The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities in the overseas market and operating in France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. North America was seen as an opportunity to 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. Many words were substituted with foreign ones. For instance dui, which was Bengali for verandah, was used.
Origins
Incorporated in 1917, Toto's beginnings mirrored Japan's development. In the early years of its existence, the company manufactured products to meet the demand for modern and contemporary urban housing. To accomplish this, it used the first tunnel kiln in the nation to produce ceramics in a continuous flow. It also pioneered the use automation to control production, allowing for greater efficiency and consistency.
In the late 1980s, the company began to expand overseas to take advantage of sales and new markets. It established the Cera Trading Company, importing and marketing other manufacturers' products to complement its own line of sanitary earthenware and plumbing fittings. TOTOPIA helped increase sales and increased the company's global market share.
In the 90s, Toto began to focus on research and development for water-related appliances. It also upgraded its distribution system to better meet the needs of customers and to increase profits. The company implemented a just-in-time approach to supply chain management and used the same approach in its sales strategy. This resulted in a greater level of satisfaction of customers.
Toto has continued to innovate in the toilet technology. The latest toilet from the company features a strong, eco-friendly tornado flush. The company also uses recycled water in its manufacturing process and has a green purchasing policy. Toto also produces faucets, bathtubs and hand dryers with higher energy efficiency than conventional models.
The first Toto museum opened in 2015. It hosts exhibits on Toto’s seminal products as well as their evolution, group companies (all of which are made of ceramics), the history of plumbing, and other products like bath units. In another gallery, visitors can see Toto products sold all over. The museum also has the bathroom equipped with a WASHLET as well as other toilet innovations.
Before the formation of Toto members of the group did session work for various musicians. Boz Scaggs album Silk Degrees featured keyboardist David Paich and guitarists Mike Porcaro & Steve Lukather, drummers Jeff Porcaro & Steve Lukather. They also performed on records by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
It is common for a group with a name such as Asia to be a prog band, but it is actually a relatively straightforward rock outfit. The group started out as a quartet and recorded two albums: 1979's self-titled debut, and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. But even though the band have a variety of musical backgrounds, their biggest success came in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a huge blockbuster, however it did not come without its share of issues. The record companies put the band under pressure to release a hit single or else they would pull them. Toto was able to achieve this feat with the help of the smash hit "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is due to their previous experience, as the band members were session musicians for artists such as Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, and Seals and Crofts prior to forming the group. Their distinctive sound has since become the standard for '80s pop, influencing many modern 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 that slowly get into your head. However, the album also includes some slower, more jazzy tracks, like The Little Things and Chinatown. The album concludes with Great Expectations, a song that combines folk with distortion AOR and should sound completely wrong, but actually works wonderfully well.
After Toto IV The band's fortunes changed for the worse. David Hungate left the band to pursue a solo career. The band was dominated by drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball was fired from the band in the wake of drug charges and the group continued to perform as a trio featuring Michael Porcaro and Steve Lukather.
Toto released Isolation despite the turmoil. It was not as well-liked as IV. However, the band managed to release another chart-topping album in 1992 with Kingdom of Desire. The album marked the end of the original Toto lineup and was the first to feature a new singer, Simon Phillips.
Tours
The band has performed for millions of fans across the world, with sold-out shows across Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The band has a wide repertoire, and its catalog has been heard over a billion times on streaming services around the globe. The band's music has influenced generations of fans.
Steve Lukather has forged a vibrant, intimate friendship with Joe Williams that is flourishing professionally all over the world. In 2018, the duo celebrated 40 Tours Around the Sun with a wildly successful tour across the globe. The album with the same title was ranked #5 on Billboard 200. The band's new tour includes their best hits and rarely live cuts, alongside some of the songs from Lukather and Williams the catalogs of their respective albums.
TOTO has a satisfaction rating of 20 Based on its Net Promoter Score which measures how likely its customers are to recommend the brand. Promoters are people who give a high rating to the company and encourage others to utilize its products or services. Detractors are those who rate the company poorly and may even actively hinder people from using their products or services.
Join Toto to enjoy a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour of a region that the French once called Indochine provides luxurious accommodation, a trip on a deluxe junk in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mystical temples of Angkor Wat. Also, you'll spend a night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that is a feast for the senses. This is a once in a lifetime trip that you shouldn't miss!
Line-up
Turn Back, the band's third studio album it was an ode to the classic sextet format, and a more consistent, stronger album with a sharper edge. Its more punk-rock sound reflected the maturation of the group and featured drummer Bobby Kimball's increased ability on the drums and an improved, mature vocal delivery from singer Joseph Williams. David Paich's work was sharper, more intricate, and less derivative than previously recorded recordings.
After touring to promote their album, the band recorded an Amsterdam live concert that was released by Eagle Records as a 2-CD set entitled Falling In Between. A new studio album was released just a few months later and the band embarked on a long-distance tour to promote the album. In this time keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family.
In 1998, Paich and Lukather started searching through old demos and tapes in search of a new album featuring songs that were never recorded before. It was released as a double album titled Then And Now in 2001. It was the band's first album that did not contain the single track "A". The album also included a previously unreleased track titled "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. The group's fourth record, Old Is New was a commercial failure and vocalist Williams was suffering from laryngitis that restricted his singing capabilities. Additionally, Hungate returned to Nashville, while drummer Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the founding members of Asia, met in England early in 2006 to discuss the possibility that the band could be reformed. The lineup, with the exception of Howe who was occupied with Yes at the time, became Toto XIV. They 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 featured an appearance by singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.