The Ballad of Toni B

Behind her vibrant red lipstick is a big and soulful voice to adore. Young but full of experiences, Toni B is slowly taking the music industry by storm. Her debut album Carnival, launched early this year, proves of clever musicality and well-thought lyricism; fresh to the ears but profoundly aged like wine.

Her songs tell of incidents common but barely understood. These she mixes with toe-tapping melodies, catchy and intriguing at the same time. It’s no question why Toni B’s everywhere, she’s hot and happening and we’d love to hear more.

We’re glad to have her in the TeamManila Studio on a hot summer day. Read all about Toni B as we talked about her record Carnival, her fascination with chicken, and why her music’s full of #hugot.

Hi, Toni! Can you tell us something we don’t know about yourself?

I like chicken. That’s always the first thing I tell people. Like there was this interview where I should do album promotion but ended up talking about Chickenjoy and Mang Inasal for half an hour. Haha. Basta, I love chicken. And oh, I have a cat.

How’s a normal day for you?

Well I also do tutoring so normally during the day, that’s when I do my lesson plans for my students or teach. Then I get ready at night so I can start going to gigs, so yeah that’s what a normal day looks like.

Can you tell us how you got into music? Did you take formal lessons or was it all self-learned?

I was for the most of it self-learned except when I was younger, I was classically trained with the violin – I did that for 14 or 15 years, since I was seven. My parents wanted me to learn that instrument but I didn’t have much passion because I wanted to learn other instruments like the piano or guitar, so I learned by myself and developed. Now the keyboard is basically my main thing.

You’ve lived in different countries, how did this affect or influence the music you create?

Not my music per se but the fact that I’ve lived in these different places, they have taught me a different way of thinking or seeing things. It’s more of culturally, I guess; the openness of the mentalities of everyone around you, or being with friends who come from different races, religions and nationalities. It sets a different way of thinking so when I make music they always become story-based. They’re based on relationships between people, not on my own experiences. Plus I don’t want to write songs about me because it will immortalize the [bad] memory unless it’s a happy one.

If there’s one word to describe your music, what word would that be?

Hugot. Hashtag hugot.  I don’t know why but I’m so attracted to writing about pain. My painful songs always end up more vibrant. It’s very contradictory, akala mo this song’s very happy but actually the lyrics are very sad.

Tell us something about your album Carnival.

Each of the song [in the album] has a different ride, like a merry go round. Like the last song is [also] called Carnival because that’s the final ride and you realize you just keep going round and round, you’re already stuck on it. And normally in fairs, they have these games which are always so hard. Bubuhos mo na lahat ng pera mo but you never win! And that’s the same concept, you never win because you start resenting the other person for not accepting the fact that you’ve given up so much.

How was it working with some of the country’s finest musicians?

Super cool! The first time I met them,  dahil nga hindi ako lumaki dito, I didn’t know who they are. I’ve heard of their bands – Eraserheads, Rivermaya but I didn’t know their faces.  It happened when my current manager, Jerico Fernando, saw me perform and was really impressed so he got me into recording in this little room with Raymund (Marasigan), Ryan Peralta, Buddy Zabala, and Wendell Garcia … During that day I asked them who they are and what band they play in and that’s when I realized I was working with legends!

If you were to collaborate with one local band or artist, who would it be? Why?

I wanted to say Cheats but they’re my band now so if I’m going to pick someone, then it’s someone who has music completely opposite to mine. I’m going to spruce up with Assembly Generals or basically Paolo Toledo (Assembly Generals vocalist.)

What should we look forward to with your music?

My new album “Mischief.” We haven’t recorded it yet because we just released Carnival last month but I really want to start working on it. My plan is to have a big band, with trumpets and horn sections. I want to give people something that is different from what they’re hearing – swing, foxtrot, something that’s different from the industry here. Plus the stories [in my songs] which are very important because I put so much thought on them – little details that keep my audience together. Like my song “Joker” which is based on a Batman movie; there’s a part that goes “I’ll be the Joker, come be my Harlequin” sang slowly but with an upbeat. I’m proud that I can match my music with my lyrics.

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Toni B’s TeamManila Top Three

Top Three Local Ice Cream Flavors

Cheese, ube, and buko pandan.

Top Three Things to Do During Summer

Anything with water, wala akong pakialam. Haha. Beach, bathtub, rain! And reading and eating ice cream.

Top Three Street Food

Fishballs, ‘yung pwet ng manok, and isaw. I told you, anything chicken! Well except ‘yung chicken feet.

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For gigs and updates, do follow Toni B on Facebook and Instagram. Do also check out Carnival on iTunes and soon in TeamManila Lifestyle Stores.

Categories Music