“Laone Thekiso began the Grow to Black Collective in Gaborone, Botswana in 2019 with no permanent members. His vision was to explore music with different musicians and diverse, shifting creative inputs – much like the spiraling winds that sweep the surface of the planet for which the project is named.
The planet Tosa (Jupiter) represents the spiritual desire for exploration and Dia is one of her moons. This offering by the Grow to Black Collective is an exploration of composition, genre and sound, an undulating journey through frequency. The musical arc of Tosa: Dian Echo is an experimental blend of meditative riffs and cheeky bass; it includes elements of Bossa Nova and Afro-Jazz, blended with a moody sax and a sometimes-playful piano.
The album conjures another world; it provides an environment for thoughts to unfurl. One remains grounded in the familiar and is also projected into yet-to-be-discovered psychic landscapes; winds swirl across Tosa’s surface, sometimes calm, at other times tempestuous. There is a push and pull between the chords. The compositions unfold like Dia, caught in Tosa’s gravitational field, dancing around the planet, free but held tightly within her orbit. We are reminded of our temporal nature, that we are held tenuously in place by the force that weaves together the entire universe – by miraculous chance, with stubborn purpose”.
– N. Chukura
obiedigital Editor in Chief
Obakeng is a music enthusiast, writer, all-round creative, entertainment entrepreneur, music producer, thought leader and a digital media boundary pusher. He has been actively involved in the development of the urban arts scene for over 15 years and often writes about matters affecting the entertainment industry while giving commentary on progressing the digital media industry