About hallelujazz project
Hallelujazz Project, which was formed in 2002, is the brainchild of Tosin Aribisala. With band members from different parts of Africa and the United States, the band is made up of well-talented and professional musicians with great passion for music.
According to Tosin, he is trying to bring forth a cross-cultural musical spectrum with his band by merging his traditional African musical concept with a blend of jazz elements and other contemporary music genres in order to thrill the 21st century music listeners with his original compositions.
Currently, the band performs at various venues around Maryland, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Virginia and around the U.S.
Tosin’s Bio.
After a two-and-a-half year stint, which was mainly spent on world tour, with the Nigerian afrobeat exponent, Femi Kuti, the Nigerian-born drummer, Tosin Aribisala, moved to the U.S. in 2001. Upon his arrival he received a call from the New York-based producer, Andres Levin, for the production of a project which resulted in the “Red Hot & Riot” CD – a tribute CD to the legendary Fela Kuti. The CD featured a number of acts in the mainstream such as, Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, D ‘Angelo, Baba Maal, Taj Maal, Sade, and many more. Since then Tosin has been quite busy with one project or another: Julie Dexter’s Dexterity, Yerba Buena’s President Alien, and the list goes on.
The drummer’s musical activities include teaching, which he acknowledged that he has passion for. A well-rounded performer on the drum set, Tosin’s styles of playability range from bebop to fusion, from reggae to R & B, to hiphop, Latin, afrobeat, gospel, juju and most especially his own drum monologue - a web of polyrhythmic, melodic, jazzy, poetic and groovy patterns on the drum set; the drum monologue also reflects Tosin’s traditional African drumming patterns like the “konkolo” groove, e.t.c.
Tosin’s musical influences include, Fela Kuti, John Coltrane, Fela Sowande, Art Blakey, Dennis Chambers, Steve Smith, Peter Erskine, Manu Katche, Haruna Ishola, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin, Cuban and Brazilian music, to name a few.
Currently, Tosin, a.k.a teegroove, leads his own group called Hallelujazz Project – a band that projects a cross-cultural musical spectrum for the 21st century audience. Performing mostly original compositions of his, Tosin amalgamates his African traditional musical concepts and contemporary African musical idiom with some jazz elements and other contemporary forms of musical expression.
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