Singer Gaya has got some solid vocal game. You should check out some of her songs, especially the song “Amoureux” (In Love), in which the Canadian of Haitian descent songstress sounds like a Millennial Roberta Flack. Her voice husky, sensual decorates the song “Kingdom”, like a silk tablecloth for a Sunday dinner. Let’s all get to know her, and her journey as an artist!

Kreyolicious: How did you come to be involved in the music business?
Gaya: As far as I can remember, music was always in my life. I was brought up in a protestant christian family, so at the early age of 7, I joined the church choir for the first time. I sang with them until the age 16. When I turned 17, I joined a Montreal-based professional touring gospel choir named Jireh. Jireh offered me my first experience as a lead singer and the chance to minister the word of God around the provinces of Quebec, Ontario-and even in France-for five years.

Kreyolicious: Wow…
Gaya: At age 21, I left the choir to start focusing on a personal career. At that time, I founded a all female band with four musicians and two vocalists, including myself, called Les Garçons. This clever concept didn’t last long, but it helped me get discovered by Quebec’s music scene as we ranked high in famous Canadian music contests. I then started doing back up singing for Canadian artists such as Karl Wolf and Wesli Louissaint/Wesli Band.

Kreyolicious: Wesli!
Gaya: I stayed along Wesli’s side for over six years! We performed across Canada, Morocco, the USA and we even performed at the Carifesta 2015 in Haiti. The band was placed in the “Coup de Coeur” category at this amazing event.

Not long after, I was dreaming of bring my career to its full potential. So, in the 2011, I decided to take a risk and put music as a Plan A in my life. I was 23, I left a good-paying day job to hustle! Blessed me, not only was I working with Wesli, but I had the amazing faith to meet up with the Boogie Wonder Band.

Kreyolicious: And from all this you learned…
Gaya: Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to gain in life. Boogie Wonder Band is a legendary Disco Band for which I became a lead singer in 2011. As a young adult, this was by far the biggest commitment I had ever done and in the long term. It gave me such a strong stage experience! Not only would I get to perform with the funkiest ten-piece band alive, but I was also their official choreographer and I would take part of the artistic direction. For four years I toured the USA, from Vermont to Miami, New York city to New Orleans. We hosted the Sugar Bowl and performed twice at the famous Bacchus party for Mardi Gras. We had a steady night every month in New York City, and went as far as performing in Italy. My alter ego in the Band, Honey Jazz Jackson mainly known as Honey Jaz Jackson was a real funk queen. Funkadelic by day and indigenous by night.

Kreyolicious: You call yourself Gaya…why?
Gaya: Gaya Is a mission of life. I call my self Gaya to be reminded everyday of my purpose on Earth. Composing music has always been one of my favorite things in the world, but I stopped for quite a while. I was busy singing other people’s songs and I was not in touch with my own creative side which is the main reason why I love music. In early 2013, a younger cousin of mine was killed ,and I could not find the words to express my pain. So, one day, I started singing…a brand new song. Something nobody had ever heard before…and this song made me feel better. That song led to another one, and another one, and to a special one called “Chache Gaya”, a song about me…my purpose…my quest for freedom…my quest for that special thing that will heal my soul.

After composing “Chache Gaya”, I called myself Gaya because that beautiful word that was [mentioned] to me in a trip I had made to Haiti that year, automatically made me feel gaya. Now the name Team Gaya is my way to include every truth-seeker in my journey. Gaya is for everybody. Gaia is the ultimate Goddess. She is female. She is black. She is strong. She is Life. Gaya is that stage where you are healed from what ever was killing your body, your soul and your self-esteem, your motivation or your history.

This year, a song made the word “gaya” very popular, and I thank God for that! It won’t be forgotten. It’s not a momentary hype. Gaya is a key. I don’t do music to write my name in history. I do it to deliver a message and it starts by the word “healing”…Gaya.

This concludes PART I of the interview with the singer! Look out for Part II. Be sure to watch the video below and the links below!

Check out singer GAYA ON FACEBOOK| Gaya on Instagram |

[Photo Credit: Deydey Fine Arts. Main pic: Maxeau Mercier]

Canadian singer of Haitian descent Gaya started off singing back-up for several bands and solo artists on the Canadian scene before striking out on her own. Even before she became the darling of the Canadian musical scene, she was taking risks. Firstly, she quit a lucrative position to spend time networking on the music scene in her native country. And later when she had gained fame as a lead vocalist for a major band, she turned the tables again and went out on her own venture. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And Gaya has definitely ventured, and she’s gained much!

