Ahsia

What if one song could capture the essence of resilience, community, and empowerment? Join us for an inspiring conversation with the extraordinary Ahsia, a gifted singer, songwriter, producer, educator, and poet. With Nigerian and Congolese roots, Ahsia’s journey from her early days in Philadelphia and upbringing in Vancouver paints a vivid picture of dedication and musical passion. She opens up about her formative musical influences, and the rich musical landscape that has molded her unique style of R&B, soul, jazz, afrobeat, and poetry rap. In our conversation she reflects on her evolution as an artist, including a career pause during the COVID-19 pandemic and musical influences by artists like the Black Eyed Peas and Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé and more.

Her powerful track, “Black Woman,” released on Juneteenth, won Best Song of the Summer from Unsigned BC. Our discussion takes a poignant turn as Ahsia shares the story behind her award-winning anthem, "Black Woman." Written spontaneously with a bass guitar, this song boldly confronts the microaggressions and subtle forms of racism faced by Black women, particularly in places like Vancouver. Her lyrics resonate deeply, offering validation and visibility to the Black community.

AHSIA discusses navigating the Vancouver music scene and invites listeners to her upcoming shows at Guilt & Co on October 26 and the Grey Cup Festival in November. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about authenticity, resilience, and embracing one’s true self.

Check out Ahsia here:
Website: ahsia.ca
IG: ahsia.wav

Intro Featured Single : Black Woman by Ahsia .
Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/track/13NtwFhTw1gQ2CEdEWJ4vZ?si=WBl3UOD7Q_6xU2E_Pd2iTQ

Give this playlist a listen: Vancouver’s Finest
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3lYocr5871zoe9ASQnHfNa?si=lmo9gXWxTbC2VDNqHyszvA&pi=u-KMDtbK75T8Sv

Stay Tuned:
Subscribe for engaging and insightful interviews with Vancouver's finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and entertainers.

Connect with Us:
- Instagram & TikTok: @blackvanclub
- Website: blackvanclub.com

Black Van Club is more than a platform; it's a movement dedicated to spotlighting the incredible talent and cultural richness of Vancouver's Black community. From artists and entrepreneurs to unmissable events, we're your guide to what's trending in our vibrant city.

Support us by liking, sharing, and commenting. Your engagement helps our community grow and brings more captivating content your way.

 

Podcast Intro

Podcast Outro

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:50

I'm a black woman and I like it like that, got my people right behind me and they always got my back. Yeah, don't be mad, I'm just dating facts About. About the watches pull up in a golden cadillac. Can't help your eyes when you see me on the street thinking that I'm up to something I'm really trying to eat. You getting bitter and bitter. You ain't discreet, always gotta have a stranger looking staring at me.

Speaker 2 1:18

But I'm a black woman and I wouldn't change a thing, welcome to Black Van Club on the Mic podcast, a digital platform for events and creatives in Vancouver. I'm your host, ruby, and today I'm so excited to introduce our guest, talented singer, songwriter, producer and educator, poet Asaya. Born in Philadelphia but raised in Vancouver with Nigerian and Congolese roots, she's been creating waves with her vibrant musical style that blends R&B, soul, jazz, afro-b and poetic rap. Thank you for joining us today.

Speaker 3 2:02

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 2:05

Yeah, I'm so glad to have you on our forum and to share your incredible talent with the audience and maybe, you know, just share a little bit about yourself. So for the Black Vag community, someone who's never listened to your music, just you know, give a little brief intro, a little taste sure?

Speaker 3 2:29

um, so I have been singing since I was about five, for as long as I can remember, and I've been performing since about that time as well. And I released my first song, produced by myself, in 2016, maybe, and it's still on SoundCloud. And then after that I just kind of went to college for music and then started my career, and then COVID hit, and then I had to restart a little bit. And then here we are.

