Toby Marks was born in South London in 1964. He was drawn to music from an early age and formed his first band as a drummer, aged 14. He went on to sing and play guitar in a variety of styles, exploring rock, folk, jazz and world music, before discovering electronic dance music via the late ‘80s Acid House scene.
In 1989 he formed Banco de Gaia, focussing on world music-infused dance and ambient/chill-out styles, and has released 17 albums (or 20 if you include some early cassette-only releases). His official debut album Maya and the follow up Last Train to Lhasa both topped the UK Independent Album charts.
As Banco de Gaia he continues to play live and DJ worldwide and has previously performed with a variety of other musicians as a live band.
