Singing It Her Way: Nya Jade

Once upon a time in California, there was a Ghanaian pre-med student studying at Stanford University who fell in love with playing music. Free spirited at heart, but confied by the pressures of her pre-med ambitions, she left music to focus on her intellectual pursuits. However, when she was hit by a car while riding her bike, her life was refocused back on her passion: music. This may sound like a prelude to a contemporary fictional drama unfolding from the pages of a book, but this is actually a true story. This is an account of the life of Nya Jade. You can read all about her inspiring story in the September 2007 issue of MIMI, but here's the part of her story that didn't make it into the September 2007 article:

MIMI: How would you describe your music in three words?
Nya Jade: Honest, Soulful, Eclectic.

MIMI: Where do you draw inspiration for your songs?

NJ: I have an archive of personal experiences from which I draw material for my songs. I am also inspired by our journey in life from mundane things such as the weather to bigger things like social and world issues. Ultimately, love and the wide range of emotions it can generate will always be source of inspiration.

MIMI: What would most people be surprised to know about you?

NJ: I collect pop culture magazines. Haha. Strange i know but one day in the far future someone will pay top dollar for the issue of one of those weeklies with Shiloh Jolie-Pitt on the cover and I will have it!! At some point I will recycle them all.

MIMI: What inspired you to start the NYA Foundation?

NJ: As a child of Africa I've always wanted to find a way to give back in some way to the continent. My father is a doctor and he has been involved in the HIV/AIDS epidemic for the past 15+ years. His work with the UN and other international health agencies has allowed my family to live in several countries. His goal was to always take his acquired knowledge and skill set back to Africa which he has. His HIV/AIDS work in countries like Zambia, Sudan and Uganda has made me acutely aware of the need to support the orphan generation of Africa loosing parents to the disease and other circumstances and so I started the NYA Foundation.

.

MIMI Related Link: www.nyajade.com

.

MIMI Mambo Link: Singing It Her Way: Nya Jade www.mimimagazine.com/2007/september/03-06-nyajade01.html