Speaker 2 3:10

So I've been doing music for a long time, yeah, yeah, I think. I think that's the general theme with a lot of people. I think it is a lot of work and build up to becoming the artist that you want to be. I think people only see the success but they never hear the story behind it. So it's glad to see you on your journey. I guess we could just double back a little bit. So you say you started at five. Okay, yeah, and I did a little bit of research. Obviously I saw you were born in Philadelphia, so I guess you could just get into. Maybe the early history is how you started out, philly in Philly, and then how you kind of transitioned to Vancouver.

Speaker 3 3:46

I guess yeah, so, um, I was born in Philly and then I was taken by a different family into Vancouver, so it was more so just a better life safety and just yeah. So I came into Vancouver and I was raised here with my family yeah, but I still have family back in Philly yeah, so you've been here in Vancouver for how long, I guess? Pretty much like since as long as I can remember, like I was practically raised here, since like infanthood so so you're a real Vancouverite. Yeah.

Speaker 2 4:22

Yeah, okay. Well, that's good to know. I always like to, I'm kind of interested in people's backgrounds, so it's good to know that and I guess, in terms of your early musical influences and things that you know, inspired you to get into music and your style, maybe you can go more into that and just elaborate yeah totally so.

Speaker 3 4:48

I grew up listening to the Black Eyed Peas. That's my favorite band of all time. Black Eyed Peas, pussycat Dolls and Beyonce and Gwen Stefani, I think were like in repeat. Yeah, so. But on top of that I was very into musicals. So Dreamgirls, hairspray, yes, like that was my childhood. So yeah, and I still want to be in a musical before.

Speaker 1 5:20

I die before I go.

Speaker 3 5:20

I need to be in one musical and then I'll be happy.

Speaker 2 5:23

You are speaking my language right now. I am a musical girly, like I love musicals. All the musical influences you spoke of, that was like my playlist growing up so I could feel the same wavelength. Those are some good choices. I could feel the same wavelength, those are some good choices. So, like I guess those different styles they kind of inspired you to get into music and create and produce yeah, it was interesting.

Speaker 3 5:50

When I started singing, I felt like that was the only place where I could truly be myself and I didn't feel. I don't want to say that I didn't feel I don't want to say that I didn't feel that I was good at anything else, but I knew that that was where my happy place was, and so I was like I need to explore this. So then music kind of just took over everything. I started doing singing lessons, I was in choir, so yeah.

Speaker 2 6:18

Wow, this is actually kind of parallel to kind of my story. It's kind of funny when you're saying this because I did the music, I did the singing lessons, the choirs and everything, and it takes a lot of work. It especially when you're young. It's like the times you could be out with your friends. You're out at a lesson, you're out practicing. You're memorizing lyrics. You're memorizing lyrics. You're practicing your performances.

Speaker 3 6:46

Yeah, it was a lot, my, even my mom, like she told me this years later. But she talked to my voice teacher as a kid and apparently she was like work her hard, like work her really, really hard. And I hated my, my voice teacher Cause I was like why is she so mean to me? Yeah, little did I know that my mom was behind it all, but, um, I know that it was all for love, but yeah, I mean she's probably wanted the best for you.

Speaker 2 7:08

You know she's like okay you're gonna do this. I know my friends.

Speaker 2 7:11

They're like if you're gonna do this, you're gonna do it right exactly so yeah, I mean, I mean it's evident now you know all those hard days and hard nights. They're paying off now. So that's great to hear In terms of the Vancouver music scene. Now you're in your adult life and just how you got started. So I think that's a common question for people like listening, they might want to start doing music and locally in Vancouver it's something that's not well for me. In general, I wouldn't know where to start. So I guess hearing your story how you started linking up with music people, producers, other artists, collaborating, any type of supports that you had locally, like just to get into that and kind of educate the people, I guess locally, like just to get into that and kind of educate the people, I guess.

Speaker 3 8:03

And yeah, well, I would say that if getting into music is something that you wanted to want to do, you have to show up so like go to live performances, see who's performing, go meet people, network like networking is so big for the music industry and being an artist, so that's kind of where I started going to Gilton Co, going to open mics and so yeah, that's that's really where the core of everything kind of started yeah, so I guess you just do your own research, basically totally, totally yeah.

