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Ayah Marar (Arabic: آية مرار; born 20 September 1980) is a Jordanian/Bulgarian singer and songwriter based in the UK. She has been featured as a vocalist or writer on music from British artists including Calvin Harris, DJ Fresh, Camo & Krooked, Bassline Smith and Jack Peñate. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Bass" and the "dubstep queen".

Early life

Ayah was born in Amman, Jordan, to a Jordanian father and a Czech-Bulgarian mother. She spent most of her adolescence in Jordan, before emigrating to the UK at 18 years of age, where she began her musical career at Warwick University.

Musical career

Marar is involved in the drum and bass scene and recorded her first single, 'Dance Child', with Loxy & Ink (Signal Records). She recorded several singles in this genre, before meeting and collaborating with Calvin Harris and Toddla T in 2004. Marar and Harris shared a home for a brief period, she toured the world as part of his live show and she collaborated on his second album, performing the vocals on 3 of the tracks, as well as a guest spot on Toddla's album and a single with his previous band Small Arms Fiya.

Ayah worked at a record shop, Uptown Records, in Soho where she met and formed bonds with several radio and club personalities. In the meantime she helped to establish and run Lucky Devil Records and promoted events in and around London.

She wrote and recorded on albums by Jack Penate, Bassline Smith, Calvin Harris (forthcoming and previous LP) and DJ Fresh.

Marar receives support from BBC Radio 1, Kiss FM, Ministry of Sound radio and BBC Radio 1Xtra, appearing on the latter several times for shows and PAs, and with support from the likes of MistaJam and Bailey. She has guest-hosted radio shows. Her recent single 'Unstoppable' was Jam Hot Record of the Week.

Ayah launched her solo career and created her own independent label, "Hussle Girl", as a platform to release her own singles and forthcoming album, "The Real". Her album The Real was released on 15 October 2012 via Hussle Girl and Transmission Recordings in the UK and Radikal Records in the US and Canada.

She held a residency as a DJ at Herbal in Shoreditch for four years and worked as a touring MC with Hospital Records and other companies. She formed a funk band, SlinkyFix, toured the UK and performed at events with Gilles Peterson and at the Jazz Café.

With the Austrian drum and bass duo, Camo & Krooked, she performed at Brixton Academy and throughout Europe. Ayah was as of 2012 touring her solo material with DJ Tenku.

Marar again collaborated with Calvin Harris on his 2013 single "Thinking About You".

Discography

Albums

• The Real (Hussle Girl / Transmission Recordings 2012)

Singles and EPs

• "Mind Controller" (Hussle Girl 2012)
• "Unstoppable" (Hussle Girl / Transmission Recordings 2012)
• "The Raver" (Pilot Recordings 2012)
• "Alive" (featuring P Money) (produced by FuntCase) (Hussle Girl / Transmission Recordings 2013)
• The Bass Soldiers EP (Hussle Girl 2014)
• "Mind Controller (Tom Bull Remix)" (Hed Kandi Records / Ministry of Sound 2016)

As featured artist

Charting

Others

• DJ Fresh feat. Ayah Marar 'The Edge' - 'The Feeling' (Additional Vocals) - 'Turn It Up' (Writing Credit)
• Architex feat. Ayah Marar ‘Dance Child’ Signal Recs
• Noisia - 'Into Dust'
• Calvin Harris feat. Ayah Marar ‘Let Me Know’
• Insiders feat. Ayah Marar ‘Meltdown’ Metalheadz
• Domu feat. Ayah Marar ‘Something New’ TrebleO
• Apex feat. Ayah Marar ‘The Space Between’ Hospital
• Bungle feat. Ayah Marar ‘If I Leave’ CIA
• Baron feat. Ayah Marar 'Endless Summer' Breakbeat Kaos
• Total Science & Bungle feat. Ayah Marar ‘Snake Eyes’ CIA
• Marky & Total Science feat. Ayah Marar ‘2nd Date’ CINNA
• Small Arms Fiya feat. Ayah Marar ‘Pressure/Gotta Decide’ MoreAboutMusic
• Camo & Krooked feat. Ayah Marar 'Cross The Line' Hospital Recs
• Camo & Krooked feat. Ayah Marar 'Watch It Burn' Hospital Recs
• Warrior One feat. Ayah Marar 'FYAH' Black Butter Recs
• Yogi feat. Ayah Marar 'Follow U' Ministry Of Sound
• Bungle feat Ayah Marar 'The Siren' Spearhead
• Calvin Harris 'Flashback' - 'Stars Come Out' - 'Limits'
• Jack Penate 'Tonight's Today' - 'Everything Is New' - 'Be The One' - 'Pull My Heart Away' - 'Every Glance'
• Toddla T 'Helders'
• Drumsound & Bassline Smith 'The Only Way' & 'The Flames'
• Russo feat. Ayah Marar - 'I Know'
• Cheryl Cole 'Call My Name' (additional vocals)
• Dilemn feat. Ayah Marar - 'Talk About Us'
• R3hab & NERVO feat. Ayah Marar - 'Ready for the Weekend'
• Calyx & TeeBee feat. Ayah Marar - 'The Fall'
• The Prototypes feat. Ayah Marar - 'Kill The Silence'
• Opticks & Ayah Marar - 'Don't Go'
• Blue Marble ft. Ayah Marar - 'Invincible'
• Teddy Killerz ft. Ayah Marar - 'Ready'
• Sintra ft. Ayah Marar - 'Never Give Up'
• Six Blade & AMC ft. Ayah Marar - 'Hardest To Love'
• Paul Harris ft. Ayah Marar - 'Oxygen'
• Designated ft. Ayah Marar - 'Begging For You'
• Caroline D'Amore ft. Ayah Marar - 'Love Somebody'
• LA Riots & Ayah Marar - 'Stay With Me'
• Caspa ft. Ayah Marar - 'One By One'
• Tragedy Kaddafi - ‘I Cried’
• Bondax ft. Ayah Marar - 'Dusk Funk'
• Kastle ft. Ayah Marar - 'Red Light'
• Otto Orlandi & The Chorz feat. Ayah Marar - 'Oddest Goddess'
• Andromedik ft. Ayah Marar - 'First To Go'
• Andromedik ft. Ayah Marar - 'Tomorrow'

