[citation needed] After growing up in London, she moved to New York City at the age of 18 to focus on her growth as an artist.
There she collaborated with Lenny Kravitz, the Pharcyde and Stuart Matthewman.
[1] Aya was signed to the Naked Music label after meeting and collaborating with Jay Denes (the mastermind behind Blue Six, and co-founder of Naked Music).
Her debut album Strange Flower, a mixture of soul, pop and electronic music, was released on 11 May 2004.
Aya also appeared in the 1999 film Loving Jezebel.