ZAPPHY – Many Brazilians here still remember you from your first success “Good love” and then “Without your love”. Even if the dance music market here is big, why did it take so long to hear from you, as a record or success here? Is the distance between the countries an obstacle?

Robyn Z - Wow! Taking me back to my roots! I love it. I am happy to hear that so many Brazilians remember me from my first single “Good Love”.  Well, let’s all take a trip down memory lane together. Here is my story a bit before 1995 till present in 2009. Before getting signed to my first record contract with DM Records, I worked hand in hand with Tolga Katas who is responsible for Linear “Sending All My Love” that climbed to #1. Tolga Katas taught me a lot in the music business and set the stage for me before I got signed. “Good Love” was my first record release when I got to spread my wings as an Artist. It was all because of two producers who heard my voice and loved it. I did not write “Good Love”. Robert Bartko and Ivan Kopas take the credit on that song. I was signed to DM Records at a perfect age. I wasn’t naïve anymore though, which could be construed in our business as a bad thing, because a lot of times Labels want naïve young artists that will sell everything away on a prayer that the artist will become a superstar. That is not how I looked at my first deal, I felt it would be in my definite best interest to entertain the deal, even if it meant the label and I were not meant for each other, we all came to a conclusion. I realized at the pinnacle of “Good Love” when the single was achieving radio airplay that I had to do everything myself. When I say this, what I mean is that I had to go out and get my own shows, I hired back-up dancers and we got booked into clubs all over South Florida, I hustled the record on my own to Radio Stations. A lot of work. The Label then flew me to LA to perform in front of their distributors so I learned a lot before I was signed to DM, and then being an actual Artist signed to DM Records brought me to a whole other level. The Label and I spoke frequently about my expectations. They would express they knew I was awaiting my time to make it to the big leagues, they knew my goals.  After our talks we decided to part ways. I realized the only way to make it to the big leagues was to do it all myself. I honestly did not know I had such a huge fan base in Brazil, and I am honored to be here with all of you, and your readers who are my fans I’m blowing kisses at you and waving hi! In answer to your questions, No there are no obstacles whatsoever from here to Brazil. In life, it is my motto, that if something is an obstacle, I push my way through it and turn the impossible into possible. Sometimes in life, you need to re-evaluate yourself, your goals. At the time that “Without Your Love” came out, it was 1999; I opened up my own record label and attained national distribution on my own. Here I was as The Artist, The Songwriter, The Business woman, and all the other hats. I was getting heavy rotation in California; I was touring there as well. The thing about me is I am a jack-of-all-trades in business. I have to be business oriented or else nothing happens. At the peak of “Without Your Love” , I was about to get signed to a Major Label. I also just found out I was pregnant with my first child. The Major Label did not care that I was pregnant for putting me out there once I had my child. At that time the Major Label needed me on one more station to break a 6 figure deal, however the radio side of the business made me sick, and nauseas because a remixer promised me that of they remixed the song for a fee of $8,000 USD, I would be on rotation and get my deal. I stopped everything I was doing, and said out loud STOP! I know more than anyone that in order to thrive in this industry, you must invest in yourself however I had it with the radio payola that was going on and decided this was not for me anymore, that I would come back to it when I wanted to, when I was ready and when I would come back, I will be back with full force, and so in 2007 I started writing again, and this time around to Grammy ward winners songs and wonderful producers around the world that understand me.  I love whom I am working with because they let me be me. Back in 95-99 I was told what to write about and I did not like it, because I just wanted to write about real life and real experiences. After all, that is what it is all about!

ZAPPHY – We have heard that you are preparing a new record. We have listened to some songs, among them we selected “Ladidada”, “Autograph XOXO” as the two songs that we believe they are going to hit the hit charts. But, and you? Do you have a song that you consider as THE SONG?

Robyn Z -  The million-dollar question! And thank you for loving those two songs! You know what? I love both songs you chose. And I firmly believe that “Autograph XOXO” will be a huge hit, whether it is me singing it or a well-known person that song will hit the charts. “Ladidada” is a personal favorite of mine because it is  “me” what I mean by being me is that these songs are not forced; it was real and natural when I wrote it. That is a song I believe the world can relate to. When I wrote it, the lyrics and melodies just poured out of me. It is so hard to say which one I feel will break out as “THE SONG “ because everyone has his or her own opinion which I value. The one song that keeps getting peoples attention is “Fire”. In fact, I laugh because I am “On Rotation” in my house with “Fire”. My two kids YouTube me everyday, and watch me for at least an hour a day, and they jump and down singing, “Who’s On Fire? I’m On Fire!” it is really amazing how my daughter who is four years old picks hits. In fact, she picked Lady Gaga before Pokerface became what it has become. she has done this on numerous occasions when a record just comes out and if she’s singing it , I trust her! When a baby is singing your songs you know you have a huge record on your hands. There are many songs I have written and recorded that are not available to the public at all right now, they are completely under radar. With the songs that come pouring in from producers, I am a constant roll of writing and recording, so each week or two my catalog is getting bigger with more songs that nobody has heard and that is giving me more leverage, because there will be so many surprises for the industry, my fans. One song turns into my “Favorite” and then the next becomes better, and then I have producers asking me to make their song like my other songs, in this case “Fire”. It is a great song; I believe it will be a hit as well as “The Chant”.

