Meet Zhayna | Professional Singer & Recording Artiste

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zhayna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zhayna, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since I’ve known myself I have always been an exceptional singer and performer as it was a natural born talent. So naturally, a love and passion for it grew and I began to thrive in that area. I believe this career chose me and it was simply a part of my destiny to be here. I was gifted with a talent for music and connecting with people through singing and performing. With that came opportunities one after the next. As such, everything fell perfectly in line for me to now be where I am, as a professional singer and recording artiste.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional singer/songwriter, recording artiste and performer from Jamaica. I believe what sets me apart is the diverse blend of influences woven into my music. Hailing from Jamaica, I bring the soulful and powerful essence of reggae and dancehall, but what truly distinguishes my sound is the fusion of genres like R&B, Neo Soul, Jazz, Afro Beats, and alternative rock. This eclectic mix not only reflects my diverse musical palette but also allows me to craft a unique and captivating sonic experience. My singing style is a reflection of my passion for storytelling through music, channeling emotions that resonate across various genres. This versatility, combined with a deep connection to my Jamaican roots, enables me to create a musical journey that is both authentic and globally appealing.

I must say I am immensely proud for how far I’ve come on my musical journey. I started out as just a young girl from Stony Hill, St Andrew, Jamaica with a big voice, a big heart and a big dream. One of my biggest accomplishments was my Europe Summer Tour in 2022. I was able to perform on stage at some of the biggest Reggae festivals in Europe such as Uppsala Reggae Festival, Summerjam and Reggae Geel.
Another huge accomplishment was performing on BBC 1Xtra. I am really grateful for all of these experiences.
I worked my way up from singing on the school choir to singing and touring with established artistes such as Koffee, Chronixx and Daniel Caesar, to performing and being on tour as a solo artiste.

I am looking forward to releasing upcoming projects for 2024. I have been at work in the studio and I recently released two songs, ‘Before Daylight’ and ‘Love & War All Christmas’ in October and December respectively.
I also recently posted a snippet singing a piece of a cover called ‘Rasta man Chant’ while I was on stage singing with Etana. It went viral on Tik Tok and now my followers have been begging me to do a full cover of the song. So I’m really excited about preparing an official live performance cover for that. There is so much more in store. I am also hopeful I will be back on the road touring again soon. I am excited to see where this journey will lead me.

The journey has not always been easy with all the transitions from one phase to the next and learning how to navigate through them. There were days I would feel overwhelmed by the pressure of trying to keep up, especially with the expectations that were placed on me as an artiste and not wanting to disappoint the people who invested in me, supported and believed in me. But through self reflection, meditation, prayer, among other practices I have been learning how to balance and stabilize my emotions and anxieties around this. I have learnt the attitude of gratitude and how much it helps to stay positive even through times of struggle, fear and doubt. I have learnt to believe more in myself and to trust myself in knowing what is best for me and to know that seasons change so the hardships won’t last forever.

I want the world to know that my brand is not just about the music but about sharing a piece of my world, my journey, and the joy I find in creating something beautiful against all odds. Most importantly, I aim to create meaningful connections with people all over the world through my music, touching hearts and inspiring positivity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to some of the nicest rivers and beaches I’ve been to in Jamaica. The river is one of my favorite places to be so I would start there and I think my best friend would also appreciate that. I would take them to Reach Falls in Portland, Fish Dunn’s in Portland, Dunn’s River Falls is a definite must go in Ocho Rios, Blue Hole in St Ann, Doctor’s Cave in Montego Bay, Frenchmen’s Cove in Portland, and of course Jamaica is known for its hidden gems which are places that are really beautiful but not many people know about or have been to. One in particular is in Stony Hill where I grew up. A beautiful river with greenery surrounding the area. I would go there almost everyday just to listen to the birds chirp and the chants of the cicadas and crickets while I sing and play my guitar.

I’d take them to eat some jerked chicken or jerked pork by Boston Jerk Center in Montego Bay. I’d take them to Island Grill which is a definite go to Jamaican restaurant, and most definitely I’d take them to have fried fish and festival at Hellshire in St Catherine by the beachside.

Jamaican plays are always a great vibe and are usually quite comedic. I’d take them to theatre houses like Little Theatre or Centre Stage in Kingston to see plays by playwrights like Patrick Brown performed by actors such as Glen Campbell and Camille Davis.

And lastly, I could not forget to take them to a live music scene to listen to a nice mix of Jamaican music. My first time ever performing solo live was at a place called Jamnesia in Bull Bay which is a live music scene where there are open mic segments. I was about 14 years old when I first performed and had the opportunity of meeting Chronixx, Protoje and Jah9 when they were just about to take off in their careers.

Kingston however, is known for live music scenes. A great place to start would be Dub Club in Kingston where there are featured artistes as well as an open mic session for creatives to express their musicality. 22 Jerk in Kingston is another a great place for live music as well as open mic segments. Jangas is a go to for live music performances, where you’ll find a mix of people, going to see performances by both upcoming and established artistes, as well as there is a Dj who plays throughout the night.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out to my family for supporting me and trusting in my musical talent and how far it will take me.

I’d like to shout out to my manager Tara Johnson for working with me, believing in me, pushing me to be better and sharing in the vision of me becoming one of the greatest artistes the world has seen.

I’d like to thank my voice tutor June Lawson for being the best voice tutor ever, for helping me to discover and learn more about how amazing my voice really is and all I’m capable of doing vocally and musically, and how I can better my craft; for believing in me and encouraging me to go further in my music career.

I want to shout out to The Ashe Company for supporting me and helping me build my confidence and further improve myself in singing and performing.

I want to shout out to The Edna Manley College for all their teachings and for the foundation they have built for creatives to better themselves in the field as well as a platform where we are able to create connections with other creatives and where opportunities can be birthed.

I’d like to shout out and give a huge thanks to all my supporters who have been following my journey, streaming my music, coming to my shows, giving encouragement, cheering me on and making this whole venture feel worth it. I am so grateful to all of you.

Lastly, I want to thank the almighty God for gifting me with these talents and for creating me so that I may fulfill my purpose with this talent thy I have been blessed with.

Website: https://linktr.ee/zhayna?fbclid=PAAaYBgikRMT-bsRytPSgp1yQCmz3P0vg7E2ciCtpuk5VI2gHE6ODvLvDmz2Y_aem_AU84m-uYwcFFZi9U8lxVBNqZy-5jZ7UruoWPT7pz35ZNUXqg7XwxPpW7n6eqxVUt3tw

Instagram: @iamzhayna

Twitter: @iamzhayna

Facebook: @iamzhayna

Youtube: @iamzhayna

Other: Tik Tok: @iamzhayna876

Image Credits
O3media Shotbyokt