After being hand-picked to tour with Sam Smith on the South African leg of his “Thrill of it All” Tour, Bonj is more motivated than ever to share her gift with audiences worldwide. Whilst classically-trained in Jazz, it was the love of dance and soul that led to Bonj seeing two back-to-back radio successes with the hits Til The Tide and later, with friend and fellow female force, DJ Zinhlewith the track Against The Grain.
Bonj’s live performance sees the singer alongside respected multi-instrumentalist, Clem Carr, delivering a mix of processed beats and live musicianship combining dance, house and soul.
About Bonj
Bongiwe Mpanza known as BONJ is a quiet person at first glance. But the minute she steps on the stage, she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Her voice is husky and strong, yet rich, seductive and incredibly entrancing. Born and bred in Soweto, Bonj has been immersed in the music industry for over 10 years, and she’s only getting started.
She describes her sound as a blend of electronic music with soulful melodies and groove. She aspires to make music that moves, uplifts and makes people dance. Coming from a music-loving family, you can immediately hear her influences drawn from Gospel, Jazz, R&B, Soul, House & Kwaito.
Her raw, enchanting and power-house vocals are hard to miss at any live performance and like many iconic singers, she began singing in the church. After graduating from the National School of the Arts in 2007, Bonj began her singing career in earnest. She has performed alongside many great South African artists such Mafikizolo , Zakes Bantwini ,Zonke ,Lady Zamar and many more. She recently wrote a song called Ndaweni on Anatii’s highly acclaimed sophomore album Iyeza.
In 2009 she relocated to Cape Town and began studies in Jazz music at UCT.
After her studies, in 2017 Bonj moved back to Johannesburg to pursue her musical career. Shortly after multi-award winning Singer,Songwriter and Producer TRESOR signed her to his company Jacquel Entertainment Group, in partnership with Universal Music Group, after he was amazed by her live show. Bonj’s debut album will be dropping later this year.
Connect with Bonj on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @BonjGlobal
For label enquiries, please contact Louise Pillay on louise.pillay@umusic.com
For bookings, please contact Morgan Ross on 0834443431 or email morgan.ross@umusic.com
For management enquiries, please contact Amaru Da Costa on amaru@adeagency.africa
To book Bonj , and more talented artists, be sure to get in touch with one of our agents now. Call 0117220500 or emailumglive@umusic.com