YAYA ➔ EXCLUSIVE MIX
Montreal - based DJ and creative Yaya delivers her singular and exclusive mixtape for our community. She blends rnb, zouk, lofi music, trap or French rap to refresh your ears and feelings.
How you doin Yasmine, how you’ve been feeling on this new year just starting ?
I feel good despite the fact that the music scene is being paused right now, with lots of projects coming up. I try to take advantage of free time to rethink how we can continue to prosper despite the covid situation. I got more into production lately, trying to take this opportunity to be more creative.
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You do modeling, artist management, DJing, event planning. How do you manage your time ? To what extent it matters to you to have pluridisciplinary activities ?
I've always been like this, I like to focus on several spheres at the same time, it allows me to understand better how the industry works. As I operate in the underground industry, you need several strings to your bow because resources are often limited. I do the booking, I create my own flyers, I do promotion on my own and I sometimes end up mixing at my events too, you really have to know how to multitask to succeed here. but at the end of the day, what motivates me to continue is the quality of the music that the Canadian underground scene produces.
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You do write nice articles for Vice Magazine and have built videos such as “Idées Noires”. As a content creator, are you also working on some personal projects ?
Yes I worked in Vice Quebec offices at the beginning of my career and they gave me the opportunity to explore black culture and the heritage of second generation immigration here in Quebec. Being in a bilingual country and living with a third cultural identity is more complicated, but it greatly influences the music produced here, which I find unique. At the moment, I work in booking and I would like to release my first solo music project in a near future.
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Heard you like rnb, zouk, lofi music, trap or French rap. Where does your love for music come from ? Who are your biggest references ?
My father is Senegalese so I have always had a love for afro music. Growing up in Montreal I was also influenced by the hyper-diverse cultural landscape of the city, surrounded by Africans, Haitians, latinos, Quebecers, French and Anglophones. I've always liked several musical genres and what interests me even more today is the extent to which all these styles mix and become more and more democratized in popular culture.
My approach has always been to give a voice to those who have less space in the cultural landscape of Quebec. Despite the fact that we are in America, Quebec remains very protective of its culture, and the music that is featured in our media does not always represent what young Montrealers listen to. My goal is to open up our scene and allow I Quebec artists break through internationally.
“We must always live our life thinking about the repercussions of our actions. for me, life has no finality, it's a cycle. What you don't understand in this life will be taught to you.”
What musical projects/tracks have you been listening to a lot lately ?
I listen a lot of Dary, a young rapper from montreal. He just put out new project that I really like. I also discovered the london artist Alewya, Im such a fan of her sound and aesthetics.
What definition would you give for magic ?
I have always been a very spiritual person. Not that I belong to any particular religion but I believe in a higher power. For me magic is everything that we cannot control, synchronicity, chance, coincidences. We must always live our life thinking about the repercussions of our actions. for me life has no finality, it's a cycle. What you don't understand in this life will be taught to you.
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“I think you have to keep a small circle so you don't lose yourself, especially when you are in the music industry and art in general, you have to stay real.”
What brings you joy and alignment ?
I am a very simple person, what makes me happy is to be with my close friends, my family and the people who are most important to me. I think you have to keep a small circle so you don't lose yourself, especially when you are in the music industry and art in general, you have to stay real.
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Which artist you would invite for some nice conversation, to share a meal ?
I think i would invite a mix of Moodymann, Booba, Snoop Dogg and Alewya, all artists that I find really influential for different reasons.
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Latest great movie you watched ?
I recently watched Grande Belleza for the first time. I was struck by the relevance of this film, especially by the director's critique of society. I recommend it if you like beautiful direction and irony.
What personal motto, or a quote you like to remind yourself ?
C’est dieu qui donne.
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