Musician

Tonya
Sweets

Tonya Sweets is a self-taught bassist from Houston, Texas, who grew up as a preacher’s kid immersed in the soul of church music. Her melodic sound is a genre-bending fusion shaped by influences ranging from hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and reggae to fusion, rock, and beyond. With musical heroes like J Dilla, Erykah Badu, MF DOOM, Sly and the Family Stone, A Tribe Called Quest, Pino Palladino, Ethan Farmer, Flying Lotus, and Mint Condition, Sweets’ bass lines carry both deep groove and storytelling spirit. Her passion for collaboration and sonic exploration has led her to share the stage with artists such as Lizzo, Brent Faiyaz, Durand Bernarr, and Klymaxx featuring Bernadette Cooper, among others. Whether she’s laying down pocket or pushing creative boundaries, Sweets sees music as a universal language—and she’s here to have a musical conversation with the world.