by Steven Seedo
PARAMARIBO — The Dutch singer and theater maker Cheyenne Toney wants to build a bridge between Suriname and the Netherlands with her music. The artist wants to bring together the musical influences of both countries in her own sound. She also has plans to organize live performances, collaborations and workshops for young people in Suriname. “Mainly the sound and feeling, the influences of both worlds,” says Toney the True Time about the musical direction she wants to take.
Her father, Giovanni Herdigein, has Surinamese-indigenous roots and her mother, Jeritza Toney, is Afro-Surinamese. This cultural background is an important source of inspiration for her musical ambitions.
“I feel very at home and happy when I am in Suriname”
Cheyenne Toney
Second ‘home’
Although Toney was born in the Netherlands on July 25, 1994, she lived in Suriname for a period as a three-year-old girl. The country therefore has a special place in her life. “I feel very at home and happy when I am there,” she says.
The singer comes to Suriname more often and has even performed there in the past. Her family history also connects her to the Surinamese music world. Her father sang the Suripop V song ‘Mister Drunkard’.
In addition to her own musical development, Toney wants to use her experience to help young people in Suriname develop their talent. She is thinking of live performances, collaborations and workshops in which young people can learn about performance and songwriting.
Her intention is to develop these activities through a foundation, with support from subsidies from the Netherlands. In doing so, she not only wants to create a musical connection between Suriname and the Netherlands, but also create space for young talents to develop.
Toney makes it clear that for her it’s about more than just releasing music. She wants to bring her different cultural influences together while giving something back to the country she considers her second home.
Breakthrough
The singer grew up in Amsterdam-Southeast. She was taught music and performing arts at home. Her mother is an entertainer, singer/songwriter and theater maker and her brother Guillano singer/songwriter and actor. Her uncle Rossano Toney is known from the duo Ross & Iba. “My interest in music started from my musical family. When I was two, I was already on stage,” she says.
Toney became known to the general public in 2013 through her participation in the television program The Voice of Holland. She reached the semi-finals. Her adaptation of the French-language song ‘Formidable’ by the Belgian singer Stromae was a hit with the audience and became a number 1 hit in the Dutch Single Top 100.
In addition to her musical activities, she works on various projects within the performing arts. In 2024 she made herself heard as a theater maker with her own performance ‘Then but alone’. She is also involved in the organization Likeminds. She also participates in the music project ‘Groove Beest’, the performance ‘Reteketet Trompet – This is how the trumpet sounds’, the educational project ‘Jazz in the classroom’ and the program ‘Sing with Me’, which will soon appear on Dutch television. She also regularly performs during dinner shows.
Album
Toney wants to release an album and play more shows. “I’m working on an album and it’s going well. I can’t complain. I’ll be releasing music again soon and I’m happy with that.”
She is positive about the Dutch music industry. She says that artists are being paid better and better these days. She also sees that the Dutch language in music is increasingly appreciated.
