Tosh1
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PERFORMING ON THE PETER TOSH CELEBRATION IN BERKELEY, CA - TOURING THE WESTERN US AND CANADA - OCTOBER 2010
Tosh 1, the youngest son of the late great Reggae icon Winston Hubert McIntosh, aka Peter Tosh, was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1980. He moved to Boston in 1985. He is currently an economics major at Northwestern University.
In Boston, Tosh 1 was introduced to rap and hip-hop, the flow and flavor of LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Run DMC. “That was when music was real,” says Tosh 1, who started mixing the sounds of reggae with loops and samples of hip-hop in high school. Tosh has a love-hate relationship with the hip-hop genre, and believes many of its artists have gone astray, seduced by major record deals, fast cars and expensive clothes.
“The same revolutionary spirit that once inspired me has been transformed into everything it once detested,” says Tosh 1.
In 2000, Tosh 1 decided to record a couple of tracks in the studio, creating a hybrid sound that blended urban sounds, but still stayed true to the tenets of reggae and its messages of social change, activism and spirituality. “It was like second nature, like magic,” says Tosh 1. “People just fell in love with it.” Tosh 1 is a revolutionary artist with an impetus to right wrongs. “I give people food for thought,” explains Tosh 1. “It’s about waking people up. I am going to expose the system for what it is. We have to be more conscious of our life here on earth and stop complaining.”
Tosh 1’s debut album Babylon Burning is slated for release in spring 2011. He is currently back and forth to the studio, working on his new single – Wicked a Go Bun.
This summer 2010, Tosh 1 was very busy on the US festival circuit. He headlined the Maple Ridge Carribean Festival at the Memorial Peace Park in Vancouver, BC. Canada. He also performed on the Mid – West Reggaefest and the South Bend Reggaefest, and in Minnesota he performed on the Bayfront Reggae Festival, and in upstate New York, he performed on The Gig in the Sky Festival. He was also booked this summer on the Montreal Reggaefest in eastern Canada.
Tosh 1 traveled to Jamaica four times this summer for festivals there - The Life Fest, put on by Spragga Benz as a tribute to his son who was murdered, The Western Consciousness show, Bunny Wailer’s show and The Negril Escape Summer Concert Series. Tosh 1 was embraced and very warmly received in Jamaica, the land of his birth.
This October western U S tour will be a special treat for all those Peter Tosh fans who have been waiting for Peter’s next release, and for the younger generations who never got to see Peter Tosh perform live in the flesh. Peter’s youngest son, Tosh 1 has now taken the torch and moved ahead with youthful strength and vigor to carry on the work of his father.
BIOGRAPHY: TOSH 1
Jawara McIntosh, aka Tosh 1, the son of the late great Reggae icon Winston Hubert McIntosh, aka Peter Tosh, was born in Kingston, Jamaica. At the tender age of five he moved to the states; into what would be his life long home in Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of seven, the time of his father’s untimely death is when young Tosh first picked up a pen and began to write. Haunted by the murder of his father and continuously perplexed by the unanswered questions surrounding this tragic event, young Tosh desperately sought an outlet in which to discharge his frustration.
Tosh's personal taste in music became influenced by the rhythms and lyrics of his uncle Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley and his father Peter Tosh. He was inspired and moved by the hard hitting cultural message of foundation reggae. As Tosh 1 grew older and more in tune with his roots, the fire that burned deep within compelled him to carry on the Legacy of his father as well as establish his own. In time he would become completely absorbed by the spiritual messages behind his father's words. With his first remake of Tosh's You Can't Blame the Youths, he proved to himself and fan's that he was ready to awaken the spirit of his Father and deliver the message to his generation.
After many years of training and honing his lyrical abilities, Tosh 1 has truly become a master at his craft and humbly seeks to take his music to a higher level. Tosh 1 states "My mission is to deliver a message of Truth without compromise in the language I am most familiar with; the language of the struggle.” With his powerful singing voice and lyrical generalship, Tosh 1 displays a versatility that is unmatched amazingly to fans of the reggae world.
At Tosh’s first official live concerts at the Paradise Rock club in Boston; a venue his father once graced over a decade ago; and at the Hut Tin Roof in Martha’s Vineyard, performing as a virtual unknown, a hyper-energetic Tosh 1 managed to stir audiences into an amazing frenzy. The son of Peter Tosh displayed his unparalleled lyrical talent and remarkable versatility as he covered his father’s songs beautifully while seamlessly intertwining his signature brand of revolutionary lyrics. It was impossible for onlookers to deny his ability.
In 2005 Tosh 1 opened for some of the biggest names in the business. He uniquely graced the stage with Sizzla, Gregory Isaacs, Shabba Ranks, Damian Marley, and performed live with Sinead O’Conner backed by Sly & Robbie and toured with Heavy Weight Dub Champion. He has also recorded with the son of the late great Dennis Emmanuel Brown, Daniel Brown and is looking forward to doing more collaborations in the future. In August of 2006, Tosh 1 touched down in the Far East, performing along side of the legendary roots artist Horace Andy, resurrecting vintage classics like Mark of the Beast and Vampire, once again displaying his incomparable versatility. In December of 2007, Tosh also shared a stage with reggae superstar Jah Cure in front of a sold out crowd in Antigua. In 2009, Tosh1 toured North America backed by The Dis N Dat Band. He performed with The Original Wailers, covering songs like Get Up Stand Up and Exodus. In 2010 Tosh1 worked on many shows on the US festival circuit, and he is currently working diligently on his first album – Babylon Burning.
What once seemed to be a fantastic dream is now manifesting itself into reality. In an industry that is constantly changing and challenging, Tosh 1 plans to become one of the greatest legendary icons of all time.
For more photos and information, check out www.myspace.com/jahtosh www.facebook.com/Tosh1 www.twitter.com/tosh1
