Looking for your funk fix at the TD Sunfest Block Party? Then, why not get down with the nine-piece Soul Motivators!
TSM are Toronto’s premier deep funk n’ soul outfit, who have shared stages with legends like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Lee Fields and Bernie Worrell. A fresh take on a classic sound, they blend 1970s funk and soul, psychedelic jams and hip-hop breaks with a deftness that reflects their strong songwriting craft. If their rough, tough and soulful retro grooves were a soundtrack, they surely would accompany a lot of high-speed car chases on classic TV detective shows like Kojak.
The group’s 2015 debut recording, Free to Believe (Do Right! Music), was released to national and international acclaim. 2017 saw the arrival of the Dirt on The Floor EP through Detroit’s Funk Night Records, followed by Do The Damn Thing in 2020. The latter was the first album to feature the powerhouse vocal stylings of Shahi Teruko, whose relentless fire and electrifying performances have been shaking up audiences since she joined the band in 2015.
After a series of online and drive-thru concerts during the pandemic, The Soul Motivators are back with their fourth studio release, titled Do it Together. The 8-track album takes listeners on a cosmic trip through aural landscapes filled with grooves and optimism. Imagine the Toronto Yonge Street Strip in the ‘70s: flares, arcades, neon, cinema, record shops – grit and funk. Yet modern beats infuse each track to lift you up and get you moving – floating into outer space while staying deeply rooted on solid ground.
The core of the band consists of Teruko (vocals), James Robinson (keys), Marc Shapiro (bass), Voltaire Ramos (guitar), Doug Melville (drums) and Derek Thorne (percussion), with a rotating cast of talented horn players and special guests.