Speaker 2 8:34

I think that that's the key I would say to someone who's listening to this is uh is, sometimes it feels like you don't know where to start, but the best way is to just look something up, you know, I guess, maybe connect with one other person you might know, and that one other person will know someone else, and that's kind of how you kind of grow your network and kind of get to know people in the industry, I guess.

Speaker 3 8:57

Totally. And what's? What's cool now is I feel like a lot of people are doing music, and a lot of people are, or at least know somebody that's doing music, or at least plays an instrument and so it's like finding that connect and then being like hey, where where can I see you perform, or where can I go and learn to play, or whatnot, and so, yeah, I would say there's always some kind of connection there perfect.

Speaker 2 9:25

So we're gonna get into the music. I guess I introduced, like your style, r&b, jazz. Oh, it's a, it's an immersion of different styles and I guess it's where you find your inspiration. I guess the artist that you mentioned, but in terms of your life in general's where you find your inspiration. I guess the artist that you mentioned, but in terms of your life in general, like where you draw inspiration when you produce, when you write.

Speaker 3 9:49

That's a good question.

Speaker 1 10:00

I would say now, currently I'm really listening to a lot of Lauryn.

Speaker 3 10:01

Hill and Little Sims and Kendrick and no Name, like that's. That's what's in rotation right now. So I'm really stepping into like a more poetry rap kind of era. Um, and I would say that where I'm drawing my inspiration is like I started out writing poetry and I'm a journaler Like I just I've been journaling since I can remember, like just notebooks on notebooks. On notebooks I journal every single day, like just notebooks on notebooks, on notebooks. I journal every single day. So sometimes I'll pull from those journals for an idea or I'll just improvise. Improvising is one of my bigger things. I would say Just making a beat, improvise over it, and then I'd semi-produce it, bring it to a producer and then we'd bring it to life. So improvising and allowing what the beat is making me feel, yeah, it kind of guides you, and so, whether it is like a more r&b beat or something of the sort, like it, just it's, it's.

Speaker 3 11:09

It's weird because it just like improvisation, it's so random there's no really way to explain it it just kind of just takes over, and then you're there and you're like, okay, you're just spitting whatever topic you're spitting, so and then you kind of just follow that yeah, I mean there's no formula to it, right?

Speaker 2 11:27

it's exactly wherever it takes you. Wherever you are in life, whatever you're feeling in that moment, it kind of guides you and, I guess, steers you in a way um in terms of your style and then intrinsically, who you are like, just your experiences.

Empowerment and Identity in Music & Discussion on the award winning song “Black Woman”

Speaker 2 11:44

It's like not every person is the same, so not every sound will be the same, not every message will be the same, and you kind of stand out that way, but I, I love, love, love, the music, the inspiration, the inspiration, soul and Me, black Woman, just love the new single as well, and in terms of the message. So I guess we could get into that in terms of, I guess, the communities that you speak to and that you, I guess, represent or would like to speak to, the experiences in terms of any underrepresented communities and, like the BIPOC community, lgbtqia communities. So how do you think your music resonates, I guess, with those groups?

Speaker 3 12:33

That's a good question. Well, how I wrote Black Woman was just on the bass guitar one day and I was just like freestyling basically. And it just kind of came out where it was, just like it was just there, like Black Woman starts out with I'm a Black woman and I like it like that, like that's just so forward and just like so unapologetic.

Speaker 3 12:59

Unapologetic, yeah, and I feel like a lot of that is me. So I just kind of started with that and I was like I want to talk about being a black woman and microaggressions and what it's like on a daily experience and just what it's like being a Black woman and the things that we go through on a daily basis, like that. Just that was kind of the key and I was like, well, I don't really care what people think of me, you know what I mean, I'm just going to be myself unapologetically, and that's kind of how that song came to be.

