The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities overseas and operating in France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the People's Republic of China. The company considered North America as a growth market for Washlet's bidets and toilets, in contrast to its "base" markets of Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto was documenting Toto words to ensure the future generations would be able to read them. However, many words were being replaced with foreign words, such as dui from Bengali for verandah.
Origins
The early history of Toto which began in 1917, mirrored Japan's rapid economic expansion. In the early years of its existence, the company produced goods to meet demand for new, modern urban housing. To do this, it employed the first tunnel kiln in the country that produced ceramics in continuous flow. It also pioneered the use automation to control production, which allows for greater efficiency and consistency.
The company began expanding its operations overseas in the latter part of the 1980s to take advantage of new markets and sales opportunities. It launched the Cera Trading Company, importing and distributing other products of manufacturers to complement its own lines of sanitary earthenware and plumbing fittings. This strategy increased sales and expanded the firm’s global market share.
In the 1990s Toto began to concentrate on research and development for water-related appliances. It also upgraded its distribution system to better serve the needs of its customers and to increase profits. The company adopted a just-in-time approach to supply chain management, and it used the same method for its sales process. This resulted in a higher level customer satisfaction.
Toto continued to develop toilet technology. Its most recent toilet, for example is equipped with a strong tornado flush that is more ecologically friendly than traditional toilets. Toto uses recycled water for its manufacturing process and has a green buying policy. Toto also manufactures bathtubs, faucets, and hand dryers that have higher energy efficiency than standard models.
The first Toto museum opened in 2015. It features exhibits on the most iconic products of Toto and their evolution, the group companies (all of which are ceramics) as well as the history of plumbing, and products such as bath units. In a separate gallery you will find Toto products that are sold throughout. The museum also has a bathroom that features a WASHLET toilet as well as other toilet-related innovations.
Before beginning the formation of Toto members of the group did sessions for a variety of musicians. Boz Scaggs album Silk Degrees featured keyboardist David Paich and guitarists Mike Porcaro & Steve Lukather, drummers Jeff Porcaro & Steve Lukather. Read More On this page played on records by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
With a name like Asia you'd think that the group would be prog kings and queens however, it's actually a pretty straight forward rock group. The band started out as a group and recorded two albums: 1979's self-titled debut album and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. The group has a wide musical background, but their biggest success came in 1982 when they released Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, but it was not without its difficulties. The record companies placed the band under pressure to deliver a hit single or they would rescind them. Luckily for Toto they did with the aid of the smash single "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery owes a lot to their previous experiences, 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 become the standard for the '80s, and has influenced many contemporary artists.
This album starts off hard with songs like Running Out of Time and Unknown Soldier showcasing the bands ability to write amazing AOR songs that slowly get their hooks into your mind. The album also features jazzier, slower tracks like The Little Things and Chinatown. The album closes with Great Expectations, a song which combines folk and distorted AOR and should sound totally wrong, but works wonderfully well.
After Toto IV The band's fortunes took a turn for the worse. David Hungate left the band to focus on his solo career and the band had several drummers. In internet site , Bobby Kimball left the group due to drug charges. The band continued with Michael Porcaro, Steve Lukather and Michael Porcaro.
Toto released Isolation despite the turmoil. It wasn't as popular as IV. However, the band was able to release a chart-topping album in 1992, Kingdom of Desire. This album marked Toto's final lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new vocalist.
Tours
The band has performed across the world to a global audience of millions, with sold-out shows in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia and New Zealand. The band has a huge repertoire, and its catalog has been played more than one billion times on streaming services across the globe. The band's music has influenced numerous generations of fans.
Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have formed a strong and vibrant friendship that flourishes professionally on a global scale. In 2018, the duo celebrated their 40 Tours Around The Sun by a hugely successful global tour. The album with the same name reached #5 on Billboard 200. The band's latest tour includes their most popular hits, rarely performed live deep-cuts, and some songs that come from Lukather's and Williams' individual catalogues.
TOTO has an Net Promoter Score of 20. This score measures how likely it is that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are those who are highly satisfied with the company and actively encourage others to use their products or services. Detractors are those that rate the company negatively and actively discourage people from using its products or services.
Join Toto for an unforgettable cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour of a region that the French used to call Indochine provides luxurious accommodation, a day on a luxurious cruise ship in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mysterious temples of Angkor Wat. It also includes a night in the charming city of Luang Prabang. This UNESCO World Heritage City is a feast for the senses. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip you don't want to be missing!
Line-up
The album's third, Turn Back, marked the return to the traditional sextet arrangement of previous albums and was a stronger, more consistent effort with an edge that was stronger than Hydra. Its more punk-rock sound was a reflection of the maturation of the group and included drummer Bobby Kimball's increased proficiency on the drums, as well as an improved, mature vocal delivery from singer Joseph Williams. Keyboardist David Paich's work also was sharper, more intricate, and less derivative than earlier performances.
After touring to promote their album, the band recorded their Amsterdam live show that was released by Eagle Records as a 2-CD set titled Falling In Between. The group released a brand new studio album a few months later and embarked on a world tour help 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 & Lukather began exploring old tapes and demos to discover songs that hadn't been recorded prior to. The album was released as a double album titled Then & Now in 2001. It was the first album by the band not to feature any single song that had the word "A" in the title, and it also contained one previously not released track, "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. The group's fourth album, Old Is New, was a commercial failure, and the vocalist Williams was suffering from a serious laryngitis condition which hampered his singing. In addition, Hungate returned to Nashville as a drummer, and Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes along with the other original members of Asia--Wetton, Palmer, and Howe--convened an event in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility of formally reforming the band. The group, which was missing Howe who was busy with Yes during that 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 band also had a special guest appearance from singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.