ZAPPHY – Some people here do remember you from the Playboy TV. Did your time appearance there helped you to have a wider exposure, or it was a good start and nothing else?

Robyn Z - I absolutely love Playboy. How can anyone not love them? They are wonderful people to do business with. Playboy Enterprises licensed my catalog of older dance songs and I achieved airplay on a TV show on Playboy TV “All Night Party Girls” with one of my records “OO-OO-AH-AH”, I also spent about three years as the resident medium on Tiffany Granath’s Radio show on Playboy Radio .I have nothing but Love for Playboy. Yes, it has opened up a new fan base with a great audience. I am forever grateful for every potential possibility that comes my way. I take nothing or nobody for granted. Playboy Rocks!

ZAPPHY – Right now you sing and write your own music. How do choose the themes and the sound for each song? How does it happen? What about your next record, what can dance music lovers expect from it?

Robyn Z - Yes, I sing and write all of my songs. Most of the songs are Pop/Crossover; other songs are Dance, as well as Alternative/Crossover. As far as the “Themes”, when I hear a producer’s song, I will sit with the instrumental.  The song and I “gel” with each other. All songs give off emotion; everything we hear in music even before a pen touches paper makes our emotions come to life in music! Isn’t that beautiful? Whether we feel happy, sad, electric, etc. so my first task is to realize what emotion the song is giving to me. Is it making me happy? Is it the Type of song that will tell a story? Does it make you want to get up and dance? Is it a sad theme? It’s all about the interpretation of the feeling that comes off the song. Sometimes, I feel where the producers head is at, and channel who I think would sound great singing the song, and then I visualize who I can see singing it. Often I allow the theme to just come to me, it is fun because the music of every producers song I get, sends me into this journey that I love. I love channeling some of the greatest artists, and then I get the theme. Songwriting is a passion for me, because it is like building a huge puzzle. Sometimes, the “Hook” will come blazing in for me right away, and I start singing the hook over and over and start writing. If I get hot all over, I know it’s a hit chorus. At times I write the verses first, and allow the chorus and hook to come to life once my theme is set for the song. But I know my hooks and chorus’s have to be very strong and bam! Because, that is what everyone sings in a song. They remember the Hook and the Chorus. I have also learned when I am honing in on my songwriting that each line has to be great because there is no room for slacking on a verse just because you got a great hook, so I am much harder on myself nowadays because I want my songs to hit the masses of this world. And have songs that everyone can relate to. As far as my upcoming releases all I can say… is hold on for the ride of your life! All Dance Music lovers can expect the unexpected from me!

ZAPPHY – The dance music market is not the one that you will listen every minute on the radios, but it has a great impact on TV. Are you also working on videoclips? Where they can be seen?

Robyn Z - At this moment, I have slideshows of my new photo shoot in my YouTube videos on RobynZTV, however I am planning on doing a real video in the very near future, it is “picking the song” that will be a task for the video, however the investment will be well worth it because I believe once the public gets to see me in action in a real music video it sets the stage, period. Please Subscribe to RobynZTV on YouTube! I answer as much as I can!

ZAPPHY – We DO have a problem relating to non-authorizing copies, but in a way, many new artists have been using this way to “spread their music” and some how to escape from the power of the major labels. How do see this? Is the free digital music the future or the major labels will have to come up with a new solution?

