Toto

Toto is a musical group of rock originating from the United States, formed in 1977 in the city of Los Angeles by session musicians of renown. The founders of the band were the keyboardist David Paich and the drummer Jeff Porcaro. The band is known for its ability to blend a variety of musical styles, including blues, funk, soul, pop, jazz fusion, progressive rock, and various currents of rock. Throughout their career, they have sold over 40 million records, which include 13 studio albums, five live recordings, a soundtrack (Dune) and a compilation album with four unreleased tracks.In 1983, during the 25th edition of the Grammy Awards, the group was awarded six prizes thanks to their album Toto IV, which includes hits such as «Africa» and «Rosanna».

The success of this album led to the members of Toto being invited by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones to participate in the recording of the best-selling album in history, Thriller.In addition to their work with Toto, the band members have collaborated on thousands of albums. Jeff Porcaro, despite his premature death, appears on more than 1050 albums; Steve Lukather, guitarist, on more than 1530; David Paich, keyboardist, on more than 1720; Steve Porcaro, second keyboardist, on more than 660; and Simon Phillips, who replaced Jeff Porcaro on the drums, also on more than 660.Despite their global success and significant influence on the pop/rock sound of the 1980s, the guitarist and leader Steve Lukather has expressed that the band is «the most misunderstood in the world», due to the negative criticisms they have received from American and British media over the years.Some theories about the rejection they have faced in media such as VH1 and Rolling Stone suggest that the band's name and their lack of a clear aesthetic proposal in an era where appearance was crucial, as well as their mix of multiple musical styles, have been factors of disapproval.On the other hand, musicians such as Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen have praised Toto.