Meet Ayana Butterfly | R&B Singer-songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ayana Butterfly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ayana Butterfly, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up, my dad always encouraged me to find that one thing that I could do for hours, days on end with no food or rest, something that I had an endless well of passion and energy for and dedicate my life to whatever that thing was. It quickly became apparent to me that music is what sets my soul ablaze and when I realized that I set foot on this journey I’m now on and never looked back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
‘This Is My Life’ with Bass Adjustment was the first song I ever released. I was living in the Czech Republic at the time and when the song dropped it hit #5 on the iTunes Pop Charts in Austria. That was incredibly exciting and was a significant impetus for my songwriting journey which helped me eventually begin to find my sound. I also created a stream of income for myself doing features and demos for other artists which has led to some amazing collaborations, but the process hasn’t been all easy and effortless. In 2019 I naively signed a controlling contract which was nightmarish until the pandemic freed me of it, I’ve had a couple managers whose methods and energy didn’t align with me and my goals but I’ve learned that as long as I continue to walk in my truth, what is meant for me presents itself and what isn’t naturally fades away. I’ve learned to cleave more strongly to my instincts and trust myself. Last year I released a song called ‘Stand Up’ which is a call to action for women across the globe to take a stand and walk in their power. While a lot of my music speaks to empowerment, I’ve also found peace in the loving acceptance that I’m allowed to write about anything and everything that I’m feeling even if it doesn’t necessarily fit within the initial image I created for myself with that song. I feel like there are expectations for artists to stick to their ‘brand’ or whatever they originally promoted themselves as being but I continually strive to feel free of that. At the end of the day, my music reflects me and all of my pockets of growth and conflicting feelings – that’s what being human is about and I hope other artists remember that too so they don’t feel boxed in and restricted by these arbitrary rules that seem to exist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This question is a little challenging for me to answer because I’ve never lived anywhere longer than a few years and I only just moved to LA so I don’t know much around here yet but Cape Town, South Africa has always felt like home so I can walk you through a trip there! Some of my favorite memories are of my family and I exploring Cape Town’s beaches. I used to love going to Simon’s Town and swimming with the penguins. We also spent many a weekend taking road trips to Hermanus to see the whales or Cape Point to see the baboons, driving along the Garden Route and stopping at the monkey and butterfly sanctuaries, or going to Addo Elephant park for a safari moment. I’m seeing now that most of our trips were animal related 😂
My family and I did a lot of community service work in the townships and that’s where you get the best amagwinya (fried dough) and fried fish which is to die for. If you’re into fast food, Nando’s was our favorite burger spot.
I’d also recommend taking a walk along the promenade at dusk to witness Cape Town’s spectacular sunsets.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Joe Vitale changed my life. I found his book, ‘The Attractor Factor’, when I was in one of the darkest places of my life. This book transformed the way I look at life, I began to walk in my power, clearing limiting beliefs that had been holding me back, envisioning the goals that now felt attainable which quickly began to materialize. Six months later I found myself in the position to move across the world and begin my journey in Los Angeles, something that for the longest time just felt like a distant dream. And now here I am six months into this chapter and watching everything else I’ve asked for begin to fall into place. Joe Vitale gave me the gift of magic, he opened my eyes to its existence and gave me the tools to harness it and sprinkle it over everything I want to make bloom.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayana_butterfly/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ayana.douglas.50/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ApWKM_kQtG9rh9Mp90sDw

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6UnQHtz1PIR6VAODweRyHH?si=pdSO7kLrQnm7-lMDeS4ngQ

Image Credits
David Tuman Razi Wilson