​AYN: “There’s no time for ignorance anymore. There’s no excuse, actually”

We’ve teamed back up with W Hotels for another instalment of What She Said - a series of conversations celebrating individuality, inclusivity and honesty. We’re pairing up female DJs and producers from all over the globe to chat about everything from finding their feet in the music industry, to the challenges faced in everyday life. Mixmag and W Hotels have previously brought together artists such as Jyoty, Heléna Star, Cici, Tala Samann, and SheSaid.So's Andreea to talk about these issues.

In our latest episode, we caught up with Aya Nasif, also known as AYN, a techno producer and DJ from Amman, Jordan. In a conversation with Heléna Star live from W Amman, AYN spoke about the difficulties she faced as a woman working in the music industry, giving tips for her contemporaries and younger trailblazers. “I want to bridge that gap and show them that you can do it as a female, you can share your culture,” she tells Heléna.

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On the topic of Middle Eastern creatives, AYN says that she hopes to see more representation of those in the media: “I want them to be represented for their artistry first. Not for the stereotype that they’re trying to break, because the more we focus on those stereotypes, the more we feed into [them] in a way,” she says. “I’m constantly getting introduced to new talent here and in the region, and it makes me very happy.”

Watch the full interview in the video below - and for more on W Hotels and the #WhatSheSaid happenings, follow W Hotels.