V O C Sweet Soul Gospel Choir

Music Director, Checo Tohomaso, brings a wealth of musical experience to the Vancouver Outreach Community Sweet Soul Gospel Choir (VOC). Born in Florida, and raised in Hawaii as well as Okinawa Japan, he has entertained with many notable performers throughout his career. Checo was honoured to play keyboards, percussion and sing background vocals for the last European tour of Motown legend, Marvin Gaye. As a keyboard player and background vocalist for the Green Machine, the band providing the sound for The Commodores and Lionel Ritchie, he continued to tour the world extensively until Expo '86 brought Checo to Vancouver. Checo's musical journey began in early childhood where his first performances were as a member of a church choir. The son of an African-American Christian mother and Peruvian/African-American Jewish father, Checo grew up surrounded by different styles of ethnic music. When asked how his passion for Gospel music began, Checo points out 'ninety per cent of American Soul, R&B, and Jazz singers have their musical foundation singing Gospel music in the church and I was heavily influenced by those artists at a very early age'