Classic Rock
Led Zeppelin, Heart, Fleetwood Mac. Anthemic material delivered with force and dynamics, anchored by a singer who knows how to lead a band.
Vocalist · British Columbia
TonyaHorokyCooper
Powerful vocals. Soulful presence. Timeless songs.
About Tonya
A voice built for the stage.
Métis vocalist. Lifetime performer. Lafrenière dit Desrosiers lineage — a heritage woven through the Red River and the founding of the Métis Nation.
Tonya Horoky Cooper is a dynamic vocalist with a wide-ranging voice and commanding stage presence. Her repertoire moves through classic rock, blues, soul, funk, jazz, and roots music, with an ability to shift seamlessly from the raw, full-throated power of Janis Joplin and the soaring rock dynamics of Led Zeppelin into the refined phrasing of jazz standards.
Her voice is bold and expressive, capable of high-energy, full-throttle performances as well as intimate, nuanced interpretations. She does not simply perform songs. She inhabits them, bringing authenticity, strength, and emotional truth to every lyric.
Beyond vocals, Tonya brings an extensive background in musical theatre and works as an accomplished percussionist, a rare combination that gives her an instinctive command of rhythm, timing, and dramatic storytelling. In 2026 she returned to the studio with producer Felix Fung at Little Red Studio on Salt Spring Island, recording new material with Local Motion as part of the Wilding Foundation project.
Tonya performs with Local Motion, an eight-piece classic rock and blues band based on Salt Spring Island, built around three powerhouse lead singers: Tonya, Sarah Dawn Morris, and Sherry Leigh Williams. The band plays the songs that never left the dance floor: Joplin, Zeppelin, Joe Cocker, Etta James, CCR, and a whole lot more.
She does not simply sing songs. She understands how to inhabit them musically and emotionally. Her timing, phrasing, and responsiveness within a band setting demonstrate a strong ear and a deep understanding of ensemble performance.
Wilf Davies · Musician & Music Educator
Music & Style
Six rooms. One voice.
From smoky jazz standards to full-throttle classic rock, Tonya's repertoire crosses genres without ever losing its centre. The constant is the voice and the conviction behind it.
Blues & Soul
The blues-soaked power of Janis Joplin and the deep groove of classic soul. Where the voice does the heavy lifting and every phrase carries weight.
Funk & Groove
Rhythm-first material where her percussionist's instinct for timing and pocket comes through. Tight, danceable, alive.
Jazz Standards
Refined phrasing and controlled dynamics. The same voice that can roar through rock settles into a smoky standard with grace and restraint.
Powerhouse Female Vocals
The lineage of singers who command rooms: Joplin, Aretha, Tina Turner, Etta James. Performances built on emotional truth and full commitment.
Festival & Stage
Built for live performance. Confident, grounded stage presence with the range to anchor a festival set or carry a ticketed concert evening.
Influences
Janis Joplin · Led Zeppelin · Aretha Franklin · Tina Turner · Etta James · Bonnie Raitt · classic blues, jazz & soulful rock
Performance & Booking
Available for
- Festivals
- Community events
- Concerts & ticketed venues
- Private events
- Collaborative music projects
- Grant-supported performances
- Indigenous arts programming
- Recording sessions
Past Projects
The road that brought her here.
Decades on stage means a long list of bands, sessions, and collaborations along the way. A glimpse of the work before Salt Spring Island.
Hear her with Rattlesnake Point
Tonya's earlier work with the Canadian blues group Rattlesnake Point, archived on ReverbNation. Recordings, tracks, and the body of work that helped shape the voice you hear today.
Listen on ReverbNation ↗"Cold Shot" — live
Tonya performing Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Cold Shot" with the James Anthony Band. A 3:41 live performance from January 2011, captured on video.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Listen & Watch
Media & Press
Studio recordings, live performance footage, and press materials. New material from the 2026 Little Red Studio sessions with producer Felix Fung is in production.
Live Footage
Whole Lotta Love
Tonya live with Local Motion. Eight musicians, three powerhouse vocalists, one room that wouldn't sit down.
Watch on Facebook ↗ Video by Ted Bartrim
i.
Studio Sessions
Recordings from the 2026 Little Red Studio session with producer Felix Fung. Available on request.
ii.
iii.
More Live
Additional performance footage from the Legion and Salt Spring stages, in production.
Press Kit
Full EPK with bio, photos, and Wilf Davies letter of support. Download the PDF for booking and press use. ↓ Download
She does not simply sing songs. She understands how to inhabit them musically and emotionally. Her timing, phrasing, and responsiveness demonstrate a strong ear and a deep understanding of ensemble performance.
Letter of SupportWilf Davies, Musician & Educator
A powerhouse vocalist with the range to roar through rock classics and the finesse to deliver unforgettable jazz. She commands every room she plays.
EPK 2026Sweetgrass Arts & Music Society
Tonya honours her Métis heritage in the passion and power of every song she sings, descended from the Lafrenière dit Desrosiers family, a lineage woven through the founding of the Métis Nation.
Artist Bio2026
Métis Artist · Indigenous Performer
Voice, story, identity, community.
Tonya's artistic work is connected to voice, story, identity, and community. Her performances honour the power of music to bring people together across generations and cultures.
She is descended from the Lafrenière dit Desrosiers family, a lineage woven through the fur trade, the Red River settlements, and the founding of the Métis Nation. That ancestry is not background. It lives in the way she inhabits a song, the way she listens to rhythm, and the way she connects with an audience.
Lafrenière · Desrosiers · Deschamps dit Rabasca · Hénault dit Canada