In Conversation with La Goony Chonga

La Goony Chonga asserts herself with utmost certainty and confidence. Her sultry presence, coupled with catchy Spanish lyrics, makes her stand out like a beam of light in a dim room. Independent and determined. La Goony Chonga’s music is for herself, for the other chongas she grew up around, and for her fans that find solace in the sphere of light she spreads, but also for her lineage and her history. Unapologetic and bold, La Goony dives into the depths of her personal and musical identity during our conversation and advocates for ambition, self-expression, and unfiltered artistry.

Hi! It’s a pleasure to talk to you. How are you doing? Congratulations on the birth of your second!
Thank you! I appreciate you for having me. I’m feeling good and excited for all the great things to come. 

You get asked about your name often, and touch on the history of the connotations of the word chonga – could you explore the history of the word, how this history affects your use and the construction of your identity?
The word chonga derives from South Florida, particularly Miami, and was used to describe latina women who are expressive in both their sassy attitudes and aesthetic, which includes tight clothing, big hoops, bangles and gelled hair. Back in the 2000’s when I was in middle school being called a chonga was like being called “ratchet” and sometimes could be considered an insult. In my school all the chongas were popular and it’s a style that kind of stuck with me forever til this day. As I got older in high school and  experimented with different styles like being a Hollister preppy, indie hippie, and “scene kid,” which was a colorful look, I always mixed those styles with the “chonga” style. For me chonga is not just on me, it’s in me. 

You recently released “WIKI WIKI,” in collaboration with Ms. Nina. Can you tell us about your inspirations and creative process, especially on how your creative process shifts when collaborating?
I usually prefer to collaborate in person and start fresh to come up with something together with whoever I work with but in many cases such as the one with Ms. Nina, someone will send me a song they already started or vice versa. Since “WIKI WIKI” was sent to me with an open verse,  I  just bounced off what she had already done and added my own special touch which included paying homage to the artist Yaviah who also made a reggaeton song called “Wiki Wiki” back in 2004.

You have iconic lines in many songs, do you have one in your mind that you would say is your favourite
A really good one I think everyone loves is “Yo soy atrevida pero bendecida” from my song “Duro 2005“. It translates in English to, I am daring but blessed. Sounds way catchier in Spanish though!

On the question of identity, how intertwined is La Goony Chonga with your non-musical identity?
I would say it is somewhat intertwined because there is no musical identity without my non-musical identity. When I am not on stage or on set being La Goony Chonga, I am Kasey the mother of 2 at home cooking, cleaning and taking care of my kids. La Goony Chonga is just an extension of me and my inner child. She is my confidence, my dream and motivation to inspire others.

Much like your name, your songs spell out who you are, presenting an unapologetic and real account of you as a sexual, sensual, and desiring being. What value do you personally see in using explicit, or non-ambiguous language– calling yourself a chonga, or remarking about your time as a stripper and calling it exactly that instead of adopting the liberal term, exotic dancer?
I just express myself in a raw authentic way. I have never been one to sugar coat or change my words to please others. I feel like my music will reach those it’s meant for and that is what truly matters.

Furthermore, can you elaborate on your experience at the beginning of your career, the sacrifices you had to make as an independent musician, and how these experiences shaped you as a musician and person?
In the beginning of my career, it was all fun and creative. I had no idea what it actually took to be successful in music. It wasn’t until I had my first kid in 2018 that I realized you have to be about your business in order to succeed. Your talent and music is not enough. You have to have a team, know your music business basics and be on top of everything including social media. I have always been good at the social media thing, I mean I come from the generation of MySpace. But that’s just one small part of it.  I had to upload my own music with a distributor, register my music with ASCAP and invest my own money into all my projects and tours. Till this day. I have chosen to remain independent despite the numerous record deals I have been offered throughout my career. It is a lot of work but I take pride in knowing I did not settle.I know way too many people who are unhappy in their deals. I’d rather gain some leverage independently before I choose to take that route so I can get into a deal I love. At the end of the day, it  takes a lot of sacrifice being an artist and I’m grateful that I have been able to  build my own team, be my own boss and  make a living doing what I love.

On another note, you have a rather intimate connection to your fans and your audience, as seen in your latent series of #CHONGAFIED on YouTube– how did #CHONGAFIED start, what does it mean for you?
I started my youtube series chongafied in 2020 during the pandemic when show business was done for. I had to find a way to stay busy and keep my fanbase entertained since I was not going to be performing live shows anymore. So I thought I would do something on youtube and a chonga makeover show was going to be perfect. The show was a way for me to show the world what a chonga is aesthetically while still showing love and supporting the other artists/influencers that were featured on my show as guests. It was something no other artists I knew of were doing and also super fun. I was lucky to be able to chongafy some pretty cool people like Kreayshawn, Rosalia and even one of my fans! I always loved how confident they felt afterwards and just getting to see what it’s like to be like La Goony. I stopped doing the show around 2022 since my life got a little busier but I am actually working on season 2 and set to release it this  summer.

What do you want to say to your listeners – what’s next for La Goony Chonga?
Gooniez get ready for me to unleash all this unreleased music I have, and lookout for Chongafied Season 2!!