The steps towards stardom are seemingly incomparable today to what they have traditionally been.
When it comes to accumulating a fan-base, cultivating an image, and gaining exposure in the varied eyes of the public, the rise of social media has shifted the ways in which people strive toward and achieve success in their own artistic fields. However, while the ladder toward recognition has changed rungs, the core values of talent, passion, and creativity ring ageless and ever-true.
Ecuadorian born, Scottish-Colombian musician Dayana is a marvellous example of this. Dayana belts beautifully across the stages of her various gigs, and through the screens of her fans on Instagram. Her social media presence allows listeners to become exposed to her musical talents and for people to gain a sense of her personality and image as an artist.
It is through social media, as well, that BRIZO Magazine was able to conduct an interview with the singer.
Dayanaâs sound is widely spread over a variety of genres. From Rock to Soul, her skilled voice and moving originals have the ability to provide something agreeable for just about anyone.
But how did Dayana start?
I always heard my grandad singing and loved to sing along with him when I was little. My family is musical and Iâve just always wanted to sing and it was the only thing I was really good at!
Was there ever a turning point for you in which you decided that music was something you wanted to pursue?
I just always wanted to do it so itâs been my focus for my whole life and I literally donât want to pursue a career in anything else,
it [music] keeps me at peace, sane, and I love it!
Who are some of your greatest influences?
My greatest influences would be Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson and Dr. Dhalia Wasfi.
As of late, Dayana has released a multitude of original music. Working primarily with her friends from the music University she attended, it seems she is consistently posting new videos of originals being performed at gigs across the UK.
Her song Canât Help It caught my attention for its romantic lyrics and soulful sound, paired with Dayanaâs raspy and powerful vocals. Her live performance of it on Youtube is almost hauntingly beautiful, and while it wonderfully swirled about my head for days after, it also struck up this question:
How does Dayana write her music?
I write all the lyrics to my songs and then my guitarist comes us with the chords and such. He normally comes up with a riff and then I make melody and lyrics and structure the song with him. I normally write the lyrics there and then, or I take his riff home and Iâll do it in my own room with complete silence.
What do you write your lyrics about normally?
A lot of my songs are about the wars and my sympathy to all thatâs been lost. Then I have a lot of songs that are complete fantasies like about werewolves and vampires and all that cause I am obsessed with anything fantasy or supernatural (proper geek I know) haha! Funnily enough, only a couple of my songs are from experience.
And Canât Help It?
Itâs basically about my previous relationship where it was my first love kind of thing and he had to leave, so I wrote it in the point of view as in what it would be like if he stayed.
If you listen to any of Dayanaâs music, you begin to understand that the complexity of her vocal stylings is an innate feature of almost any song of hers. Particularly in her live performance of Canât Help It, Dayana sings intense and powerful riffs for a good portion of the song to send it toward immense emotional accumulation and release before itâs ending. But is it all as easy as she makes it look?
All my songs are quite challenging for me to be honest, it [Canât Help It] is not my hardest one, but technique wise my best tip is to stay completely relaxed as when you tense you tighten up space around your chords. I honestly just think of interesting licks and vibrato that sounds good with the song.
Of course, the vessel for media that is social platforms has allowed artists to receive increased exposure and immediate feedback from fans. While it may seem that marketing oneself would take a toll on mental health or self-image, Dayana said that she didnât quite mind Instagram, due to its user-friendly nature and for its prominence as a musical platform. However, literal promotion in order to garner the publicity required of a music career is a different story.
I find it difficult because as a completely independent artist I find myself doing more promoting than actually writing music. It has to be done though as thatâs how it works these days. I enjoy it though because when I get something in return I know that was all from my hard work kind of thing.
If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
Oh, I have a lot of things I would love to change, but I might offend the majority of the music industry haha!
Despite the difficulties in navigating the new waters of a music career, Dayana remains remarkably positive in her life and her vision. Her bright energy and sultry aesthetic have marked her as a creative titan and musical force.
Her talent, kindness, and originality all bode more-than-well for her extremely promising musical future.
For those of you interested in Dayanaâs music but donât know where to start, look no further. A song Dayana would recommend to first-time listeners?
I would have to go for Astray it was one of my first songs and it seems to be the most catchy one so far, but it depends on whoâs listening of course.
Dayana can be found at any of the below platforms and accounts.
