People who believe that women don’t belong behind the console, haven’t probably met DJ Ayesha Pramanik. With what she calls “chunky basslines” that does justice to her love of funk and disco, this Goa resident has been on the scene for over a decade, performing across the world and is now sure to make you say “Ay” to electronica at blueFROG on September 26.
As her parents always had music in their lives – her mother always got her dad the newest record in the market and her father always rewarded her good behaviour with a brand new cassette, music was a natural progression for Ayesha. “I don’t come from a family of musicians, but yeah, we loved to party and dance. I grew up listening to everything from Ray Charles and Engelbert Humperdinck to Nazia Hassan and my dad gifted me a walkman when I was all of six,” reminisces the lass who is now one of the most sought-after female DJs in the country today. “Back in 1998 when I wanted to be a full-time DJ, things were very different in India. I came from a small city and my neighbours and extended family were against my choice of career. But my parents were always supportive and this is where I stand today – still playing music and loving every bit of it,” she smiles.
Ayesha is known for her technical prowess on the decks and is known to experiment with her music. “Even if my music is minimal, techno or deep, I still have chunky basslines going and love funk and disco at heart,” says the self-taught DJ, belting out releases on Groove 9, Dash Deep, Midi Mood and Baroque Records to name a few. “I can’t really say influences, but my favourite ones over the years have been Jamiroquai, Loco Dice, Miss Kitten and Tiga,” says Ayesha who has trotted across the globe to perform at festivals across Europe, London, Greece, Doha and Dubai. Ask her if it’s tricky to be a female DJ in India and she says, “I don’t think anything is difficult. I believe any career has its set backs, but it’s how willing you are to hang in there, push yourself and give it your best. For me it’s not being female or male – it’s all the same.”
Being Goa’s own, she is a local favourite and her music gets you going just as easy as the waves. If not for a DJ she says that she would have been a dancer. “I loved dancing and adore Los Angeles’ Lucient Dossier and it would have been a dream come true to perform with them,” she beams. Aside from music, her quirky fashion and tattoos of flowers and Japanese art also garner considerable interest. “I love crazy outfits and a lot of my friends call me ‘Fancy Dress’ just because of my head gear, mad shoes and clothes,” she laughs.
The lady says she was practicing to be a fulltime tattoo artiste as well! “I love ink but my music wouldn’t let me leave that easy,” she says. With what she thinks is an eternal connection to namma Bengaluru, Ayesha confesses that this is her top favourite city in the country. “Fifty percent of the audiences know their music and as for the rest, it becomes quite easy for a DJ to educate,” says the spieler who has a few gigs and releases on international labels in the pipeline.
