TOTO – Discovering David Gray

There are many stories in Greek literature that tell about lovers flying to Istanbul and getting engaged in a steam ceremony between two lovers to symbolize everlasting love and the union of two souls, to unite them in marriage. The city of Istanbul has been called the City of the Kings since the 7th century BC, so you can imagine the grandeur and history that TOTO is synonymous with. On this special day, the world gets to celebrate the long history of Istanbul and Turkey as a whole, celebrating one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. If you are planning to celebrate the upcoming wedding of your best friend or loved one to join in the Istanbul fun fairs and festivals, then it would be wise to check out the following information about TOTO.

TOTO (aka Tote Totto) is a touring classical music and dance band from Turkey that were established back in 1992. The name TOTO was derived from Toti, a small village close to the coast of Knokke, on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The band itself was started by Gokum Cetin, who happened to know Cokova, a famous Russian violinist and composer. Gokum decided to take a musical journey to Knokke to meet Cokova and they began to play there almost every weekend, until they decided to form the now well known TOTO.

Since their formation, TOTO has performed all around the world and gained several accolades for their musical performances and their unique sound and style of singing. They have formed several sister bands like TOTOkokad, TOTO Bulgaria and TOTO Belgrade. Although TOTO did not perform any live shows during the years that they were a touring musician, their music has achieved popularity worldwide. A lot of Turkish and foreign nationals started to recognise the talents of the Turkish touring musicians and soon they started to follow them.

This is why when they decided to form a new album called Mural, the fans started asking for some TOTO activities and to be able to go on a tour with them. In order to fulfill the fans’ demand, TOTO has decided to tour in different countries such as Europe, Asia, America and Africa. The band has been quite successful because of the variety of the music that they offer to their fans and the fact that they are very open to their fans and accept all kinds of music. The band also makes use of several instrumentalists such as Dr. Stone, Paul McCartney, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Paul Jones and numerous others in their songs. These various instrumentalists, along with the band members, contribute to the band’s unique sound.

Mural was TOTO’s first album to feature a lot of European artists and this album has reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. The singles that comprise the album have reached number one in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and France. The band has also achieved success in the United States where they sold more than double copies of their first album Mural. The band tours the world like a rock band, playing concerts in cities such as London, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and many other major cities in the world.

In spite of being successful, TOTO still faces a lot of criticism and debates from some traditionalists and church leaders who believe in singing and performing cultural and spiritual songs. However, the critics seem to ignore the positive aspects TOTO have contributed to the musical world. They only remember the negative aspects such as Grammies and other awards that they have received. As a result, TOTO had to release several albums later to appease their critics. David Gray’s contribution to the world of music is quite vast and TOTO have been able to create several albums which have become worldwide favorites including Mural, Stairway to Heaven and Take It Easy.