Toussaint Chiza

Toussaint Chiza (formerly known as Tusse) releases his debut album on his own terms and takes the stage with his new band.

After his successes as Tusse - winning both Idol and Melodifestivalen - he leaves the major labels behind to rediscover the joy of making music. The album "It Takes a Village to Love a Child" was created in collaboration with producer and composer Irya Gmeyner in a small red cottage on Södermalm. The music reflects Toussaint's journey from childhood in Goma and his escape at age five on a truck bed, through a refugee camp in Uganda, to Sweden. The sound draws inspiration from the black music scene in London and the USA, as well as African gospel.

As part of the project, Toussaint returned to Africa for the first time since childhood. In Cape Town, he and Irya recorded parts of the album with Thanda Choir, a homeless gospel choir from Khayelitsha.

The album received 4 out of 5 stars in Dagens Nyheter, which writes that Toussaint "sings with divine grace" and that his "warmth and enthusiasm can be felt throughout the room".