‘Tonda’ singer 47 Ronzy details her journey to date
A new soca song for the coming 2024 season has been waves in Trinidad and elsewhere. The singer, 47 Ronzy, is a young, diverse artist from Trinidad and Tobago who serves as the flagship artist for DJ (Wayne) Bravo’s 47 Productions. Bravo facilitated the discovery of this rapidly emerging songwriter and singer by funding a Collab app-based social media talent competition in 2022. Bravo first noticed 47 Ronzy's distinct style on this digital platform, which acts as a hub for connecting creatives.
A growing number of fans have been drawn to her debut single, "Tonda." It is available on Spotify, Apple Music, ITunes, Amazon Music, and other music apps. Sunday Stabroek (SS) was able to have an extensive chat with 47 Ronzy recently.
What is your birth name, and how old are you?
47 Ronzy: My name is Rhonicia aka Ronzy and I’m 31 bright years.
SS: Can you tell us about the reason behind the name 47 Ronzy? What inspired it?
47 Ronzy: The 47 in my name comes from my label's title, 47 Productions. It also derives from Dwayne Bravo's cricket number (47). It’s very significant to me because the moment I was invited to come into the studio, it was the place I wanted to be. The studio speaks for itself, it’s an inspiring environment for a musician and any recording artiste. I immediately told ‘Champ’ [BRavo] I wanted to be a 47 artiste the first day I came in.
SS: Can you tell us more about your journey as a musician and how you got started in the industry?
47 Ronzy: Growing up in a Christian household, music was always something by which I was surrounded. My parents were both well involved with music in the church; my dad played instruments and my mom was a
SS:
headliner in a choir.
I’ve always been in love with music, I started recording myself and practised songwriting and got deeply involved with enhancing my vocal ability at a young age, and through that practice I was able to record a few songs that got me chosen by the label and one of those demos was “Tonda”; that song has been my first entry into the industry.
SS: How would you describe your unique blend of haunting melodies, mesmerising vocals, and unforgettable image that set you apart in the global music scene?
47 Ronzy: LOL! (laugh out loud) I thank you for that. It makes me appreciate the question even more because you would’ve paid attention to the intricacies of “Tonda” and other open verses on my social media.
So, my vocal style pulls from a lot of singers that I constantly listen to [like] Beyonce, Brandy, Mary Mary, Leandria Johnson, Usher, Chris Brown, Tory Lanez, Durand Benar, Erykah Badu, Chronixx, Burna Boy, and Yemi Alade. The melodic fusion comes in according to the beat and I channel my natural ability into melodic mumbles, the words never come first, it’s more of an utterance and once it hits, I build from there and formulate the song.
My image is something I take pride in. I’m one for comfort, no doubt jeans and a jersey any day but I guess I have my own taste of style. My stylist really gave me another perspective on my wardrobe, and I trusted her to up my game which she continues to do. Shout out to Vivre by Chelsea and Vivre Hair Studio!
I am also aware I may not be 100% girly, but it makes it much better when professionals can see way past my comfort zone. The credit is really theirs.
SS: Could you share with us the inspiration behind your debut single, “Tonda”, and what it means to you personally?
47 Ronzy: “Tonda” is a song that is very special to me. January this year 2023, I recorded a demo amongst many others, and I sent it to Champ via WhatsApp as he was in season playing cricket in Dubai. I usually never disturb him when he’s out there but the songs that I had done, I really wanted him to hear it and “Tonda” stood out to him. Lowkey, I wanted it to be “Tonda” because the vibe of the song caught me, and he felt the same way.
The production of “Tonda” is something special, it’s a love song between two people being passionate, yes, but more importantly it’s in the feel of an Afro Caribbean rhythm. The beat speaks for itself, the cadence of the drum, the instruments used, the background vocals, all the elements that bring out the life of the rhythm, that makes us Caribbean people move, it’s an electrifying sensation and I call that “Tonda”. Very beautiful record [and] I’m proud of it.
SS: What was it like going on a media tour in Jamaica and receiving high praise for your vocal mastery and songwriting skills? How has this experience impacted your career?
47 Ronzy: Jamaica blew my mind when it comes to music. First of all, I thank you again for the vocal mastery and songwriting skills you put in there, LOL! I’ll take a pat on the shoulder for it, LOL.
So, the trip to Jamaica was one that will always be in my top three necessary things I needed to do. I’ve always wanted to go, but on a tourist level. The opportunity was presented to me to go on the trip on the business of music doing what I love to do. It was nothing short of amazing.
Travelling with my manager who is already a known superstar provided some opportunities that I would’ve never thought I would come across. He linked with a PR Marketing Team, Wave Media in Jamaica, that put together a schedule that had us busy with promotions top to bottom.
They had us on the road busy, LOL. The reception of the song from the media stations, to TV hosts and other artistes really gave me the assurance that “Tonda” is really something special. If it's one thing Jamaican people know, it’s good music, and they kept it real with us and showed tremendous love to the track.
I had the opportunity to sit with Buju Banton in his studio, who endorsed it highly. I met with Sizzla, Beenie Man, Mr G, Romeich, Snowcone… all of them gave their remarks on the song and as a new artiste, hearing feedback from these legends is priceless. I could’ve melted every time the song played in front of them, because my mind was in a frenzy LOL. They gave their stamp of approval as well as the people of Jamaica did.
The experience was something that I didn't know I needed. Being around the people and around the stars definitely motivated me spiritually and physically, because the mindset I had before is now on another level because of that trip.
Sitting in with Buju and listening to the words of his songs, looking in depth to try and figure out where his inspiration comes from to write on that level is motivation to dig deeper in my writing. Looking at how the people dance to dancehall in unison, and they have this whole choreography thing going on, just opened my eyes to see how music isn’t just a sound, but that it literally brings people together and sets an atmosphere in totality.
SS: How do your Caribbean background and culture influence your music and performances?
47 Ronzy: As a Caribbean girl we have a specific rhythm we move to, and when management asked me to try the afrobeat genre I did some studying with particular artistes like Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Wande Coal, and others and incorporated certain styles within certain beats. When I do the sample and it’s time for music production, the beat base is afro and there would be little elements of that soca, reggae or dancehall that would stand