»It all started within herself« describes Kya Kyani, who grew up in Amsterdam to Surinamese parents. Socialised as an orthodox Rastafarian, Kya Kyani was mainly influenced by gospel and reggae, by the sounds of Bob Marley and Chaka Khan. The talent that Kya Kyani’s family and community nurtured in her awakened a curiosity and an appetite to explore further genres, taking her to other places and paving the way for various collaborations. All of these experiences not only taught Kya Kyani about turning passion into a profession – they also allowed her style to develop organically. Today, living in Berlin, Kya Kyani creates her own futuristic R&B sound, which frees itself from social restrictions with elegance, openness and positive energy while calling back to the eras of golden R&B and soul music, somewhere between Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, Timberland, Sevdaliza, Destiny’s Child, Brandy, Tony Braxton, TLC and Nelly Furtado.
In 2021, Kya Kyani is receiving a grant of 5,000 euros to record and market her new musical material.