Robyn Z - The Music Industry is in the worst shape it has ever been in. I mean, I remember listening to an 8 track in my mom’s room of Donna Summer, songs were on the radio, there was a constant flow of emerging talent that would break out on MTV and even if they are or were one hit wonders they still got a break. Nowadays and I am just being real with you and everyone reading, I am so tired of “trending” and everyone sounding like everybody else. When Madonna came out, she was and is still an icon, Michael Jackson (May he rest in peace) was one of my biggest idols, and then of course David Bowie and countless others who just took my breath away with their genuine lyrics, musical production was amazing. Now everything is so technology oriented, that it is all online social networks which is not a bad thing however it is all we have come to know now. I realize we are in a digital era that is taking over our lives, but god! I want real music back, The Majors need to get a grip and hold tight and do things the old school way again.  The whole music arena as a whole needs to be original and unique. That’s what people want! How many times can we hear a new song and say “That sounds like---again) I want to hear and see unique artists. I am unique and different and I am not afraid of stepping out of the box. I do not go scouting the Internet for free songs, however! And there is a HUGE however here for certain artists that have gotten on mix tapes etc they have had a huge break which is wonderful, but most of the artists that are throwing their music online for free are hurting themselves because they are seeing no profit. NOW, if you put your music on I-Tunes without a Major Label, it is harder for a Major to want you because you are already doing your thing. It truly is a double-edged sword! I know that we have been in a time of free digital music being the future, however I definitely SEE the Majors changing this around. I think times were much more fun when we had to buy a CD to be honest with you. I got a rush going out to buy a CD. I don’t get that same feeling with downloading a song on my computer. Technology has us all in a bind.  I think Technology is getting out of control because of all the free digital music that artists are literally throwing out on the internet, but I don’t understand the purpose of putting your blood, sweat, and tears into a record to just give it all away for free. These are just my opinions at this time, I see nothing wrong if your giving your first record away for free to a major artist and you are on the credits, and that propels your career into superstardom but as far as these free songs for download, I don’t care for it, and I honestly do not get it.

ZAPPHY – Now, how come being a “psychic medium” helps on the song writing? Is it something completely different or one thing helps the other?

Robyn Z - Wow! Great questions guys! Seriously: being born with two extraordinary gifts: one being a Natural Born Singer and Medium have given me beautiful opportunities in this lifetime. I am not sure at times, when I am songwriting since I “channel”, who I am channeling. Normally before my pen touches the paper, I will channel the masters in the Music Industry (The Hit maker Writers and Artists) and at times, I feel my paper and pen takes me on an amazing journey as I am writing the hook, the Bridge, A Vamp, and I say to my peers and colleuges after a song is finished when I receive good feedback,” I have No idea how I came up with that!” I say things such as “That was not I that wrote that song”.  When we all know yes I wrote it, my paper and pen consummated a marriage a long time ago!  It is neat because the other side has an impact on everything we do here. I can look at it that I am one lucky woman because the pendulum swings both ways, meaning “Channeling” in songwriting is an amazing feeling, a warmth, a hot feeling comes over me when I know I have a record that is going to Hit Hard. When “THE SONG” “will hit” is the big million-dollar question, and you must know that me being a psychic medium, I cannot read myself to save myself! There is a huge misconception that people think, “Well He or she is Psychic they should know this”. That statement is simply not true. Let me tell you this, I have to go to a professional Clairvoyant and get read myself to trusted sources and I only have a about two trusted Clairvoyant Mediums where I can go get a completely amazing accurate reading. All the Psychic Mediums that have read me, knowing not one thing about me have all said the exact same thing.  They have all stated I will be very famous as a singer/songwriter they have told me I will sing with a very famous black male singer they have also told me I will win Grammys. All of these psychics have asked to be invited to the Grammys because that is how serious they are when they read me. I am a huge believer in the psychic realm, and I am also a huge skeptic. But with these psychics the have told me things that have all come true since 1994. So now, you can all laugh, think perhaps channeling in general is an amazing gift and it is one I cherish in both worlds, both in the songwriting world and as a medium.

ZAPPHY – A final message to all your Brazilian fans and all the reader of ZAPPHY magazine.

Robyn Z - First, I want to thank you for allowing me to have such a wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by you, thank you ZAPPHY Magazine! And of course I want to thank all of my fans. Please come visit me on my websites: Myspace.com/officialrobynz designed by the amazing Kalikwest Media Group, or visit www.robynz.com  (You can contact me at both sites along with my team) and on the flipside you can visit www.robynz.net for the Psychic Medium side of me. Revista, I know my team is sending you Promo CD’s. I feel a huge connection to you and Brazil, and definitely feel something big is coming! In fact, I think one or more of my songs will end up on your radio here on Brazil so can you and my fans do me a huge favor? Go ahead and pick the hottest songs and get it on heavy rotation so I can come out to you and my fans in Brazil!  To all Radio, thank you for the love and support let’s make Robyn Z. a superstar and all go to the Grammy’s together! Much! I think it would be amazing if you break me here in Brazil. That is what makes great strong leadership. Is one PD or one person taking the chance, stepping out of the box and saying “I’m Going to Break Her {Robyn Z.} And nothing is going to stop her!" I love people like that! It is a huge turn on for me when someone takes a chance on me, and believes in me! I have seen it and had tastes of it before, and I understand that was to prepare me into where we are now in 2009.  I know someone is coming soon that is going to break the doors right open with me. To my fans, I love you and when I finally break out huge, I will be hugging you all, and that excites me so much! “XOXO”