Speaker 2 13:42

Yeah, no, I was. I was listening to the lyrics and I was like, personally, I guess any I think any black woman, black person as well can relate to the message. It's like the confidence you have to have sometimes to exist, especially in a city like Vancouver, as a black woman is like you have to just be unapologetically yourself Because you know like going through the world daily sometimes can be difficult, you know, especially sometimes in rooms where maybe you're the only person of color and sometimes people are not really welcoming they're not. You might not feel comfortable. So it's like you just have to go through life like I'm here, I know what I'm doing, I'm confident, I'm just as qualified. And that applies to a lot of aspects, not just music. Like the music industry, it's just I'm in corporate. It's the same same feeling. You know you walk into a room people don't really know if you know what you're doing, they don't know, they don't treat you the same perhaps, and you just have to have that confidence.

Speaker 3 14:45

Like I'm here, I'm qualified exactly yeah to hear of, like the commentary about the song and how people actually are commentary about the song and how people actually are feeling seen in it made me just like that's. That's the goal. I just want people to feel seen, whether you're a black woman or a black person in general, like it's for you, it's for you this line.

Speaker 2 15:12

okay, I think these are the lyrics. I'm not sure, but correct me if I'm wrong. It says can't help your eyes when you see me on the street Thinking that I'm up to something, when I'm really trying to eat, you're getting bitter and bitter. You ain't discreet. Always got to have a stranger looking, staring at me, but I'm a black woman and I wouldn't change a thing. I was like, oh my God, yeah, this part right here is a theme right here. This is a theme that we all go through as black people. It's like you are literally just existing, minding your own business, and there's always somebody in your business thinking you're up to no good. And it's like I'm literally just existing, I'm being no, but I don't know if any other race gets questioned for just being, for just existing, and that part really resonated with me, so thank you yeah, no, thank you like.

Speaker 3 16:11

I feel like that's definitely one of my favorite lyrics too. Yeah, I was like dang, I wrote that, okay, um, so I just and that just like there's so much in that where it's just like it's history. It's you know, trayvon Martin, like it's, it's, it's going to the store, it's yeah, it's just existing with the black hood, it's being followed in a store, it's all of it like that's.

Speaker 2 16:41

That's what I think about too, when, when I hear those lyrics as well yeah, I think, especially in a city like Vancouver, where it's, or a country like Canada where I think sometimes people have the misconception, there's this misconception that, oh, racism doesn't exist. I'm like that's really not true it's just maybe it's not the version that you're used to, which is the one that's blasted on tv in america, but there is, and I think what's more difficult, that is the subtle, the subtleness of it, the micro aggression of it, and it's like you really can't pinpoint it and it's like you're almost being gaslit to an extent and you can't really put a finger on it and you can't really put it into words, but you know it's happening you know it's happening

Building Bridges in Vancouver's Music Community

Speaker 2 17:27

and everybody acts like it's not happening. And that's the most frustrating part. It's almost as if you know at least the explicit racism and the explicit like aggressions. You know like, okay, this is what's going on, this is where I stand and you know, this is what I need to avoid or this is what I need to confront. But I think, when the subtleness of it all is that what gets to what's frustrating, I think yeah, exactly I agree, 100, that's for anyone who hasn't heard the song, it's out on Spotify.

Speaker 2 17:59

I think you released it on Juneteenth yes, I did yes, yes, yes. Yes, I missed that because I was on hiatus, but when I got back I definitely caught up. It's also on our Vancouver's Finest playlist on Spotify, so you can go check it out there as well, as well as her website website site asayaca also I just want to say just people are telling me to say it.

Speaker 3 18:25

Um, black woman actually won best song of the summer this year, which is like insane, insane on unsigned bc.

Speaker 2 18:34

Okay well, congrats. Well, this is an award-winning song everyone. Excuse me, I know it's a song black woman crazy crazy. I not really, to be honest, like I'm telling you when I first heard that song I think you performed it last year, oh, yeah, one of the festivals, I can't remember which, but I was just like when I heard that bass and I was like oh, okay, and I could just see like the black women in the crowd were just vibing with that song, like yeah, from the moment they heard it, and the message and the, the beat, everything just came together.

Speaker 2 19:10

It was just like a perfect, perfect song. So I'm not surprised, honestly, and I hope it continues to grow bigger and bigger and maybe get to you know, the highest points.

