“In a day when a lot of people are looking for a light in the music tunnel…one shines really bright…Merna has given me new found faith that soul music is very much alive…I am excited to have worked with her.” ~DJ Jazzy Jeff
In this vast and wondrous universe, nothing is static. Everything has the unlimited capacity for change. Toronto-based singer/ songwriter/ producer Merna (formerly known as Ayah) blissfully spreads her wings in a space and time where evolution is imminent. After creating magical soundscapes with the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jill Scott) and James Poyser (The Roots), she brazenly forays into uncharted sonic territory and with her dynamic opus The Calling featuring stellar production by Makai Black and executive producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Pearl). Impressively melding elements of rock, soul, and classical, evolution never sounded so sweet.
Born in Jordan, Merna spent her formative years volleying between various continents and cultures. “Moving around, I learned how to adapt to new situations,” she recalls. “I was always the new kid. It was an enriching experience.” But one element that remained constant in her life and balanced out the perpetual transitioning was the sound of music. Between both her parents’ collections, Merna was exposed to a rich tapestry of artists -from Arab and French African music to the western sounds of The Beatles, Madonna, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and more.
From early childhood through her teenage years, she spent countless hours honing her craft and soon earned quite a reputation for her budding vocal prowess. After a while, it became apparent that even her scholarly obligations would take a back seat to her gift of song. “In high school, I skipped so many classes,” she laughs. “But I wouldn’t go anywhere. I would literally be in the school stairways singing. Just trying to get better.” While she showed scholastic aptitude, her collegiate experience found her torn between following convention and giving in to the rhapsody of rhythm and melody. And after a few stints in college, she realized that following her passion full time was the key to fulfillment.
In 2005, she released an EP and immediately set about spreading the word far and wide by the sweat of her brow. “I was on my hustle,” she says. “We were on the street, going to festivals and selling them out of our backpacks.” As Ayah, Merna released her first mixtape in 2008 entitled Problem Woman. A take on Marvin Gaye’s rich soundtrack for the 1972 motion picture Trouble Man, Merna dexterously interspersed personal interview excerpts with funky hip-hop inspired tracks. Nuanced with a blaxploitation theme, the mixtape features production by Toronto producer Slakah The Beatchild and sports a soulful cover of The Pharcyde’s 1993 hip-hop classic “Passin’ Me By.” Soulbounce called Problem Woman one of their favorite mixtapes of the year.
After incessantly pounding the pavement, Merna elevated her hustle and took to MySpace where she reached out to one of her musical heroes: DJ Jazzy Jeff. One half of the Grammy-winning hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and the mastermind behind successful neo-soul acts such as Floetry, Musiq Soulchild, and Jill Scott, Jeff had developed quite a knack for spotting talent. And it wasn’t long before Jeff recognized that Merna possessed the luminous quality and unique vocal ability that stars are made of. With that said, it also didn’t take long for Jeff to reply to Merna’s message. “Within 10 minutes, he responded,” she says. The two initiated a rapport that resulted in their first musical collaboration on her second release 4:15.
Released in 2009 via E1 Music, 4:15 spotlighted a gentler side of Merna underscored with a decidedly R&B air of distinction. The EP also featured “He Don’t Want It” produced by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the reflective gem “Do It All Again.” 4:15 was featured on Okayplayer and created more buzz in the industry about the emerging songstress. By 2011, Merna and Jeff had collaborated on a deep trove of songs at his studios in Philadelphia. “It was natural with Jeff,” she says of their working relationship. “We had a very easy chemistry. We created songs very quickly and the vibe was always right.” That same year, the pair released Back For More – a collection of tunes with assists from the likes of musical maestros such as James Poyser, Pete Kuzma, and Demien DeSandies. Back For More received glowing remarks from various media outlets such as HipHopDX and BamaLoveSoul. Okayplayer praised the glorious single “Forgive Me Love” for it’s stunning ability in allowing Merna to “show her power as a balladeer.”
