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Navasha Daya, pronounced, nah VAH shah DAY-ya,, earth entry: April 25, 1975, Cleveland Ohio

The Goddess of Galactic Soul: singer, vocalist, dancer/performer extraordinaire, music educator, ordained minister, initiated priestess, healer, spiritual counselor

The Early Days of Daya

Daya attended Hicks Montessori School and then auditioned for Cleveland School of The Arts (the Fame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fame_(1980_film) school of Cleveland) in the third grade and was accepted into the school for fourth grade as a dance major. While dancing, she was also a member of the school choir and its traveling ensembles.  She received her gospel orientation by forming her first vocal group with 4 classmates in the fifth grade, The Educational Five and performed at local churches, and events including singing The National Anthem at Cleveland Indians’ games.

Dancing Daya!

Age 2 she began the Dalcroze Eurhythmic (http://www.dalcroze.org.au/eurythmics.html) methods of dance. At age 4 she began professional ballet instruction with a Russian Ballet instructor. She continued her dance and age 13, she joined Imani Dance Theater, and then at 16, she joined Iroko Dance team and honed her craft as a club/street dancer competing against other local dance crews. The School for The Arts singing ensembles incorporated dance in their performances

Age 11, she shifted her vision from dance to song and her first solo vocal performance was Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Crying for Freedom for the Official Kwanzaa Celebration for the City of Cleveland.

Navasha Navigating Fertile Nuances

The creative fire of her father, Afi-Nur influenced the professional approach to her talents for he was the leader of a highly recognized reggae band, The Word now known as Jah Word. She sang background vocals for the band between ages 13-18. Moreover, her family formed The Raheem Family Singers, performing at local events throughout the state of Ohio. Exploring her vocal range and power, Navasha was a student of private professional classical voice lessons utilizing an array of jazz singing, negro spirituals, and vocal techniques

Upon high school graduation, Dr. William Woods and her mother encouraged her to attend Morgan State University as a music education major (http://www.morgan.edu/) because of its illustrious music education program and its world renowned college choir, the Morgan State University Choir (MSUC), despite a full scholarship offering from The Berkeley School of Music (http://www.berklee.edu/). Upon entry, Dr. Nathan Carter, renowned music educator and Director of the MSUC discovered her vocal gifts and performing prowess and assisted Navasha’s obtainment of a music scholarship in addition to her academic scholarship. She eventually became President of the MSUC.

She pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc (http://www.aka1908.com/) and was crowned Miss Morgan and later won the title Miss Black Alumni Hall of Fame as Miss Morgan, the first Miss Morgan to win the national campus queen title. http://nbcahof.org/events.html

Circa 1996, the desire to earn money as a musician, divinely ordered a meeting between her and musician James Collins, an area trumpeter, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) student, and clothing entrepreneur. James was so touched by the unique power and pitch of her voice; he offered Navasha the opportunity to form a band along with drummer Marcus Asante. The trio founded themselves as Fertile Ground (FG). Their first show was a UMBC collegiate concert. The group continued to gig throughout the state of Maryland and the Washington/D.C. metropolitan area earning a faithful following.

In response to the overwhelmingly warm reception of their local audience, the group recorded Fertile Ground’s debut compilation, Field Songs. As Miss Morgan, Navasha celebrated and promoted Field Songs, an independently produced spiritual journey through, “…the fields…this ticket, that’s one way back home…where the earth is the bible and the pages are Fertile Ground.”---Libations, Track #1 from Field Songs. Field Songs is a past life litany of lush lyrics and smooth soulful jazz trimmed rhythm.

Navasha: Pearl of The World, International Acclaim

As administrative and creative co-leaders of Blackout Studios, their independent label, Navasha and James continued to produce their own eclectic style of pure jazzy hip inspirational soul music. In 2000, FG’s sophomore piece Spiritual Wars garnered international recognition via the now defunct Counterpoint Records’ desire to remix Peace and Love, one of Spiritual Wars’ compositions written by Navasha Daya. Counterpoint Records eventually produced a double album choosing select songs from Spiritual Wars and Field Songs, titling the album Perception, which received critical acclaim throughout Europe. As a result of Perception’s success, FG began a series of European tours which included venue dates in some of the best known jazz clubs including, London’s Jazz Café, Vienna’s Birdland, The Rhythm Festival, Paradiso in Amsterdam, and Paris’ New Morning Club.

The gateway to Japan reopened for Navasha as well. While her first visit to Japan was at age 16 with her high school ensemble, she was unable to perform; she lost her voice. Her mother prophesied, “Don’t worry Daya. You will return to Japan and they will love you.”  Mama does know best: FG toured Japan and received rave reviews at Club Yellow and Tokyo’s Blue Note. Navasha’s recognition as a solo singer began to take root in the city of Tokyo.

After the success of these international endeavors, Fertile Ground solidified their legacy as

the official pioneers of successfully independently produced music. The year 2002

brought their third production Seasons Change, an honest approach to a soul-filled studio album and furthering the ID badge, the totem, the DNA of Fertile Ground; the pure, raw, uncut, definition of Fertile Ground, definably only as Fertile Ground, no one, nothing, nobody else. This is just damn good music. Navasha’s vocals verve vivacity, incant inspiration, promise passion and prosperity, make magic, and leave light in their linger/singerprints. James’ lyrical and musical genius conjure the power of the band that has now flourished to include Freddie Dunn, Craig Alston, Joel Mills, and the legendary Ekendra Das. FG toured more, locally, nationally, and internationally, selling out venues and shipping out music to every corner of the globe.

Black Is, released in 2004 proved to be another successful musical experience for FG and their fans. Black Is deepened Fertile Ground’s signature indigenous inspirationally spiritual sound with compositions like Changing Woman and Spirit World penned by Navasha Daya.

In 2007, Navasha was invited to return to Japan as a soloist and record with the Japanese jazz group Sleepwalker. She garnered mass appeal for her Tokyo Crossover Jazz Festival performance during this same year and returned to perform and record on various occasions from 2007-2009. Navasha, Maimouna Yousef and Mama Nata"aska Hummingbird comprise ( the group was founded by Mama Nata"aska's mother. http://www.mountaineagleplace.com/Three_Generationz.html Three Generations, a vocal group that dedicates their voices to the aboriginal sounds and textures of Native American music harmoniously wrapped modern soul

Goddess Gleam (priestess purpose)

Navasha began preparing for her future role as an ordained minister in the year 2000 at Baltimore Spiritual Science Center   She studied there for 5 years, mastering coursework such as Exploration of the Transpersonal Self, Comparative Religion, Foundation of Spiritual Healing, Metaphysics and the Concepts of Our Universe, Kaballah, Secret Doctrine, and Esoteric Symbology and Ancient Wisdom. She serves as Reiki Master, Counsleor, Healer, Healing Circle Facilitator, and metaphysical Minister.

Daya StarDust (external linx)

http://etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2010/articles/07/2010_07_navasha_raven.html

Star Twinkles (discography)

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Fertile+Ground

Signature songs from Fertile Ground are Be Natural, the official FG Anthem, Take Me Higher, Dance, Like Poetry, Peace and Love, Sentimental Groove, Yellow Daisies, and Homage (Yesterdays)

Navasha News (upcoming projects)

Currently Navasha Daya emerges as solo artist, recruiting her entourage and band members playing shows and festivals around the country creating her own niche as The Goddess of Galactic Soul while recording her first solo compilation, anticipated release Summer 2011