Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra

TASSO

Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra

Ciao! Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra (TASSO) is touring Italy! Since the beginning of this year, TASSO has been preparing for our 2023 trip to Italy where we will be performing in Tuscany, Cremona, Mondaino, Todi and Roma. We are very excited and feel privileged to be representing Canada once again on the world stage.

TORONTO ALL STARS Steel Orchestra has performed at many of Toronto's most prestigious performing arts venues, including Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. Since its founding in 2000, TASSO has become a fixture at community events, supporting many charitable causes like the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the OneWalk to Conquer Cancer, and the Journey to Conquer Cancer annual fundraisers. TASSO also performs annually at the launch of the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 2004, TASSO made its first international trip representing Canada in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2007, it represented Canada at the international youth music festival in Sydney, Australia, where it performed at the Sydney Opera House. After making a return visit to Scotland in 2009, TASSO toured Italy in 2011 and Central Europe in 2013, commanding audiences in such celebrated cities as Florence, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. Following another return trip to Aberdeen in 2015, TASSO travelled again to Sydney where in 2017 it took the gold medal in international competition. In 2019, TASSO toured the Spanish cities of Alicante, Barcelona and Valencia. This year's repertoire for the 2022/23 season comprises a mixture of Classical, Jazz, Calypso, Contemporary, and Pop genres plus original compositions by band leader and founder, Salmon Cupid.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TorontoAllStars/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/torontoallstars
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/torontoallstars
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/toronto_all_stars/

THANK YOU!
We would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible:

TASSO IN CONCERT 2023 PROGRAM
- Benjamin Law
- Onondaga Camp
- Gee Beauty
- Fairview Mall Dental Centre

AIR CANADA
We would like to thank Air Canada for their contribution towards air and cargo. As you know steelpan is a bulky instrument. We recognize our friends at Air Canada for doing some of the heavy lifting getting our instruments to Italy.

OTHER DONATIONS
Thank you to all those who contributed via our CANADAHELPS.ORG page https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/friends-of-rosedale-public-school/. We appreciate your continued support.

Please visit our DONATION PAGE at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/friends-of-rosedale-public-school/ to make a contribution.

We appreciate your generosity and your belief in supporting us as we continue to showcase our musicianship, ambassadorship and the artistry of the steelpan, the only musical instrument to be invented in the twentieth century, to the rest of the world.

For more information about the band please visit www.torontoallstars.com



Europe » Italy » Emilia-Romagna » Rimini July 9th 2023

Today was a beautiful day spent in Misano and a wonderful evening in Mondaino. Since we had the morning off, many of us took the opportunity to sleep in. Going on tour is exhausting! Getting those extra hours in really helped us energize our performance. The band decided to spend the morning at the beach, and lucky for us, it was right up the street. There was absolutely no hesitation to jump into the refreshing water the moment we got there. Let me tell you…it was scorching hot! The Adriatic Sea is the place to be! I’m serious. This beach is long, shallow and the perfect temperature. To make it even more beautiful, different coloured and sized seashells coated the sand. We collected handfuls of them while we swam, and if you swam out deep enough, ... read more
Beach time!
Mommy and daughter
Ready position

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Misano di Gera d'Adda July 8th 2023

This morning we were able to sleep in until 9:30AM before checking out of our hotel in Cremona at 10:00AM. After checking out, we got on what seemed to be an immensely long bus ride. We stopped twice between the two cities, once at Eataly and again for lunch at an Italian equivalent of Ontario’s “OnRoute”. We arrived in Misano around 4:00PM, checked into our hotel and went straight to our rooms and got ready for our escapade to the beach. We eagerly waited for Mr. Cupid to allow us to head down the street to the beach and once he did we had a great time playing in the water and learning more about our fellow band members “Chicken fight” skills. We spent a few hours at the beach playing volleyball with our new Italian ... read more
To the Beach!!!
Nighttime Adventures
Nighttime Adventures

Europe » Italy July 7th 2023

Our first day waking up in Cremona, Italy, was filled with excitement and anticipation. As the sun gently peeked through our hotel windows, we eagerly made our way to the breakfast area, ready to indulge in culinary delight. The aroma of freshly baked croissants filled the air, accompanied by the inviting scent of rich Italian coffee. We savoured every bite, sipping our steaming cups of java and immersing ourselves in the essence of an Italian-style morning. While we were eating breakfast, Alireza, Mitze and Amelie graciously took time out of their day to wash all of our TASSO uniforms! We often fail to see what is going on behind the scenes, so it is important to recognize just how much the friends and family of the band do for us to make sure everything runs smoothly. ... read more
La Piazza Principal di Cremona
Exploring
Violin Museum

