Champion Panorama Drummer - Michael “Toby” Tobas - 1970 - Desperadoes Steel Orchestra

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Michael “Toby” Tobas

Michael “Toby” Tobas with Desperadoes - Panorama 1970

Profile:
Calypso / soca drums and percussion player Drummer and percussionist from Trinidad & Tobago.

Played with Clive Zanda, Mighty Sparrow, Harry Belafonte. Clarence Curvan Orchestra, Hugh Hendricks & The Buccaneers, The Equitables and Desperadoes Steel Orchestra

Michael “Toby” Tobas

Michael “Toby” Tobas is one of the premier percussionists from Trinidad, and from the 1960s onwards, he has led the way in Trinidad in earning a living as a working musician via performances, recordings and touring, and has been at the forefront of major developments in modern Trinidad music. He toured internationally with Harry Belafonte for five years (1972-1977) appearing on two recordings with Belafonte: Turn the World Around and Belafonte Live in Japan.

Michael Tobas, together with fellow musicians Michael Georges - who graduated as an economist from university by the early 1970s, and Clive Zanda - who graduated as an architect - would come together on weekengs and work for about three years, honing the ideas of jazz and calypso fusion and innovation by constant woodshedding.

Michael Tobas was a major contributor to, and played drums on, Zanda’s first major album: ‘Clive Zanda Is Here With Dat Kinda Ting (Calypso Jazz Innovations).’ That album is considered one of the great and essential 20th century Jazz albums for what it ushered into the world. The compositions, the theory made modal flesh, and for the scary drumming of Michael “Toby” Tobas... --- Rubadiri Victor


Michael “Toby” Tobas performs with Clive Zanda


“The late Rudolph Charles: Steel Pan innovator and leader of Desperadoes steel orchestra (1958 1998) worked with this phenomenal band under his leadership as a drummer (1970-71) Both in Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. This experience contributed greatly to my musical development.” -- Michael “Toby” Tobas 

Drums, Percussion – Michael Toby Tobas

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