Videography

2011

• Yogi feat Ayah Marar 'Follow U' (directed by Blake Caridge)
• Camo & Krooked feat Ayah Marar 'Cross The Line' (directed by Isaac & Ali @ Yo Video Films)

2012

• Ayah Marar 'Mind Controller' (directed by Dani Deville)
• Ayah Marar 'Unstoppable' (directed by Dani Deville)
• Russo feat Ayah Marar 'I Know' (directed by B.E.L.A)
• Ayah Marar 'The Raver' (directed by Halcyon Nights)

2013

• Ayah Marar feat P Money 'Alive' (directed by Luke Biggins)
• Ayah Marar ' Lethal Dose'
• Calvin Harris feat Ayah Marar 'Thinking About You'
• Ayah Marar 'Beg Borrow Steal' (directed by Daniel Deville)

References

1. Wunsch, Jessica (18 February 2013). "VIBE Looks At Bass Queen Ayah Marar". VIBE.
2. "Ayah Marar - Hussle Girl". 26 October 2014.
3. Ayah Marar Interview, retrieved 19 December 2019
4. ^ "Introducing: Ayah Marar". Kmag.co.uk. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
5. "Ones to watch: Ayah Marar - Music Blog". Digital Spy. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
6. "Toddla T - Elastic Artists". 8 December 2012. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012.
7. ^ "Coda Music Agency LLP - Talent Booking Agency | Corporate Events Entertainment". Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
8. "Ayah Marar added to KISS FM playlist". Absolutemarketing.co.uk. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
9. "Ministry Magazine". Ministryofsound.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
10. "♪ MixDeluxe ♪ » Blog Archive » 1Xtra D&B M1X – 2012-08-23 – Crissy Criss Guest Ayah Marar Live". 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012.
11. "BBC Radio 1Xtra - MistaJam, Adam F, Two Inch Punch and Ayah Marar". Bbc.co.uk. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
12. "BBC Radio 1Xtra - MistaJam, C4, True Tiger and Childish Gambino, Jam Hot: Ayah Marar 'Unstoppable'". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
13. "Ayah Marar, founder of Hussle Girl, on making it on the UK music scene". Managementtoday.co.uk. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
14. "Ayah Marar: My Work Stretches Beyond Being A Singer". Skiddle.com.
15. "NHS194CD: Camo + Krooked : Cross The Line". Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
16. ""Cross The Line" feat Ayah Marar – Out Now «". Camoandkrooked.com. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
17. "Ayah Marar 29/08/12 | Kiss Presents". Kissfmuk.com. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
18. "Calvin Harris Teases Great Gatsby Themed Music Video For New Song 'Thinking About You'". Capital FM. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
19. "Discografie Ayah Marar" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
20. "Calvin Harris – Chart history: Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
21. Steffen Hung. "Discographie Ayah Marar". Lescharts.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
22. "Top 40-artiest: Aah Marar" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
23. "British certifications – Ayah Marar". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 July 2022. Type Ayah Marar in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
24. Oddest Goddess (feat. Ayah Marar) - Single by Otto Orlandi & The Chordz, 18 May 2018, retrieved 6 July 2018

External links

• Official website

• British drum and bass musicians
• Jordanian women singers
• Jordanian people of Bulgarian descent
• Jordanian people of Czech descent
• Jordanian emigrants to the United Kingdom
• Living people
• People from Amman
• 1980 births
• 21st-century women singers