Bio
from Detroit to London to West Africa to New York. Since she was 13 years old Mayaeni has been traveling and absorbing everything around her. the daughter of a Jewish father and West African (Sierra Leonean) mother, she found her identity and security in her diversity.
Within a month of leaving high school, Mayaeni relocated to New York City where she immersed herself in the vibrant r&b/hip hop scene. She frequently sang at open mics, taking the subway and her fake ID to such clubs as the Village Underground, Cafe Wha, Soul Cafe and Sugar Bar. She quickly caught the attention of many people in the music industry and began working with various producers, songwriters and musicians, cutting demos, writing and working on her own projects. Although she gained invaluable experience, it became increasingly frustrating for her to fit into somebody else's concept of what she should be.
Deciding that she could not fit into anybody else's mold, she created her own. Everything happens at a certain time. Going through endless experiences, lessons, trials and tribulations is what finally led Mayaeni to create her own music. Breaking away from the studio created synthesized tracks that she had been given by the various producers she had worked with, it was important to Mayaeni to use live music tracks.
Mayaeni's own words sum it up best:
I believe that music just feels so good when created organically with human beings as opposed to machines. Great musicians, like the guys I cut my music with in NYC, are able to feel what I am trying to say and mold the music around that - not the other way around. I have come to enjoy my writing process so much more when I create a song from scratch as opposed to having a completed instrumental track handed to me.
When I first started out in New York, people just threw me into what they wanted so fast and didn't want to listen to me. It was like you have the look and the voice, here are the songs. After doing that for a period of time, it felt fake to me, it just wasn't me. My networking and meeting ‘important' people came faster than my development as an artist. I was so absorbed with the fact that I was working with top grammy winning producers that I didn't pay attention to myself as an artist. As soon as I decided to focus on myself and my talent, I ended up with amazing music and realized that I didn't need anybody to mold me into a certain type of artist.
Im just interested in making good music, feel good music, the kind of music that's relatable and real to the point where it becomes therapy. I want people to listen to my music and not only relate, but let it encourage them. A lot of the underlying theme in my music has a positive message, encouraging the idea of doing your own thing, being yourself and if people don't like it, well f**ck them! I may still have to use a fake ID, but I definitely know who Mayaeni is now. I couldn't say that a year ago.