Speaker 3 19:20

Yeah, totally me too. Me too. I'm definitely grateful. I'm so thankful to everybody that voted and all the panelists and the judges, and to everybody that took part in the song. You know Brayden V-Pockets.

Speaker 1 19:35

Don.

Speaker 3 19:35

Pemberton, like it's. There's so many don and I are the choir at the end. Like my god, it's insane, it's. I am so grateful to have had like black women also um participate on the track, so that was yeah, that's I mean.

Speaker 2 19:51

That's amazing that it's also black women involved in that kind of full circle. With that, the message behind the song and within the song yeah so well, yeah, that's, that's amazing.

Speaker 2 20:05

so in terms of I guess performances that's the other side of uh, music and performing around vanc just I guess your experiences and how it is as an artist to be I guess it's different from making the music and you're keeping it as your baby, but now giving it to the world and performing on stage Just your experience and how you've kind of learned to be comfortable in your skin performing and just sharing your talent with the world.

Speaker 3 20:43

Well, singing is vulnerable. It is very vulnerable. Like I still get nervous. However, I tell all my students that if you are nervous when you're on stage sharing your music, it means it just means that you love what you do. On stage sharing your music. It means it just means that you love what you do, and so I think where a lot of that confidence comes from for me is honestly, a lot of experience, like I said, just being on stage since I was five, like I'm used to being on stages, but I still get nervous to being on stages, but I still get nervous and I but it's almost like a switch in a way. It's just like I just switch and I'm not Aisha anymore, I'm Messiah, and it's just like she's this whole other persona that I get to play, and so it's just it's. It's insane. I don't know the way that I feel on stage. It's, it's a beautiful thing. Um, yeah, I've uh gotten to. I went on tour for the first time ever this summer.

Speaker 2 21:45

Okay, you did, and I miss so much, but I'm catching up, I'm catching up, you're catching up, I definitely want to do another one, but that was really fun. I did um which cities did you do?

Speaker 3 21:55

yeah, so I started in Vancouver and then I went to um Toronto for NXNE north by north east west, yeah, and then um I went to Seattle and then I ended it off in Vancouver and got my first standing ovation ever.

Speaker 2 22:16

Oh man, well, congratulations. I see you keep getting bigger and working towards that and I'm so proud of you. I don't personally know you, but I feel like when I started the blog I kind of started discovering new artists and you were one of the first people the low cars. I'm like, oh my God, how come I never knew about this person? I don't know.

Speaker 2 22:39

I just a sense of joy when I see all the artists that I see grinding so hard, get that recognition and get that success. You know, because it's like I feel like west coast artists, especially Vancouver artists, they just need more representation, they need more push, because there's so, so, so, so much talent out here and I'm like you guys don't even understand the amount of talented people here. And I think you know, starting with all these, uh, the tours and the releasing of music, and as you continue to grow, I think people will start to recognize that, yeah, vancouver is a city where there's a lot of hidden gems, a lot of talented people out here, and you know we should come out here and you know, support the talent here 100.

Speaker 3 23:28

There's so many talented artists here, it's insane yeah, like yeah, I would. I would go broke trying to attend everybody's live performance. Like it's insane, like I want to, so badly, I'm just like god. Yeah, I'm there. I want to be front row but it's on that.

Speaker 2 23:44

But on that wave, what do you think that I guess the people with the power I don't know who the people are, but the people with the power can help in terms of, I guess, pushing artists on the west coast and helping them grow and just giving them, I guess, not helping them grow, but giving them the platform that they deserve. Basically, what do you think what have you seen in your years in the industry out here on the west coast, because I find it's very different from the toronto it is so different, yeah, so what do you guys need?

Speaker 2 24:21

I guess it's a good question.

Speaker 3 24:24

well, I will. I will say that I almost wish that Vancouver and Toronto were more of a community and helping each other in music, like I wish we were more connected. Yeah, that way they can come here, we can come there, and it's just. I mean we kind of have that, but I just wish it was way more in a line.

