Lineup 2014

Gisto

Vancouver, BC

Gisto is well-known to music lovers from his time as the lead singer and musical director for cult following Canadian band Wassabi Collective. Now, he’s taken his magnetic stage presence and formidable music skills to Jamaica and is poised to break out as a solo artist. Gisto’s sound combines the best of reggae, dancehall, pop, dubstep, and hiphop with an authentic, distinctive vocal deliv-ery to create a sound uniquely his own.

In 2011, Gisto arrived in Jamaica with no hotel, no contacts and no idea of what to expect on his journey. All he had was a passion to connect with Reggae and Dancehall music at the source. The first thing he did was to play his album “Just The Beginning” for a taxi driver named Pretty, who immediately recognized his talents and introduced him to one of Jamaica’s top contemporary producers Dre Zee, whose credits includes Reggae/Dancehall legends such as Bounty Killer, Capleton and Diplomat. A half-hour of showcasing his beats and lyrics in the studio was all Gisto needed to earn Dre Zee’s respect and an invitation to stay at his ocean side compound. Within a week, they had recorded numerous tracks and videos including ‘Invincible’ which debuted on HYPE TV, the world’s go-to source for breakthrough Caribbean music. Since then, he’s collaborated with other top artists such as Lutan Fyah and Marky Lyrical and released his second album This Is It, following up on 2009 debut Just The Beginning.

Originally from London, Ontario and now based in Vancouver, Gisto earned his musical and road-warrior stripes with Nelson, BC-based reggae/funk collective Wassabi Collective. Wassabi gained a large and loyal following across Canada and the U.S., with an incredibly busy touring schedule, a feature on the PBS series RoadTrip Nation and being named #1 Band in Relix Magazine’s ‘On the Verge’. Their second full-length record, “Get It”, received the 2010 Urban/Dance
Recording of the year honour from the British Columbia Independent Music Associations, which followed up Stories Not Forgotten winning Album of the Year in 2008. A-list live bands and DJs with whom Wassabi has shared the stage include: Bedouin Soundclash, K’ Naan, Michael Franti & Spearhead, K-OS, Femi Kuti, Hot Hot Heat, Randy Bachman, Bassnectar and Adham Shaikh.