From Texas to Trinidad-from the Lone Star State to the musical home of Calypso, Steelband, Soca, Chutney and more, Tommy-O takes you on a unique journey through one of the richest musical melting pots in the world.
Originally from Chicago, Tommy Ovington Started singing and playing guitar in Chicagoland rock bands in high school. By the time he got to university, he was singing and playing everything, including Funk, New Wave, Rock and Blues. However, what captivated him most of all was Reggae, which eventually led him to his ongoing adventure with Soca music.
Soca originated in Trinidad in the 1970's when the legendary Calypsonian Ras Shorty Fused Calypso with East-Indian Musical forms. It has since evolved to embrace may other types of dance music. It rivals Reggae as one the hottest musical styles in the Caribbean.
In Jam de Riddim, Tommy-O sings a variety of distinctive Calypso, Soca and Reggae tunes, along with two British Caribbean Fusions. He Interprets them in an innovative, fresh style that combines his rock-based vocals with Trinidadian producer Kenny Phillips' brand of rhythmic energy and highly danceable grooves.
Trinidad is a small island just off the coast of Venezuela that has given the world many years of incredible music. Tommy-O has made multiple journeys to Trinidad to immerse himself in its combined African and East Indian cultural heritage, a heritage which fuels a musical intensity that rivals any other musical style in the world. Jam de Riddim is a result of Tommy-O's fascination with Caribbean musical styles, and his belief that Soca music is the best dance music in the world.
- Ray Funk "Calypso Historian" and Michael Gibson
