Taste of Madness

 SOURCE: https://www.caribbeanmusic.ca/html/taste_of_madness.html 

Tasty Soca and more, TASTE OF MADNESS is a band of professional artists from throughout the Caribbean and Canada. They have been thrilling audiences since 1994 with many potent originals and standards drawn from the calypso, soca, chutney, reggae, zouk, funk, and rhythm & blues genres. This smooth-sounding group of dedicated musicians has backed several top artists such as Designer, Anslem Douglas, Iwer George, Ronnie McIntosh, Colin Lucas, Denise Belfon, Elsworth James, De Fosto, and Leon Coldero, to name a few. The band has performed in Montreal, Sudbury, and Toronto.  The dynamic TASTE OF MADNESS released their first compact disc MADNESSMANIA ONE in 1997 This disc was arranged and produced by the talented and versatile, Junior "Ibo" Joseph who has produced several soca hits in his San Fernando studio. Ibo continues to do outstanding arrangements for the band as evidenced in the 2001 release, GET READY. If their sweet soca rhythms have not captured your dancing feet yet, they soon will, as you play their latest music.

Some original band members include Ibo, Beckles on keyboards, Lystra David, Curtis Bennard, Garth St Clair on vocals, Casey Irwin on sax, Andrew Spencer on drums, Robin Renrick on guitar.

Bassist Emmanuel Thomas, "Blocker" founded TASTE OF MADNESS. Blocker has been involved in the Caribbean music industry since 1981 in Trinidad and Tobago playing with bands such as Pearl Winds Sound, Free Soil Platinum, Imperial Brass, and Volt Express. A resident of Toronto since 1987, he has played with Instant Jam from 1991 to 1994 while expanding his artistic ability by becoming a calypso-recording artist and releasing two hot tracks, "Mash-Up De Pardy" and "Tourist Woman" in '93, and the single "Ragga Christmas" in '94. These tracks were arranged and produced by the well-known musician Kenny Phillips.  

Kristin Lasonta Ward, a.k.a LASONTA, Lead vocalist for Taste of Madness, is a long-standing singer/songwriter, dynamic performer, and studio artist in the Toronto music scene. Coming from the island of Barbados to Canada, with strong Trini connections, her love for soca music, and musical diversity has enriched her journey. She has headlined at various music venues across the city, and in the Caribbean. She enjoys opportunities to collaborate with other artists, lending her songwriting abilities and versatile powerhouse vocals to various musical projects in a variety of genres. When she’s not performing on the stages of The Mod Club, Liberty Grand, or Nathan Phillip Square, Lasonta is a professional Music Therapist and the owner of In Harmony Music. A graduate of the University of Windsor with an honors degree / Bachelor of Music Therapy, Lasonta has over 10 years of experience working in a variety of humanitarian sectors in her community. She loves performing. Her energy levels match her robust personality, with a natural flair for representing her Afro Caribbean roots through her lively performances. Lasonta is a “BEST TING” for Taste of Madness.  Learn more about this talented musician and her music. (HERE)