Short Bio:
Tosinger is an Atlanta based sweet spirited indie artist, an inspirational AfroSoul/Folk Singer Songwriter. She is also a Writer/Poet and a Creative Arts Consultant. An eclectic woman of the arts with a warm personality and matchless passion, her message remains inspirational and uplifting. Her vocal essence & sound has been described as soulful and African, soothing and calming, her sublime voice displays a simple conveyance of heartfelt richness and freshness. She draws influences from her Yoruba cultural background, afrobohemian earthiness and an eclectic mix of artists including Mariam Makeba, Angelique Kidjo, Tracy Chapman, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone to name a few.
She released ‘FINALLY’ an EP of 6 tracks early 2012 and in 2013 digitally published – The ‘AfroSpire’ Demo project – a collection of songs with African sounds, Yoruba sayings and lyrics delivered in a contemporary style. She is currently working on her debut album due to be released in 2015 tagged ‘Organically Singing’
She is very much on the way to warming herself into the hearts of lovers of organic music globally. Tosinger continues to brand herself uniquely in the African soul/world music arena while her message remains consistently inspirational.
For more, visit www.tosinger.com. Follow her on Twitter @tosinger. & Like on Facebook/TosingerSings. She also blogs at www.tosingersblog.com.
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Hello.
I am Tosinger, Afrosoul Singer~Songwriter, Social Artpreneur and Creative Brand Consultant.
– What does it mean to be a dreamer?
I have to say I am highly honored to have my words featured on this inspiring blog, it’s a great feeling to have your ‘dream~ability’ recognized by others.
Just to give you, the reader some insight, I’d like to share my response when I was asked to be today’s Guest Contributor on the ‘Of Dreams and Deeds’ blog I wrote Ayo –
“You couldn’t have reached out to a more relevant person, a fellow ‘dreaming doer’ :). I am one who surely believes that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. My business outfit is called ‘Dreamweavers Entertainment’, my annual afromusic touring concert project is tagged ‘AfroDreamFest’, I have an upcoming e-commerce shop of artsy handmade work and future projects tagged ‘afrodreaming’, my sign off on my blog is … “Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing”… and so on and so forth.. need I say more? 🙂
So now that my qualifications are out of the way, let me tell you what being a dreamer is really, really all about. The tags are nothing if it’s not a reflection of the inside, expressed on the outside. It doesn’t just stop at branding projects with the “Dream” tag, it starts from the mind. To dream is to be in a continuous state of consciousness of “I can” — “I can do this”, “I can make an impact”, “I can add value”. To dream is not to only imagine or envision, it is to actually step out on a mission, no matter how little, slow or (un)forthcoming the steps seem to be. A dreamer sticks to their guns despite and in spite of, not seeing the end of the whole ladder but stepping on the rung.
A dreamer is a courageous individual who foresees the future beyond the present. I daresay a dreamer is a prophet. Dreamers are actually exercising faith on a spiritual dimension and as the scriptures say, without faith it is impossible to ‘see’ God. As I am of the Christian faith, I esteem the words of the Holy Bible. In Romans 4:17, the story of Abraham: “As it is written: I have made you a father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—in the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” – God is being referred to as one who calls the things that are NOT, as though they WERE…
A dreamer, I daresay again, is exhibiting the characteristics of God, our creator therefore he/she is not an ordinary being. Dreamers are more spiritual than the world cares to admit, and of a higher inner being and essence than the average individual.
However, true dreamers don’t just sit and wish and daydream, true dreamers are visionaries and go-getters. As confirmed in the excerpt of a great book that I’ll highly recommend if you are still looking to discover your purpose or vision for life – It’s titled ‘The Vision Guided Life’
– What’s the most challenging thing about identifying as one?
