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Tosha Owens in front of the Detroit Institute of Arts, among a crosstown array of landmarks in the "Detroit Strong" video.
In the slick, bouncy video below, Tosha Owens sings energetically about "comin' home to the place where I belong -- Detroit city, Detroit strong."
The polished vocalist, who brings a sultry mix of blues, rock, funk and R&B to local clubs and festivals, delivers the title anthem from her new MP3 album, "Detroit Strong."
The two-song album dropped in February and the video followed Friday.
Canton videographer Ryan Stamm tapes her at dozens of landmarks, including Eastern Market, RiverWalk, Wayne State, Comerica Park, Ford Field, St. Anne's Church, Spirit of Detroit statue, Campus Martius, Motown Museum, four Cultural Center museums, Cobo Center and the Fox Theatre.
The People Mover, Joe Louis fist, Hockeytown Cafe, a freeway traffic jam and Little Caesars Arena-in-progress also are among backdrops.
Wardrobe changes feature sports logos from MSU, UM and Detroit's four professional teams.
Kid Rock, Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Eminem and Madonna get shouts in the lyrics by Keith Laurin.
In a series of deftly edited quick cuts, the fist-pumping, shimmying performer sings:
We've got winners, we've got losers
Just like any other place
Just hear our gospel singers
Belt out "Amazing Grace"
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The heart and soul of the city
Are the people
And we are strong
We are Detroit
And we are strong
Tosha Owens: "We are strong."
Owens is backed by harmony singers Rachel Williams and Arian Sollars, plus seven musicians-- keyboardist Kurt Schreitmueller, bassist Tony Suhy, drummer Todd Glass, guitarist Bobby East, saxman Mark Kieme, trumpeter Jimmy Smith and trombonist Matt Martinez.
Suhy also oversaw production. The engineer at Studio A Recording in Dearborn Heights was Eric Morgenson.
Yes, a song about Detroit is laid down at a suburban site named for a Motown Records room that was ground zero for classic hits. And the video is also edited in western Wayne County edited at Sammina Productions But we value regionalism and smooth grooves, so that's not an issue.
The nearly four-minute single is available at Amazon for 99 cents. The two song album is $1.98 at iTunes and CD Universe. Net proceeds go to CATCH, a children's charity founded by the late Sparky Anderson to help Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation and Henry Ford Hospital.
Owens is a 2014-16 Detroit Music Award winner who performed Friday night at a Metro Times event in MotorCity Casino -- no doubt sharing the new city anthem.
She also has been on stage at Nancy Whiskey Pub, St. Andrew's Hall, Bert’s Place, Callahan’s Music Hall, Concert of Colors, the Magic Bag, and MGM Grand. Outfoor appearances include the 2015 Smokin' Jazz/Blues Music Festival in Brighton.
Check out her latest and share your reaction in a comment below:
