If you ask Inaya Day to describe her sound, that’s how she’ll respond. “Chest rumbling and soulful. Music that won’t let you sit down and shakes the very foundation upon which you stand.” And that’s always what you get. Blessed with an amazing gift of song, Inaya Day began singing in church as a young child in Brooklyn, where she had her first experiences performing in front of a live audience. And she was hooked.
After graduating from the prestigious High School of Music and the Performing Arts (made famous by the movie 'Fame') in her native New York City, Inaya went on to major in musical theater at The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
Then finally, it was time for Broadway. Well known and respected by her peers, Inaya wasted no time in finding her way to the musical stage in New York. Most notably, she understudied for Stephanie Mills role as Dorothy in “The Wiz” and received rave reviews when she stepped into the lead in New York, St. Louis, and Washington DC.
Inaya has an incredible vocal ability, noting that her biggest influences are such legendary performers Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Clarke-Sheard (gospel artist), and Chaka Khan. Her sound is unique, her music is “next level”, and she is more than at home on stage. Watching her perform is an electrifying experience rarely found in today’s music industry.
“I sing and have recorded music in almost every common genre except Classical and Country. I do Funk, Rap, Gospel, Reggae, R&B, Rock, House and Gospel and these I do on a regular basis as I am also a ‘session singer,’ often hired by producers for projects of their own.” Inaya has recorded vocals with Michael Jackson, Al Green, Sean ”Puffy” Combs, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Big Daddy Kane, and Jonathan Butler to name a few.
In addition, Inaya is a very versatile songwriter, having co-written two songs on Randy Crawford’s album Every Kind of Mood (Atlantic). “Bye Bye” and “Are You Sure” were both chosen to be the first two single releases and both immediately hit the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. Inaya’s writing credits also include two songs written with Bootsy Collins for his album Fresh Outta “P” University.
For Grammy Award winning rapper Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott’s latest album, Under Construction (Elektra, 2002), Inaya provided vocals and co-wrote the hook for the album’s second release, “Gossip Folks.”
Inaya came onto the house music scene in Germany in the mid-90’s when she was called in by a friend of a friend to do a demo. There she met producer and remixer Mousse T, who went on to produce her first three singles, starting in 1996 with “Keep Pushin’,” which he co-produced with Boris Dlugosch and hit #2. Mousse T and Inaya followed up with the Billboard #1 hit "Horny” and "Hold Your Head Up High,” on the charts at #6.
