Iyah Gift
Born in West Africa to a Jamaican father and a Nigerian mother, Iyah-gift’s love for creating music was first influenced by the artists his parents loved, including Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Louis Armstrong. After moving to Jamaica at age 10 and then to the United States at 16, Iyah-Gift’s unique flavour echoes traces of reggae, traditional African rhythms and hip hop, to create a mind blowing synthesis of sound.
The song writer/producer operates his own studio in Kingston, Jamaica as founder and C.E.O. of the One Hart Music. Gift has produced songs for himself and as well as Jamaican and international artist. Iyah Gift spoke at the 2014 JMC on the Music and social change panel on why he chooses to only make music with a message.