In tune with: Ananya

May 16, 2023

What’s your name and who are you?

I’m Ananya, a Zimbabwean-born musician based in London. Growing up, the sun was always shining and I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by nature every day. Most of my time was spent with my three siblings; Aya, Bella and Raph. The rest of my time was spent developing my passion for music through my mother’s eclectic music taste, performing, writing, and learning to play piano, guitar, and drums.

After the pandemic, a friend and I co-founded a non-profit organization called The Nani Wellness Project, which focuses on raising awareness and providing help to those struggling with their mental health in Zimbabwe.

We’ve asked you to create a playlist of tracks that have inspired your musical journey so far, can you tell us a bit about it?

It was really difficult for me to not make a playlist that consisted of Taylor Swift songs only (Taylor’s Version). She’s been a huge influence for me in so many aspects. She taught me how to write songs, but also how to be witty and powerful at the same time.

There's a little bit of everything in this playlist. I added a couple of songs that were played during my childhood. I hadn’t heard them in a while but I still remember all the words. I’m Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado was my favourite song. I used to listen to it whilst running around in the garden, and it really made me feel like anything was possible. From a young age, I really valued the way that music could shift my feelings.

As I grew up I leaned more to pop music, with emphasis on great song writing (another reason why I appreciate Taylor Swift). I’m also a sucker for sad songs and anything that transforms me to a different feeling or state of mind.