One of the challenges of being a dreamer is being considered stupid, foolish or just simply unrealistic by others. This is why, depending on the circumstances, it is not always wise to share one’s dreams to every and any one in the beginning during the seed stage. Getting other “believers” on board, people who won’t scoff at your dream, a team who can see where you are going, people I refer to as ‘destiny helpers’ are few and far between, not very easy to find but they are out there if you look carefully and are at the right place at the right time. The energy you put out will typically attract the right people.
Another challenge is the emotional fatigue that comes with delay of realization. Time, mostly is a good friend, but given our human nature, we tend to get impatient. Considering someone like me about to hit my 40’s, I get worried that my dreams are not being fulfilled yet, while I have my strength and youth in the ‘afternoon’ of my life on earth, so to speak. And how do I deal with that? I just recognize that negative thought that seems to pull me back and replace it with something positive, that way I can escape the feelings of “Am I good enough?”, “Is it really worth it?”, “Is it still possible?”. I also read up on inspiring individuals who made things happen at different stages of their lives.
Funding also, is mostly always one of the biggest challenges for dreamers, unless one is born with a silver spoon with a trust fund to boast, getting the money to pursue one’s dreams is a high hurdle to jump. In my experience, I have found out and it is quiet ironic that dreamers who would be of a larger and major impact to their society are the ones usually strapped for cash to get things rolling. But we have to start where we are, with the little we have. True dreamers are frugal, and any income they have is usually used towards their passion. They would sacrifice self to fulfill a dream.
– What’s the most rewarding?
The most rewarding part? When the dreams begin to realize, materialize and take shape. This is the most rewarding feeling of all. When you’ve done the work and it starts paying off. When other people start benefiting from your dream, as your dream shouldn’t be for yourself only. The value is immeasurable. The funny thing is dreams start getting fulfilled the time you least expect it to, it is not a measure of physical time in calendar moments (chronos) but kairos time (The word kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning “opportunity,” “season,” or “fitting time.”) Consistency is the key. Never stop, keep going. Never give up, keep pushing. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
– What dream(s) am I currently chasing after at the moment?
I have a passion for music, the arts and my continent of Africa. So my dream is inevitably tied to these 3. I am currently working on new music (new album titled ‘Organically Singing’ due to be released Summer of 2015) and the kick off of my NGO Adopt a Guitar Inc (for more info, see www.adoptaguitar.com ) – a nonprofit that is geared towards providing music instruments and education to naturally talented, gifted underprivileged youth in African countries who need music tools and development but otherwise cannot afford them. My ultimate dream is to have an ‘Afrodreaming’ artist residency institute on a large campus on the continent to discover and groom upcoming talents who need an avenue and platform of expression.
For now, I’m taking it one day at a time. Slowly and steadily to win the race. Rome was not built in a day. A dream starts with a seed. And it will grow. In the words of Mother Teresa, “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
– What am I doing to make sure it’s not merely a dream
& how can others can be of help?
To get there, I make sure I am on a daily creative roll, doing something everyday that counts towards the realization of my dream. I perform on ground, write new music and I recently launched an indiegogo campaign for “Organically Singing + Adopt A Guitar” which can be found at this link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/organically-singing-musically-giving/x/390330. I would appreciate your support.
– And lastly, since part of being a dreamer is contemplating answers to what if/if I could questions, a fun question to answer was “what if you had 25-hour days (while everyone else continued to have 24-hour days), what would you do with the extra time?”
My 25th hour of a 25 hour day will probably find me doing something artsy or music related, listening to, writing lyrics or poetry and/or singing (maybe with my two boys). If I had the means and I could travel to another part of the world I haven’t seen, I would book a flight on that hour J. I have a thing for nature so I would probably also love to lay and roll in a vast meadow or dig my feet in the sand by the beach side, or stand under a cool waterfall and breathe out all the air from the hustle of the previous 24 hours.
I leave you with this quote: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world” – Harriet Tubman
Let’s dream in living colors…because if not, why not?
Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing….
Tosinger
of Dreams And Deeds 