Ayanna Heaven | The Artist/DJ you need to know
Get into this artist/dj/all around “bad gyal”
Part of my mission with this newsletter is to support the work of the black artists in my community that have inspired me. Ayanna’s work is incredible and I’m so proud to call her my friend. We did a fun little interview where she talks Jamaican culture and blesses us with her work. Check it out below.
How has your background influenced your work?
I aim to elevate Jamaican culture in anything that I do, whether it’s through DJing, creating artwork, or cooking. I consider myself to be a creative and while my outlets vary, one of my missions is to spread the beauty of Jamaica in any way I can. I play a lot of Jamaican music in my sets, love cooking Jamaican food, and the colors and settings of my paintings are very much influenced by my environment growing up and the art I was exposed to as a child.
“feelin u, feelin me” (proverbial garden series) ~ acrylic on canvas ~ 2019
quarantine portrait #2 ~ acrylic on canvas ~ 2020
What inspired you to become a DJ?
I have loved music since I was 13 years old, and when I become passionate about something, I really go the extra mile! I went to a really small all-girls school for high school, and they were really supportive and accommodating to us and our interests. I remember making mix CDs for teachers and friends, and after some time I was given the opportunity to DJ our weekly all-school assembly. That was an awesome opportunity for me to get my feet wet in music research and curation. This experience then led me to DJ several dances at school, and I became known as the music girl. When I came to college, I decided I wanted to study music, and began a self-designed degree combining Anthropology and Contemporary Music. I would get opportunities here and there to DJ but I had become paralyzed by a fear rejection and the pressure that came with DJing. I knew that if I were to be a DJ, I would want to only play music I truly enjoyed listening to, and I felt as though the party scene, which I believed to be my only entry-point, would be neither fulfilling nor fun for me.
“I wanted DJing to be a way that I could tell stories about culture and history, as well as a way to bring people together in fun and engaging ways.”
I was always 1-2 years younger than my peers in my class, and I never had a fake-ID, so I missed out on a lot of partying that would have happened in my first years living in New York. I started to believe that music would forever be a side-passion, and that I would make my “real work” something social justice or education related.
So, to cut a long story very short, I ended up working at the New York City Department of Education central office when I graduated from college, and putting my creative passions on the back burner, even as the desire to pursue creativity bubbled up inside. I decided at the end of 2018 that I knew I was burned out from four years working in city government, and I moved to Jamaica to live with my Dad who had just moved back. I’d saved up every dollar I could so that I could continue paying my loans while away, and began my 2019 living in Jamaica. While I was there, I did a lot of meditation, planning, and learning. I wanted a new way of life that allowed for me to be creative full-time, with the flexibility of being able to build a career in New York City while also being able to be in Jamaica as much as possible with my family. I grew a lot in my music knowledge while away, made a few mixes, got a couple opportunities to play, and then came back to New York with just enough experience under my belt to try and make it in the New York scene. I’ve been back here since September 2019, and the journey has not been easy, but it’s been super fun and I’ve grown so much in a short period of time.
How has your work helped you heal?
Well, I definitely began painting again just as a form of expression after a really difficult breakup a few years back. While I had been volunteering for several years hosting arts workshops with Art Start, I had not been intentional about working on my own practice even though I knew I loved creating. Within a year of the break-up, I’d created about 8 paintings and several drawings. I realize now that I just needed a creative outlet at the time, and painting and drawing really helped me heal and express my feelings on paper. I wouldn’t plan anything I created, and when I would finish a painting I could see what my spirit was expressing. It was awesome to see what I created through that time and when I look back I feel really proud of those pieces because I know what a difficult time I was having.
“picnic on the hill” ~ acrylic on canvas ~ 2018
“fruit shopping” ~ acrylic on canvas ~ 2018
How can we best support your work?
You can always listen to my radio show Across 110th Street on WKCR 89.9 FM or WKCR.org every Saturday from 12-2 PM EST. The show is so fun for me to produce, and since we are social distancing, I put together the show from home every week. It takes a lot of time so it makes my day when folks listen.
You can also purchase original pieces or prints from me. I have all my art up on my website: ayannaheaven.com.
And then of course, there’s nothing like monetary contributions!
My Venmo and CashApp are both AyannaHeaven. Every little bit counts.
quarantine portrait #1 ~ acrylic on canvas ~ 2020
What’s your favorite song to play and why?
I seriously love the Sergio Mendes album Timeless and I think I play a song from that record in 50% of my sets if I’m not playing reggae! One of my favorite songs on the album is called Bananeira! It’s such a great groove and features dancehall artist Mr. Vegas. I love the combo of Brazilian Samba and Dancehall.
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Remember you are more powerful than you know
Kile Atwater