As time went on, Merna began an intense metamorphosis. After leaving a long term relationship, she began to reflect on her past, her transient upbringing, her influences, and her humanity. She absconded to New York City to delve further into her introspection and to take advantage of the unique creative energy it afforded her. On The Calling, Merna skillfully sheds the skin of her former self, makes peace with the ghosts of her past, and culls a masterpiece in the process. “This album consists of the most poetic collection of songs I’ve ever written,” she proclaims. The Calling is equal parts redemption and testimony, chronicling a young woman’s journey to self love, acceptance, and strength.
On the suggestion of Jeff, Merna shifted her creative process to spend more time on the lyrics and pure intention of her songs. He said, ‘Ayah, you write amazing songs in 20 minutes. Can you imagine what would happen if you took more time?’ “It’s always been easy for me to write from a place that’s real, but as I dig deeper and learn more about myself, I find power in my vulnerability, and naturally, my writing follows.” And with the help of producers Makai Black and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the ambitious sketches of The Calling began to take shape. The album finds Merna stretching out on sonic beds that cull from her wide range of musical influences. “Musically, I Just wanted to break ground and delve a little more into my history and things that I’ve been influenced by,” she explains. “There are drums on this album that are African and Arab inspired. Not a lot of people know that my first ever band in Abu Dhabi was a rock band, and that I’m classically trained in piano.”
Thematically, the album sources the raw and honest introspection she’d been experiencing while in New York City. “I’ve had to delve into my childhood,” she reveals. “Trying to figure out why I am the way I am.” Moving between Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Seattle, and Toronto during her formative years proved to be a gift and a curse. “The only thing about moving around so much was that I developed a separation anxiety after a while. I got attached to people and things, only to have to let them go eventually. It was amazing to move around like that, but it definitely has an affect on you.” Citing separation anxiety as a crippling force in certain areas of her life, Merna miraculously decided to break from a part of herself that she’d taken years to cultivate: Ayah. Choosing to relinquish Ayah for Merna, her birth name which means peaceful or beloved, was no easy feat initially. “It was difficult making the decision,” she admits. “But once I’d made the decision, I had no regrets. A part of you has to die in order to be able to grow. It was very symbolic to let go of the past in every aspect and whatever status that came with that. I had to let all that go in order to be able to fly.”
The Calling opens with “Young & Reckless,” an edgy anthem outlining the self indulgent tendencies of contemporary youth culture. “Intervention (Superman)” finds Merna floating on a blissful cloud of blind faith against a sky of drums and soaring strings. “It’s a grand declaration of love and sacrifice,” says Merna. “All the things that some of us are willing to do that other people would never do for love.” The album hits poignant note on “All I Want (I Wonder),” which was inspired by one of hip-hop’s most beloved outcasts: Andre 3000. “It’s me giving back for what he gave to the world on ‘Prototype.’ I just wanted to write Andre a song. Just as a thank you.” But the song’s deeper meaning points to the increasingly desensitized state of the general populous. “I don’t know if we even know how to truly feel anymore,” she laments. “Most us are emotionally unavailable. Even those of us in relationships.”
Merna takes a crash course in trip hop on the Ali Shaheed Muhammad-produced “The Reason.” The song magnificently shifts gears in syncopation and crescendo, birthing the makings of a dynamic new world opera. “He’s a legend,” she says of Ali. “He definitely put a sheen on the album that made it complete.” Merna and Ali Shaheed Muhammad return on a hopeful note with the shimmering “A Little More,” an earthy piano ballad that rings with enough soul wrenching passion to give Adele a run for her money. “The song stems from me feeling like, if we could all be brave enough to recognize and share our light, our energy with other people, then the world would be a better place.”
Though the creative process for The Calling involved a deep purging of emotions and vulnerability, the result is a monumental work of art that is destined to be one of the most talked about albums of the year. An album that offers us a glimpse at the evolution of one of the most brilliant artists in recent history. “This album is so personal,” she intimates. “I’m always evolving as a person. Ayah is still me. She’s just a part of me. Merna is coming full circle. Every single part of my life connected.”
