Toshi Reagon

Toshi Reagon (born January 27, 1964) is an American musician of folk, blues, gospel, rock and funk, as well as a composer, curator, and producer.

Early life Born January 27, 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia, Reagon grew up with her parents Bernice Johnson Reagon and Cordell Hull Reagon, as well as her younger brother Kwan Tauna Reagon. Reagon grew up in Washington, D.C. She was raised by musician parents active in the civil rights movement. Her mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon, founded the all-woman a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973, which had a profound influence on her. Her parents were also part of the civil rights musical group The Freedom Singers.

Reagon lists 1970's rock and roll bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Kiss, as well as classic Blues musicians such as Big Mama Thornton, Howlin' Wolf, and Big Bill Broonzy as additional musical influences.

Career

Bands and performances Reagon began performing at age 17. The name BIGLovely comes from a term Reagon's girlfriend used to address her in a letter. Reagon has been a big fan of Octavia Butler's works and her themes of Afrofuturism and the eerily similar political climates led Reagon to create the opera. In relation to the differences between the novel and the opera, Reagon notes:

We had to make the opera different because the book is enormous. We wanted to focus on the idea of two communities: one that you are born into and that holds you. The second is an unknown community that you find and who finds you. We thought it should start with this known intimate community and then tell the story by bringing the entire theater and audience into that community. That is why the lights are up at the start of the performance. We wanted audiences to experience a comfortable space and then have the experience of watching things get uncomfortable. We decided to show how fragile we become when we hold on to something when it's time to change.

Discography

Studio and live albums 1990 Justice, Flying Fish Records 1994 The Rejected Stone, PRO-MAMMA LP's 1997 Kindness, Smithsonian Folkways 1999 The Righteous Ones, Razor and Tie 2001 Africans in America Soundtrack w/Bernice Johnson Reagon, Various artists. Ryco 2002 TOSHI, Razor and Tie 2004 I Be Your Water, limited self-release 2005 Have You Heard, Righteous Babe Records 2008 Until We’re Done, self-release 2009 Lava: We Become, self-release 2010 There and Back Again, self-release 2018 SpirtLand, self release

Compilation albums Shout Sister Shout, a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Respond II Dreaming Wide Awake, Lizz Wright with Toshi Reagon: Vocals Real Music, Chocolate Genius with Toshi Reagon: Vocals Raise Your Voice, Earthbeat!, Sweet Honey In The Rock collaboration with Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely Africans In America, Rycodisc, Toshi Reagon: Musician, Composer and Associate Producer, along with Bernice Johnson Reagon. The Temptation of Saint Anthony Every Mother Counts Starbucks

Producer The Temptation of Saint Anthony Studio Cast Recording, Songtalk Music, 2006 Sweet Honey in the Rock: In This Land, Earthbeat Records, 1992. Co-produced with Bernice Johnson Reagon. Sweet Honey in the Rock: Still On The Journey, Earthbeat Records, 1993. Co-produced with Bernice Johnson Reagon. Sweet Honey in the Rock: I Got Shoes, Music For Little People Records, 1994. Co-produced with Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Nitanju Bolade Casel. Sweet Honey in the Rock: Sacred Ground, Earthbeat Records, 1995. Co-produced with Bernice Johnson Reagon. Sweet Honey in the Rock: The Women Gather, Earthbeat Records, 2003. Co-produced with Bernice Johnson Reagon.

She also appeared on the TV show The L Word 2021 The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts 2021 The APAP Award of Merit for Achievement in the Performing Arts 2015 Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow 2009 Out Music Award 2007 Black Lily Award for Outstanding Performance