The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities overseas, and was doing business in France and Germany, Indonesia, Korea and Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. North America was seen as an opportunity to grow for Washlet toilets and bidet seats, in contrast to its "base" markets in Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto documented Toto words to ensure that the future generation could read them. However, many of the words were being replaced with foreign ones, such as dui, which is Bengali for verandah.
Origins
Established in 1917, Toto's early years were a mirror of Japan's economic growth. In the first half of its existence, the company made products to meet the demand for modern, contemporary urban housing. To do this, it employed the first tunnel kiln in the country to make ceramics in continuous flow. It also pioneered automation to allow production control, which helps to increase efficiency and a more consistent production.
The company began expanding overseas in the latter part of the 1980s to profit from new markets and sales opportunities. It launched the Cera Trading Company, importing and distributing other products of manufacturers to complement its own line of sanitary earthenware and plumbing fittings. This strategy helped increase sales and increased the firm's market share in the world.
In the 1990s Toto began to focus on research and development for water-related appliances. It also upgraded its distribution system to better serve the needs of customers and boost profits. The company implemented a just-in-time approach to supply chain management and used the same approach for its sales process. This resulted in a higher level of customer satisfaction.
Toto continues to invent in the toilet technology. Its latest toilet has an environmentally friendly, powerful tornado flush. The company also uses recycled water in its manufacturing process and has a green purchasing policy. Toto also produces bathtubs, faucets, and hand dryers that have higher energy efficiency than typical models.
The company's first museum opened in 2015 and features exhibits on Toto's most iconic products and their development as well as its group companies (all having to do with ceramics), history of plumbing and products such as bath units and, in a different gallery, Toto products sold around the world. The museum even has a bathroom that includes a WASHLET toilet as well as other toilet-related innovations.
Before forming Toto members of the group did sessions with various musicians. Keyboardist David Paich, drummer Jeff Porcaro and guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather all played on the album Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs. They also appeared on records by Steely Don, Seals and Crofts and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
With a name as evocative as Asia, you would expect the group to be prog kings and queens however, it's actually a pretty straight forward rock band. The band began as four members and released two albums that were self-titled in 1979 and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. The band has a varied musical background, but their greatest success was in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, but it was not without its share of issues. The record companies put the band under pressure to release the top single or else they would pull them. Toto was able achieve this feat with the help of the smash hit "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is a result of their prior experience. Before joining the group, the members worked as session musicians for artists like Boz Scaggs. Steely Dan and Seals and Crofts. Their distinctive sound has since become the standard for '80s pop, influencing many contemporary artists.
The album opens up hard with tracks like Running Out of Time or Unknown Soldier that show the band's ability to write great AOR tunes that slowly creep into your head. But the album also contains some slower, more jazzy tracks such as The Little Things and Chinatown. The album concludes with Great Expectations, a song that combines folk with distorted AOR and should sound completely wrong, but actually works wonderfully well.
After Toto IV, the band's fortunes began to decline. David Hungate left the band to focus on his solo career. The band was dominated by drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball was fired from the band in after he was charged with drug abuse. the band continued as a trio featuring Michael Porcaro and Steve Lukather.
Despite the turmoil, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation however, which was not as successful as IV. The band was able to release an album that was chart-topping, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. This album marked the conclusion of the original Toto lineup and was also the first to feature the new singer, Simon Phillips.
Tours
The band has performed for millions of people around the world, performing sold-out shows across Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The band's repertoire is huge and their catalogue has accumulated over billion streams on streaming services around the world. The band's music has inspired many generations of fans.
Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have developed a deep colorful friendship that is thriving professionally on a global basis. In 2018, the duo celebrated their 40 Tours Around The Sun by a hugely successful tour around the world. The album with the same title reached #5 on Billboard 200. The new tour by the band features their greatest hits and rarely played live deep cuts, alongside a selection of songs from Lukather and Williams their individual catalogs.
TOTO has a Net Promoter Score of 20. This score measures how likely it is that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are those who praise the company and actively encourage others to make use of their products or services. Detractors are those who judge the company poorly and might even actively hinder others from using their services or products.
Join Toto for a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour features luxurious accommodation, a day on a deluxe junk on Halong Bay and an exploration of Angkor Wat, a mystical temple that was once the home of the French called Indochine. You will also spend one night in the charming city of Luang Prabang. This UNESCO World Heritage City is a feast for your senses. This is an unforgettable trip that you will not wish to miss!
Line-up
The album's third, Turn Back, marked an reversion to the classic sextet format of the previous albums. It was a more ferocious, consistent effort that had a harder edge than Hydra. The more experimental sound of Turn Back was a reflection of the maturation in the group. Drummer Bobby Kimball's increased proficiency was evident in the vocals of Joseph Williams, who had grown more confident and mature. David Paich's keyboard work was also sharper, more complex and less akin to earlier efforts.
After touring to promote their album, the band recorded the band's Amsterdam live concert which was released on Eagle Records as a 2-CD set entitled Falling In Between. The studio album came out a few months later, and the group went on a world-wide tour to promote the album. In this time, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes filled in for Paich and bassist David Hungate left the group to spend more time with his family.
In 1998, Paich and Lukather started exploring old tapes and demos for an album that would feature songs that had never been recorded before. It was completed in 2001 as a duo album titled Then and Now. It was the band's first album without one single track titled "A". The album also contained a previously unreleased track titled "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. click the following website , Old Is New, was a commercial failure, and vocalist Williams was suffering from a severe case of laryngitis that limited his singing abilities. In addition, Hungate returned to Nashville and drummer Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the original members of Asia were in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility that the group could be reformed. This lineup, with the exception of Howe (who was working with 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 group also had the appearance of singer Michael McDonald, and a backing singer named Mabvuto Carpenter.