The online box office is now closed, but there are plenty of seats left for tonight's AMAZING performance. The cost now is $25 at the door. Come on down!

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The Watchung Arts Center's "Powerful Woman of Song" Series

Proudly Presents...

Toshi Reagon!

(in a solo performance)

Give a listen on Myspace

About Toshi Reagon...

Toshi Reagon jumped into the spotlight when Lenny Kravitz asked her to open for him on his first world tour. Toshi hasn’t stopped earning the respect of musicians, the praise of critics and the love of fans since then.

Toshi was born in Atlanta and raised in Washington DC. Both parents belonged to SNCC’s (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) The Freedom Singers, a folk group that sprung from the Civil Rights movement and toured the country to teach people about civil rights through song. Bernice Johnson Reagon is not only Toshi’s mom but the founder of the world renowned à capella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock (she retired in 2004 after 30 years with the group.

Her rich musical heritage led her to become saturated in many traditional styles of music, feeding her desire to explore a range of music that was not as accessible, from blues to Kiss. Admittedly, Toshi says that she attempts to: "take whatever I’m really into and try to learn it and put it into music." This trait results in a musical style that not only transcends classification, but also expresses a political consciousness that is as ingrained in her music as the multiple genres she embraces. Believing music is the way she deals with her political energy, Toshi once told Curve magazine, "From where you are, from who you are in your everyday life, that’s where you make change...Whatever your gig is, make change through your strength."

Despite (or because of) her genre-bending, Toshi fits comfortably on a stage at Carnegie Hall, or in a dirty rock club. Toshi is an artist who’s known for energetic performances and a exemplary gift for writing engaging songs that provoke listeners to think and have fun at the same time. Toshi has shared the stage with numerous musicians including Nona Hendryx, Pete Seeger, Chocolate Genius, Dar Williams and Ani Difranco. Whether playing solo or with her band, her fusion of styles and forms draws listeners in, embraces them and sets them off in a rapturous, hand-raising, foot-stomping delight. Toshi often leaves the stage with the audience clapping and screaming for more.