Speaker 2 24:44

Yeah, like more symbiotic in a way yes. I feel like it's a bit disjointed in in some regards. Um like, even when I try like, do the like, when I obviously I'm new, I don't know. I'm a new person in the industry. I guess I don't even know if I'm in the industry to be honest, I'm just you are, you're in there, I'm just trying to blog.

Speaker 2 25:04

I'm just trying to, you know, just, it's a passion for me. So, yeah, sometimes I like people like kind of label it, but I'm kind of like, oh, I just, you know, I'm just doing something I love, you know. But I guess, yeah, when I do my research I'm like this, not a bridge, I guess, um, from the east to the west, or if there was, it's, it's not, it could be stronger.

Speaker 3 25:26

I think it could be stronger.

Speaker 2 25:28

Yeah, yeah, that's what I'll say yeah, no, no, I guess we don't have the answers, but I think you doing what you're doing in terms of the tour and everything that's, that's the start, you know, I guess, of building that bridge. They like see you as an artist and they become more curious about what's going on out here, you know 100% yeah.

Speaker 3 25:48

And for all the people that are hesitant to release their music or start music like just do it, just do it. Like there's so much space for all of us, there's so much space for more music to be made and seen and valued, so like can't get.

Speaker 2 26:05

Yeah, we need more of you. We need especially within the Black community. I think we need a lot more people and there are people who want to do it. They might be afraid to take the leap, they might not know how to take the leap, but hopefully today's conversation helps you get started. Sometimes it's just a matter of taking that song that you have on your notepad and calling up you know a producer, or calling up a studio, or Googling the studio and finding where you can just put whatever. You put pen to paper on track and then you start from there and you put one foot forward. And that's what I've learned with this journey is you just start like just start, like you put one foot forward. And that's what I've learned with this journey. You just start, just start. You never know where you end up. You never know what conversations you'll be having.

Speaker 2 26:53

I never thought I'd be having a conversation with you talking about your tour. But it's happening and it took two people. It took you taking the time to create and hone your craft and it took me taking the leap and saying, hey, nobody's doing this, but I'm gonna try you know I might not be the best, but I'm gonna try, and you know, make some somewhat of a difference.

Speaker 2 27:15

So get started and be inspired by this conversation, so I guess. Lastly, I guess we could get into any upcoming shows. I was actually doing some research and I saw you have a show coming up soon yes, yes, I'll be at gilton co on saturday, the october 26th, the early show yeah so you hear that you're looking for something to do um halloween week yeah have a show at guilton co. It's the early show, so usually yes, I think 7 pm, 7 pm.

Speaker 2 27:57

But just go on guilton co website just to double check the time. So october 26th catch her performing live, and then are there anything else?

Speaker 3 28:08

yes, also I will be at the gray cup festival in november, so that'll be the outdoor stage, november 14th where's, where's that?

Speaker 2 28:23

130?

Ahsia’s Social Media and Future Plans

Speaker 3 28:24

actually don't know where it is. All I know is the jonas brothers about to be there too okay, well, I mean apparently it's the canadian superbowl.

Speaker 2 28:32

I don't know yeah, I know the great cup. Yeah, from like I'm not big in football, but I mean that's like the canadian league, cfl right yeah, yeah, I believe so yeah. So I guess it's happening soon. Okay, I'll do more research and I guess I'll add it to the podcast description so you can check her out at the Grey Cup in November. And, obviously, if there's anything upcoming as well, I'll definitely share it on the blog Black Fan Club or blackfanclubcom. And do you want to give out your socials, your spotify, anywhere?

Speaker 3 29:10

yeah, so you can find me on spotify under asaya. So that's a h s I a. You can also find me on Instagram by Asaya Wave A-H-S-I-A dot, w-a-v. And that's pretty much for Twitter, for TikTok. So that's the majority of what my socials will be under, and then my website, asayaca, for upcoming shows.

Speaker 2 29:42

Yes, well, thank you. I'm so grateful you coming on my platform and sharing your music and your work as well. It was a pleasure having this conversation. Hopefully it's not our last. Hopefully it's the first of many and hopefully you know you keep doing bigger and better things thank you so much. Thank you for having me all right, thank you.