Stevie Wonder Says: " She touches the place that is the deepest and most clearest to my heart... expressing music!" Urban Network Magazine lauds 2004 album of the year accolades for Beautiful Flower "Beautiful Flower soars strait to top contender status for 2004 album of the year!" "This album is about what James Brown once defined as "a revolution of the mind" and should be required listening for everyone!" Scott Galloway, The Urban Network Magazine Beautiful Flower voted Black Radio Exclusive Magazine's Album Of The Week!!! "Ayanna's album is a brilliant work of R&B and neo-soul" "Her sound can definitely be compared to an India Arie!" "Ayanna skillfully covers two Stevie Wonder tracks....Her presentation of Stevie's "They Won't Go" is a truly great track!" Sidney Miller, III Black Radio Exclusive Magazine Ayanna Gregory Bio.: Daughter of comedian, social activist and health advocate Dick Gregory, this super vocal talent will soon make her own mark on fame with her long awaited debut album Beautiful Flower. Ayanna's musical roots are steeped in the struggle of the "Freedom Movement". For this child of Human Rights activist Dick Gregory, the seeds and songs for justice were planted at birth. Thus, she decided early in life that her gift of song would be her gift to the struggle. In 1990, Ayanna became a voice for "The Movement" as a student activist at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Here she was called on to sing at marches, rallies and demonstrations against the war in the Persian Gulf. From there and for the next decade, Ayanna would become a major voice within the various cultural, political, and spiritual movements in Washington, D.C. In 1992, Ayanna joined 2000 Black, a "message music" project founded by Mamadi Nyasuma in Washington, D.C. She would go on to record, perform and tour with this group for the next six years. 2000 Black allowed Ayanna to grow as a vocalist, musician and performer and maintain her mission to use music as a teaching tool and healing mechanism. By 1995, Ayanna was gaining recognition as a solo vocalist. As an emerging Soul artist, she began performing locally, nationally and internationally at clubs, theaters, music festivals and political events. In 1998, Ayanna joined Black Notes, percussion, spoken word and music ensemble. After recording and performing with Black Notes for a year, she began her pursuit of a solo music career. Ayanna has had the honor of performing at The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, the Carter Barron and Fort Dupont in Washington, D.C., the 25th annual African Street Festival in Brooklyn, the 1995 African-African American Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the 1996 National Hip Hop Summit in Philadelphia, the 1996 and 1997 Hampton Jazz Festivals, the 1997 Million Women March in Philadelphia, the 1997 African-African American Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 1999 African-African American Summit in Accra, Ghana, the 2000 Tribute to Dick Gregory in Washington, D.C. and the 2001 Black Radio Exclusive Conference in Washington, D.C. She's had the privilege of sharing the stage with Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Roy Ayers, Will Downing, Jennifer Holiday, Najee, Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Maya Angelou, the Last Poets, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Bill Cosby, Stevie Wonder and Dick Gregory. She's also a recording vocalist who is featured on various jazz, hip hop, R&B, and spoken word CD projects including: "2000 Black" Volumes 1 and 2, Rejuv-a-Nation Records, 1992 and 1995 * "Travels" Priest Da Nomad, MW2 Entertainment, 1998 "Listen" The Will Smith Jazz Quartet And Co., Het Heru Productions, 1998 * "Miracle in Progress" Black Notes, Music Message Records, 1998. Four years in the making, "Beautiful Flower" has finally emerged. This CD project reflects a highly spiritual and deeply soulful musical journey. "Beautiful Flower" is soul music, literally and figuratively. In the traditional sense, it celebrates a mixture of soul genres: R&B, Gospel, Blues, Hip Hop and Spiritual. But most importantly, the songs inspire wellness of mind, body and spirit. Lastly, "Beautiful Flower" is a personal story. As the major writer on this project, Ayanna has pulled from the various aspects of her life and spirit to create the themes found in "Beautiful Flower". In fact, most of the songs were answers to her own prayers and questions. Thus, Ayanna is clear that her music does not come from her but rather through her. As a vocalist, performer, musician, writer and producer, Ayanna continues to grow and etch out her own place. As an artist, Ayanna will continue to be a musical messenger for the planet.