Gayance

Montreal-born Haitian-Canadian artist Gayance (Aïsha Vertus) – who takes her alias from the Haitian Creole word for joyfulness – makes jazzy house with Brazilian spices so you can make it out with your crush.

Highly influenced by the LA beat scene of 2007-2018 and the broken break / bruk movement in West London, she’s been DJing for the past decade and has ripped down sold-out venues in London, Montreal, Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon, Milan, Sao Paulo, and more. Gayance has performed at Panorama Bar, Fabric London, Dekmantel Festival, WE OUT HERE, Montreux Jazz Festival, Down the Rabbit Hole, Lowlands Festival, Jazz Cafe in London, and many more.

With a desire to create beyond boundaries, her debut EP, ’No Toning Down’ (2021), came out as an independent release, ’Sirens feat. KALLITECHNIS’ (2021) came on Sherelle’s label Beautiful Music and ‘Kinda Strange’ (2021) was an ode to underground UKG, accompanied by choral backing vocals which honours her upbringing.

Collaborating with Amsterdam-native Soulection DJ-producer Jarreau Vandal for an 80’s Haitian Kompa touch on ’No More’ (2022), a song featured in Vandal’s latest EP. This alliance symbolised a reunion of the Afro-Latinx diaspora between Surinamese rhythms and Haitian cadence that blends electronic with authenticity. 

Collecting many accolades over the past decade, her debut album, Mascarade (2023) is an embodiment of personal musings and growth. Released on Bradley Zeros’s Rhythm Section International, the project was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the Canadian equivalent of a Mercury Prize, with the single “Moon Rising (10 Years) feat Judith Little D” featured as part of Gilles Peterson’s best of year show on BBC Radio 6. 

Gayance enshrines her vision by writing, acting, and producing Mascarade: Origin Story (2023), a short film shot in Brazil and Canada. It has received praise in international film festivals: Cannes (FR), Sao Paulo (BR), Montreal (CA), Clermont Ferrand (FR), Bolton (UK), and Faenza (IT), with director Maïlis Roy-Lessard being shortlisted for a Young Directors Award in Cannes, France, for the 20-minute short film. 

“Mascarade – Origin Story” unfolds the chapters of Aïsha’s life. From her upbringing as a young Haitian girl in Montreal-Nord to her journeys in Brazil, the film reveals her encounters with her chosen family and the discovery of her identity as a woman and musician. A new sense of belonging emerges from these experiences, nurturing her inspiration. Watch it HERE

Gayance is a feelings-based DJ who connects deeply with the music, pouring her soul into every set. With an irreverent spirit, she creates an atmosphere that transcends the ordinary, focusing on the raw energy of the dance floor and the connections sparked through sound. Gayance’s sets are a journey through Black history; she collects vinyl from afro-Latin jazz, the Caribbean, West-Africa and electronic music & Hip Hop from both sides of the Atlantic and delivers them with unforgettable energy by singing on her favourite song or her production while doing hybrid DJ sets. 

Gayance has a mind to move and surprise us and is actively doing that.

 

 

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