Kreyolicious: So, you started off singing background for several artists and then it was solo time!
Gaya: In 2013, I started composing songs for a much more personal project call Rara Gaya. These songs were mainly organic, vulnerable…and showcased another side of my personality. My main influence at that time was Toto Bissainthe. With [the] full desire to give this project a chance, I left the Boogie Wonder Band in December 2014, and in early 2015, I showcased my talent on the TV show “The Voice Canada”, called “La Voix”.

Kreyolicious: And how was that experience?
Gaya: “La Voix” was an exciting experience! They took me from where I was…a funk queen, as they let me perform major successes such as “I will Survive” from Gloria Gaynor to “Uptown Funk” from Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. They also let me showcase that other side of my personality, the grounded warrior, when they allowed me to perform “Le Mal Du Pays” by Manno Charlemagne, a song about liberty.

Since 2015, I have been touring under the stage name Team Gaya showcasing my amazing musicians and myself around North America and Haiti. We have finished our first album, which will come out [this month]. This first opus is definitely made for music lovers! It is organic like the vision I had in 2013, and it reflects every stage of my life. It has gospel [tracks], French songs, English songs and Creole interactions. It is high on energy, but the energy is brought in many different ways! Stay tuned for the album, called Little Bird.

Kreyolicious: Which artists and groups have inspired you on your musical journey?
Gaya: OMG, so many. I love music. My ultimate females vocalist were for the longest time Whitney Houston, Janet jackson and Tony Braxton, Gosh I love Tony Braxton. As a pop fan, The Spice Girls, Britney spears, the Backstreet Boyz are totally my guilty pleasure. Later on came Aliyah, TLC, Destiny’s Child…Beyonce, Amarie, Rihanna, Drake, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and I gotta say that I really think that Ariana Grande has amazing productions and an amazing voice. [The] 70’s-80’s: Michael Jackson, Prince, Chaka Khan. Finally, on a more jazz, world and soul music angle: Toto Bissainthe, Manno Charlemagne, Sade, Joy Denalane, Teri Moïse, Corneille, Tracy Chapman, Nina Simone, FKA Twigs, and my favorite, Solange Knowles.

Kreyolicious: What if you could create a band for one night…made up from musicians and other artists…who would you include?
Gaya: I would keep my actual musicians because I am very loyal and I would love to reach the top with my team. Now the real question is if I had one night to produce an epic record who would I choose to produce it with. [Smile] Well…the answer is, I would put around one table, myself, James Blake, Raphel Saadiq, Mike will made it, Kuk Harrell, Niles Rogers, Pharell, Sampha, Aubrey Graham, Max Martin, Solange Knowles, and Kanye West. It is not a record without Kanye West.

Kreyolicious: Your parents have your back in this music stuff?
Gaya: My parents are great. Two very modern Haitian parents. My father introduced me to Michael Jackson when I was a Child! [Some] nights, he would wear white gloves and moonwalk in the hallway to make me and my siblings laugh before going to sleep. And [on] other nights, he would dress like a Taino to tell us the history of Haiti. My mom was always very athletic and would teach me some dance moves while doing aerobics to Abba’s music. She is a very colorful person. She could care less about what others can think. She is driven, passionate. She loves her family and fears God. Both of my parents are very creative and they always made me feel like there was nothing impossible for me to achieve. Today, they come to my shows with their friends and support me in my art. I love my parents. God bless them!

Kreyolicious: What do you hope to accomplish over the course of your career?
Gaya: Produce some great music. Stay authentic. Perform over and over again, share the stage with the greatest and die satisfied. Let the music speak for itself. I wanna create a model in which my children will feel comfortable in their skin, embrace their vision and be free to accomplish great things when comes their turn. In the end, I just want my music and my career to be a great example for the generations to come—because the best is yet to come.

This has been another episode of Haitian-Canadians…in which…in which your favorite chick Kreyolicious explores Canadians of Haitian descent and what they’re up to. CLICK HERE if you missed PART I of the interview with Gaya!

[Photo Credit: Deydey Fine Arts]