Biography
Most of Tonca's music is on two artist pages: Tonca and Tonca and Friends. His Christmas album is at TONCA & Friends.
Tonca is a popular entertainer native to the northeastern Caribbean. He hails from St. Maarten. He made his name early, singing covers as a teenager. Now he strives to make the world a better place, expressing his moral beliefs and various moods in a combination of roots reggae and catchy, up-beat pop-reggae music he writes, sings and produces. Tonca is strongly devoted to his belief that there’s a Greater One than us who will be known.
News
In 2009 Tonca started distributing 'St. Maarten is Nice' online with CD Baby. He remastered and released 'Back Home' and 'Jah Jah Will Unite Us' in 2007 and 2008 via The Orchard along with original masters of two early albums 'Are You Hearing Us Now?' and 'Peace in the East', available for the first time online. Tonca continues creating - his latest album will be released when the time is right.
History
Born in the Caribbean, Tonca was raised by an adoptive mother who impressed him deeply with her belief that all people should be loved. His initial serenading was inspired by the economic depression throughout the West Indies when live music was vital to the region for peace of mind. He did covers of tunes by many great artists, thrilling the crowds with his emotion and ability to act.
After founding and working with The AG's in the '70s, he took a break from music and went to Holland, then returned to the island in his early twenties. Soon he and his family built Bronese Studio, aka ‘Tonca's Studio’, St. Maarten’s first and only multitrack recording facility. Tonca then joined Friends band, made up of some island musicians: Tonca as lead vocalist, Ronnie Warren on keyboard, 'Nas' Richardson and later, 'Basses' Matthew on bass, Tony Thewet on horns and synth, Erwin James on percussion, Alvin Hodge on lead guitar and 'Buggs' Wilson on drums. After recording his first single 'St. Maarten is Nice' at Bronese, then 8-track, he decided to round out the sound with three American back-up vocalists: Vanessa Edwards, Celeste Holmes and Linda Lee Hopkins.
Tonca recorded his first album 'Back Home' at Tuff Gong Studio in Jamaica, along with some friends he met there. His second album 'Jah Jah Will Unite Us' followed in 1986, recorded and mixed at Mayfair Studios in London, many thanks to the engineers at Mayfair!
By 1987, musicians from St. Maarten and the surrounding islands were making good use of Bronese Studio, then digital, as did Tonca, turning out six more albums with Friends between 1988 and 2006: 'Are You Hearing Us Now?', 'Peace in the East', 'For You Only', ‘Committed to Jah', 'Merry Christmas Everybody!' and "St. Maarten Is Nice".
Tonca’s CDs and digital downloads are distributed by The Orchard and CD Baby. Check him out on MySpace, Facebook and iLike among others.
Tonca and Maggie have put together a new studio in 2010 Giant Recording Studio with the latest in computing technology.
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