Incognito, The Brand New Heavies, Soul Live, Aretha Franklin, Michael McDonald, Jameroquai, Gladys Knight, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Scott, India Arie, Joss Stone, Level 42, Earth Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan & James Brown.
From her many music festival performances to her recent appearance on CITY-TV’s Breakfast Television and packed-house special events, Carolyn Thompson’s passionate, powerful and soulful vocal style stands out among the brightest stars of Toronto’s music scene.
Carolyn’s musical talents were shaped at a young age. The youngest of three children, Carolyn was born shortly after her mother emigrated to Toronto from Jamaica in the late 1960s. Her early exposure to music ranged from her mother’s taste in reggae and calypso to her oldest brothers’ Supertramp, Genesis, and Rush records. Being young and impressionable, she absorbed every lyric and imbibed every note like a sponge.
Music continued to play an integral role during her school years, including choir and band practice. But she secretly yearned to emerge as a soloist and learned to hone her impressive vocal range by practicing at home every day after school. Carolyn finally made her public debut as a soloist in her senior year of high school, when she performed Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” in front of her peers, teachers, and family. The energy she felt onstage that night was the strongest adrenaline rush she’d ever had!
Some 20 years later, it’s that same energy that continues to drive Carolyn’s career forward. She has collaborated with many of Toronto’s top musicians and has performed in such festivals as the renowned Toronto Beaches International Jazz Festival and the Taste of Little Italy. Her musical persona is shaped by acid jazz bands such Brand New Heavies and Incognito; influenced by soulful artists like Chaka Khan, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin; and completed by funk acts like Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai.
Carolyn’s most recent success has been behind the microphone as front woman for “The CarolynT Band” http://www.carolyntband.com, which has been featured on CITY-TV’s Breakfast Television. The TV appearance was in advance of “Diva Night 2008,” an evening concert gala she developed from scratch in an effort to highlight Toronto’s top female musical talent. The event stands out as one of Carolyn’s proudest accomplishments.
In addition to giving back to her musical peers through events such as Diva Night, Carolyn and her band have also given back to the community. This includes the “Think Pink” annual fundraiser, which benefits the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. The CarolynT Band has headlined the wildly successful event for the past two years.
The CarolynT Band continues to draw a growing fan base from her performances at clubs in the Greater Toronto Area and other major cities across Ontario and is attracting attention at the national and international stages. The band has also entertained at private functions, weddings and corporate events.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this band in action, you can catch select performances on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/CarolynTBand and on the official MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/CarolynT.
Carolyn is thankful for the opportunities she’s had to work with some of Toronto’s finest musicians. She is also grateful for the support she has received from her family and friends. They are the source for Carolyn’s inspiration to create and entertain.
*Written by Steve Erwin (Thank you Neighbour!*
I wanted to take a second and ask you to hit up my page and check out my first single, Take a Deep Breath. If you like what you hear, please (a) leave me a comment or message, and (b) request it by emailing music@1069fm.ca and requests@flow935.com -- thanks for your support!!!
.C.h.a.t.t.r.i.s.s.e.
We Vibez Promotions is a Caribbean /Canadian Entertainment & Promotion company that was created to help create and promote multicultural events around the Caribbean and in Canada and United states we have and will be featuring artist and Dj’s from around the world at various events during the years to come. So please join us so we can continue to inform you of these events in the coming weeks and months.
Toronto ’s Hottest Soca/Reggae Events Promoter We Vibez Entertainment
