Bobby Kimball's growing ability to play was evident in the vocals of Joseph Williams, who had grown more confident and mature. David Paich's keyboard skills were also more sophisticated, sharper, and less derivative on earlier efforts.
After touring to promote their album, the band recorded an Amsterdam live concert which was released on Eagle Records as a 2-CD set entitled Falling In Between. The group released their new studio album just a few months after and embarked on a world tour to promote it. During this period, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family.
In 1998, Paich and Lukather started looking through old tapes and demos for an album that would feature songs that were never recorded before. It was completed as a double album titled Then And Now in 2001. It was the first album by the band that did not include any single song that had the word "A" in its title and it included one previously not released track, "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. The group's fourth record, Old Is New was not a commercial success and vocalist Williams was suffering from laryngitis that restricted his singing capabilities. Additionally, Hungate returned to Nashville and drummer Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the original members of Asia The original Asia members met in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility that the band could be reformed. This lineup, with the exception of Howe (who was a member of Yes at the time) was eventually referred to as Toto XIV and toured extensively.
In 2010, the band reunited for another reunion tour with a slightly different line-up, including guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather, drummer John Pierce, bassist Shannon Forrest, and multi-instrumentalists Warren Ham and Dominique Taplin. The band featured a special appearance by singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.