The Band Toto Asia Toto was expanding production facilities overseas, and was doing business in France and Germany, Indonesia, Korea and Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. The company believed that North America as a growth market for Washlet's bidets and toilets, in contrast to its "base" markets of Japan and China. Dhaniram Toto recorded Toto words to ensure that the future generation could read them. However, many words were being replaced by foreign ones, like dui from Bengali for verandah. Origins Toto's early history that began in 1917, was a reflection of Japan's economic expansion. In the early years of its existence, the company manufactured products to meet the demands of modern and contemporary urban housing. It used the first tunnel kilns in the country to continuously produce ceramics. It also pioneered the use automation to control production, which allows for greater efficiency and consistency. In the late 1980s the company began to expand overseas to profit from sales and new markets. The company created the Cera Trading Company to import and sell other products of other manufacturers to complement its own line of sanitary earthenwares and plumbing fittings. This strategy helped increase sales and expand the firm’s global market share. By the 1990s, Toto had shifted its emphasis on research and development of water-related household appliances. It also improved its system of distribution to better serve its customers and improve profit. The company adopted a just-in-time approach to managing its supply chain and used the same method in its sales program. This led to a higher level of satisfaction with the customer. Toto continued to innovate toilet technology. The latest toilet, for example it has a strong tornado flush that is more eco friendly than conventional toilets. The company also uses recycled water in its production process and has a green purchasing policy. Apart from toilets, Toto manufactures faucets and bathtubs, as well as hand dryers that are more energy efficient than conventional models. The first Toto museum opened in 2015. It has exhibitions on Toto's most famous products, their evolution, the group companies (all of which are made from ceramics) and the history of plumbing, and other products like bath units. In an additional gallery, you will find Toto products sold all over. The museum even has a bathroom that features a WASHLET toilet as well as other toilet-related innovations. Before forming Toto the members of the band did session work for various musicians. Boz Scaggs album Silk Degrees featured keyboardist David Paich, guitarists Mike Porcaro & Steve Lukather and drummer Jeff Porcaro & Steve Lukather. They also played on records by Steely Don, Seals and Crofts and Sonny and Cher. Discography You would expect a group with a name such as Asia to be a prog rock group however it's actually a pretty straightforward rock group. The band started out as a group and recorded two albums: 1979's self-titled debut and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. The group has a diverse musical background, but their biggest success came in 1982 when they released Toto IV. The album was a huge blockbuster, but not without difficulties. The record companies put Toto under pressure to deliver the top single or they would drop them. Toto was able to achieve this feat with the help of the smash hit "Africa." Toto's musical mastery is a result of their previous experience. Before forming the group, the members were session musicians for artists like Boz Scaggs. Steely Dan and Seals and Crofts. Their sonic trademark has become the standard for the '80s, and has influenced many contemporary artists. The album begins with a hefty dose of hard rock, with songs such as Running Out of Time and Unknown Soldier showcasing the bands ability to write fantastic AOR songs that slowly work their hooks into you. The album also contains more jazzy, slower tracks such as The Little Things and Chinatown. The album closes with Great Expectations. This song mixes folk and the distorted AOR which could sound completely wrong but actually is very effective. After Toto IV The band's fortunes turned to the downside. David Hungate left the band to focus on his solo career, and the band was dominated by drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the band following drug-related charges. The band remained with Michael Porcaro, Steve Lukather and Michael Porcaro. Despite the turbulence, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation that was not as successful as IV. The band managed to release an album that topped the charts, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. This album marked the end of the original Toto lineup and was also the first album to feature the new singer, Simon Phillips. Tours The band has performed for millions of people around the world, with sold-out shows across Europe, North America and Asia and also Australia and New Zealand. The band's repertoire is huge and their catalog has accumulated more than billion streams on streaming services around the world. The band's music has been influential to numerous generations of fans. Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have forged a deep, colorful friendship that thrives professionally on a global scale. In 2018, the duo celebrated 40 Tours Around the Sun with a hugely successful tour across the globe. The album with the same name landed at 5 on the Billboard 200. https://salinas-thomassen.hubstack.net/toto-official-website-tips-from-the-top-in-the-business includes their greatest hits, rarely performed live deep-cuts as well as a selection of songs from Lukather's and Williams individual catalogs. TOTO has a satisfaction rating of 20 based on its Net Promoter Score which measures how likely customers are to recommend the brand. Promoters are those who give a high score to the company and encourage others to use its products and services. Detractors are those who do not like the company and actively discourage others from using its products or services. Join Toto for a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour of a region the French once called Indochine offers luxurious accommodation, a day on a luxurious cruise ship in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mysterious temples of Angkor Wat. Also, you'll spend a night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that will delight the senses. This is a once in a lifetime trip that you shouldn't be missing! Line-up The band's third album, Turn Back, marked a return to the classic sextet format of previous albums. It was a stronger, more consistent effort with a harder edge than Hydra. Its more punk-rock sound reflected the maturation of the group and featured drummer Bobby Kimball's increased proficiency on the drums, as well as an improved, mature vocal delivery by singer Joseph Williams. Keyboardist David Paich's work also was more refined, sharper, and less derivative than previously recorded recordings. After touring to promote the album, the group recorded a live concert in Amsterdam which was released as a set of two CDs entitled Falling In Between Live on Eagle Records. A new studio album followed a few months later, and the band embarked on a world-wide tour in support of the album. During this period keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family. In 1998, Paich and Lukather started searching through old demo tapes and tapes to make a new record featuring songs that had never been recorded before. It was released in the form of a double-album called Then and Now in 2001. It was the band's first album without the single track "A". The album also contained a previously unreleased track called "Kari-Anne". By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. The group's fourth album, Old Is New, was a commercial failure, and vocalist Williams was suffering from a serious laryngitis infection which limited his singing capabilities. Hungate also returned to Nashville and Leland Sklar's drumming was replaced by Shem Von Schroeck. Downes along with the other original members of Asia - Wetton, Palmer, and Howe--convened a meeting in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility of reforming the band. This lineup, with the exception of Howe (who was busy with Yes at the time) was later referred to as Toto XIV and toured extensively. In 2010, the band reunited for another reunion tour with a slightly different line-up, including guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather, drummer John Pierce, bassist Shannon Forrest, and multi-instrumentalists Warren Ham and Dominique Taplin. The band featured a special guest appearance from singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.