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Pisa July 6th 2023

On day 6, we left Montecatini and the Hotel Universo’s fantastic staff and guests for good. We were sad to go but excited for what lay ahead of us… Pisa!!! No, not pizza, Pisa! After a long bus ride (meaning long naps), we arrived in Pisa, buzzing to start exploring one of Italy’s most iconic sites: the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Some of us went shopping, and others visited the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (museum of paintings/ archeological finds) or the Orto Botanico di Pisa (botanical gardens). At 2:30 sharp and under the scarce shade of a McDonalds awning, we were ready to hop back on the bus and finish our journey to Cremona. Once we arrived, everyone had time to take in their excellent room at the Hotel B&B Cremona before we headed to dinner. ... read more
Pisa alert
Exploring Pisa
Pisa shot

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence July 5th 2023

We started the day off with croissants, buns and dips! From 9:00 to 10:00 AM, we had a detailed meeting about the trip's first few days. After the meeting, the band took a dip in the hotel pool. It was very refreshing! We played many pool games and then returned to our rooms to prepare for lunch! Lunch was Risotto and meat soaked in sauce served with potatoes and mozzarella squares. After our meal, the band got on a bus and headed to Florence! Forty-five minutes later, we arrived in Florence and walked to the church where our clothes would stay. After that, we had an hour to shop and explore Florence. Once everybody came back, we changed into our uniforms and headed to dinner. Dinner was at a delicious pizzeria. A SPECTACULAR concert followed dinner! ... read more
Piazza della Signoria Square
Performance No. 2 set-up
“CAR!”

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence July 4th 2023

The day started slowly as we were still recovering from the long night before. We had a good breakfast filled with croissants and assorted meats. Then TASSO had to get ready for the day trip to Siena. On the bus ride there the boys and Mr. Cupid danced to some steel pan jams. Once in Siena we all went out with our groups for lunch and explored the city sights (Duomo Cathedral). On the bus ride back to the hotel we played MASH and made up crazy futures for everyone. We came back right in time for dinner in the hotel and had lasagna, delicious chicken and green beans, and sweet ice cream. After dinner the parents celebrate a couple birthdays and had a fun and cheerful gathering in the lobby. Happy birthday to Mitze and ... read more
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Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Montecatini Alto July 3rd 2023

TASSO ITALY BLOG JUNE 3rd 2023 Today we woke up refreshed and ready to explore. We started our day with a breakfast of croissants and assorted meats before walking to Montecatini Alto, where we boarded trollies and rode up to the top of the hill. We spent an hour shopping and exploring the town before heading back down and returning to our hotel for lunch. Once we were somewhat rested, we jumped right back on the road and headed to Piazza Giotto to set up for our first performance in Italy. After practicing a few songs, we walked over to a lovely dinner near, a lake, hosted generously by the community. Stomachs full, we headed back to the square where we were greeted by a full house. Feeling energized, the band waltzed on stage with a ... read more
Waiting in line.
Heading back down!
Controls

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Montecatini Alto July 2nd 2023

Our day started with a time zone change and a lot of jet lag, but spirits were still high as we boarded our bus from Rome to Montecatini, Tuscany. We stopped briefly in Fabro, Italy for lunch before soldiering on to Montecatini. After hydrating and enjoying some classic panini and panino sandwiches, we commenced our journey to Hotel Universo. There, we partook in a delicious penne and tomato sauce dinner with potato wedges, ham, and sweet cake. After dinner, most of the parents and musicians went out for a walk to explore the town. This was a day full of travelling, but we’re all vibrating with excitement for tomorrow’s activities. See our Instagram page for more details. Link to our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/torontoallstars?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== By: Sophia, Moriah, Christa... read more
On the shuttle
On the shuttle
Bus ride views

Europe » Spain » Catalonia » Barcelona August 19th 2019

On the morning of the 11th day of our Spain tour we had a meeting with the band in the lobby about how everyone wished to spend their last full day in Barcelona. The group was offered four options for how they could spend the day. We were offered to go to Platja de la Barcelona beach, to go shopping on La Rambla, go to Barcelona's Camp Nou soccer stadium, or stay at the hotel and veg for the day. The pans were also being shipped back to Toronto today. So, Fitzroy and Salmon were off doing that activity at the Barcelona airport area for most of the day. After we voted, everyone left to get ready for their activities. Before we dispersed, we had a fun flamenco (baile) lesson planned! We had a blast with ... read more
Shipping the Steelpans back to Toronto Canada
 Surprise visitors
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Europe » Spain » Catalonia » Barcelona July 25th 2019

Our day started off at 7:30am on the coach heading to Park Güel - one of the most famous sights of Barcelona - according to our “Barcelona” tour guid. The whole group was tired and groggy but the views were worth it. When we arrived, our tour guide, Elena, provided us with croissants and juice boxes to hold us off till breakfast. The park was incredible! We were given the history of the park and more insight into Gaudí’s artistic life and tragic death. When we got back to the hotel, everyone stocked up on breakfast ready for the day ahead. We boarded the coach at around 11:00am to meet the truck and driver in order to set up our instruments for the evening performance. We set our focus on the performance that afternoon, and how ... read more
Day 10.
Day 10.
Day 10.




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