‘Tonda’ singer 47 Ronzy details her journey to date
From 5A
out within the beat. As a Trinidadian artiste I know that soca is our nation’s pride and joy, and I’m just happy to be a part of the culture, where I can infuse these powerful genres and make it sweet.
SS: Can you share some insights into your early experiences performing in your church choir and the influence your father, who plays the keyboard, had on your musical journey?
47 Ronzy: Beautiful church days. I gained most of my confidence really from the church. I used to lead worship sessions and be a part of the choir. I was also in a church band for a time. I enjoyed it every step of the way. Those years really made an impact on my life; first of course developing my relationship with God and also taking part in activities that made me zoom in on my natural talent.
So, in my dad's playing years, I wasn’t able to sing just yet. I was very young, and by the time I did start he became a pastor in every sense of the word, LOL. But most definitely the impact of being in a house with parents that can relate in-depth with sound is a blessing.
Now, me saying that doesn’t mean that they agreed with my choice of genre, LOL. But they eventually saw the bigger picture after a lot of talking and action shown by myself and my management team, LOL.
SS: How did your collaboration with Dwayne Bravo and 47 Productions come about, and what has it been like working with them?
47 Ronzy: Last year around July through August I downloaded an app for artistes and musicians. 'Collabr' is the name, and I saw that they were advertising a competition hosted by 47 Productions where people can submit their song and get a chance to win a record deal or a full music production with promotion.
I entered that competition so fast and submitted nine songs, LOL. There was no way that was getting away from me. I called everyone to download the app and to "like" my submissions. One of the requirements was that the person with the most likes
wins. Man, I got on my phone so fast and called people like there was no tomorrow, LOL.
When the competition was completed, after a while, I received a phone call from the boss himself Dwayne Bravo, that I've won, and he invited me to come into the studio to meet him and listen to some of my material. From that moment on was history in the making.
Being signed to 47 Productions has been a great experience. Being introduced to experienced producers of various genres, meeting celebrity artistes and songwriters, being able to record in a state-of-the-art studio and having a machine of a team in one accord, I’d say when you have a boss like I do, he does things very differently, LOL. It’s beyond any of my expectations and I thank God every day for allowing me to meet my manager, who gave me the opportunity to live my dream.
SS: What drew Dwayne Bravo to your talent and made him decide to sign you to his label? How has his support and guidance impacted your growth as an artist?
47 Ronzy: So, the day he invited me to come to the studio for the first time, himself and Tommy Sanchez (Studio Manager), asked me if I had any material to listen to and I played some of my material. Now to be real with you I had about 30 songs, nearly all of which were R&B and Hip Hop and one or two afrobeats… just "by the way" music I tried and had it there with no intention to play with it.
Abigail, the one or two afro I did is what they pointed out. I was like, but this is unbelievable, I have a catalogue of R&B and they singlehandedly said, “Ronzy, this is where you should be and challenge yourself to the genre and see what you come up with”.
So said so done. They recommended I listen to Yemi Alade, listen to her style and do some homework on it. When I left the studio, I went home and the next day I sent in three songs, another day three songs, another day one song, and I continued building on the genre. After they heard my samples, Dwayne considered signing me as an artiste for the label.
His support is nothing short of 100%. Let me put this out there and say that he knows every demo I sent him from day one. Every single one. I’m talking just mere samples that were just sent in to build the catalogue. He’s a very hands-on manager and he’s a busy man with his career as well, but he always makes sure that his artiste is either prepared, ready to record, ready to perform. He makes sure that things are put in place in advance.
He’s an honest man too. He'll say, ‘Ronzy, I’m not feeling this one, you should’ve put a lil more into it’ or, ‘I really love this track we should start on this one’. Or he'll give his encouragement like, ‘don’t be discouraged by what people may say, what God has for you is for you. You keep pushing and doors will open’.
Meeting Dwayne is my blessing in disguise. God gave him the will to succeed in his craft, and he pours into people like me who can now have the opportunity to experience success in their gift as well. This man signed me, an unknown artiste. He gave me the resources to build myself and a studio family. I can say he genuinely has my back. He supported the music from day one and takes pride in everything that he’s done. His support set my career on a path to success and I’m forever grateful for him.
SS: How do you incorporate elements of reggae, soca, afrobeats, and R&B into your music? How do you ensure a seamless fusion of these genres?
47 Ronzy: Love this question! So, from ever since I was little, I was exposed to singers and their albums. I cling to particular albums and listen to [them] over and over because of the singers’ vocal ability and I adapt quickly to certain genres. Usher is one of them that had a heavy hold on me because of his vocal ability and the sweetness he brought on a record.
So, now that I’m in the industry, having this R&B style and recording in a particular genre for now, I tap into my ‘island girl’ and start shaping the way I say certain things and draw from certain afro stars to keep the afro cadence, while maintaining the R&B melodic backgrounds and styles in between. It’s a beautiful fusion that starts only when the beat speaks the language I can understand, and I sing back.
SS: Where do you see yourself and your music in the future, both within Trinidad and Tobago and on the global stage?
47 Ronzy: I can’t tell the future, but I’m anticipating opened doors of opportunity, regionally and internationally. I look forward to working with other amazing artistes, building my fan base, doing more shows and creating great content for the people.