"Playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around us. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us." ~Nelson Mandela

"It must be getting close to the time for the real task, cause everytime i make the breakthrough i get hit real hard...real hard." ~Felipe Luciano

"In the meantime, I take the time to take my time. Nothing that is meant for me can be held away from me." ~Iyanla Vanzant

"There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority and control-your mind and your mouth." ~Molefi Asante

“We live in a time where there is so much bad in the world that people are afraid to feel. We numb ourselves. But when there is no sensation, there is no elevation.” ~Weysa Dya

As an infant, this New York native had to travel with her radio and sleep with the music on to feel comforted. She grew up in the midst of the South Bronx’s thriving Hip Hop culture. Graffiti art, break dancing, fashion, DJing and MC’ing were dominant influences and pastimes shared by most young people in her community. Regularly interacting with this creative energy, combined with neighborhood areas abundant with the sounds of congas and bongos, and a home rich with the sounds of Jazz and soul music, Miss Dya knew early on that music had to be a primary part of her life. She used social functions and school as her outlet for singing, theatre, and dance.

However, instead of pursuing her dream of becoming an entertainer, dancing and singing were put to rest as she charted a course to a more practical lifestyle. It wasn’t until she moved to Baltimore that her life slowed down, and she acknowledged her creative void. She began the process of healing through poetry and writing, and started reflecting upon the creative and musical inspirations of her parents and paternal grandfather. This heritage and remembrance of her name's meaning-to be able(Weza) and divine(Dyan)-encouraged her to refocus from the past to the future. Merging into what was dormant, Baltimore became the place of her awakening.

Weysa Dya began restoring herself to an audience and did her first open-mic reading, entered and won prizes in two community-sponsored poetry slams (Sibanye’s and Eubie Blake Center), wrote her first lyrics, and co-produced music for another R&B song she had written. She did several feature performances throughout the city, including on-air spots with WEAA Morgan State Radio during poetry month. Using her writing, she created and conducted the Be Self-Treasured Workshop for women designed to build and maintain self-esteem. She was invited to participate as a speaker and poet in conjunction with two Baltimore City programs (Generation Xcellence and PAIRS) to empower teens to make better choices for their future.

Eventually, she realized she could no longer ignore the inner voice calling her back to music. She began studying under the late Dr. Nathan Carter at the Nathan Carter School of Music in Baltimore where she was classically trained and showcased her vocal ability in the school’s talent showcases. The love she specially holds in her heart for dancing is what moved Weysa Dya to become more involved with House music, which she became more conscious of during a visit with family. A cousin shared songs from the genre, and although she had been dancing to Hip Hop, Funk, and Disco, she immediately noticed the spiritual and emotional vibe in this particular style of dance music. From that day forward, she sought out House for listening and dancing when she wanted to be free and expressive.

Continuing on this path, she twice performed her poetry live on-air to House music on Handz On Radio, a Baltimore-based House music internet station and has completed several unreleased projects in the genre. In 2008, she was invited to perform at Baltimore’s 2008 Collective Minds Festival, where she performed a spoken dance track she wrote and produced called “Connected Minds”. Shortly afterward, the song was heard by label owner Sammy Rock, and she was signed to cyberJAMZ Records. The song has now been released as an EP with hard-hitting, energizing remixes.

She has continued to perform the song, as well as her other cyberJAMZ releases, at Miami’s 2009 Winter Music Conference and other venues on the East coast. Be on the lookout for one of her upcoming mini tours at a city near you, as well as a full-length CD, which will likely include her well-received first Spoken Word release, “Deep House Meditation”.

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