Da - Dawn Foster a.k.a Lefty7 (music, lyrics & vocals)

Ja - Janet Pumo a.k.a. Mozartemis (music, engineering & production)

Who is DAJA?

Da: I am woman who loves melodies and words. I am fortunate, for when the elements are right; the combination of melody and words, inspired by Mozy's beautiful music, collide into a beautiful song. I hope that our songs inspire you; that is always what we intend.

Ja:  I am a composer/keyboardist/engineer who cringes at writing about herself and who loves creating music.

How did we meet? 

Da:  Well, we met while working on a musical collaboration site. I sang on a song that Mozy had written. We have been writing together ever since. That was in July of 2017.

Ja:  ... in prison.  (kidding)  What she said.  And shortly thereafter I learned that Lefty was also a terrific songwriter.  I think she’s just as dangerous in front of the mic as she is behind it - - as am I, but for ENTIRELY different reasons. (If there’s a note between G and G#, I can sing it.)

What inspires our songs?

Da:  I am constantly inspired by the honesty, strength and resilience of the human condition. Music can be a great healer and equalizer.

Ja:  Fine.  I’ll wade into the shallower end of the pool.  I am inspired by passion, desire and a rhythm that makes you “feel” the song.  However, that’s where my creativity ends.  I rarely have words to back up that feeling.  And I am always amazed by the way that Lefty can bring music to life with her lyrics and vocals. 

 

Our greatest musical influences are:

Da:  Between the two of us we have several, I am sure. I run the gamut from Motown, Funk, and Jazz to the classic sounds of the 70's and 80's. Artists such as: James Taylor, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, and Gordon Lightfoot tell wonderfully picturesque stories. The music of Prince, The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd are hypnotic to me. I love the harmonies of CSNY and the Classic Rock/Americana ballads of groups like Kansas and America.  I like it all. 

 

Ja:  I have always been drawn to genre benders and blenders - - the way symphonic rock groups like Renaissance, ELP, and The Moody Blues combined classical music and rock, or how Pat Benetar brought her classically trained operatic voice to pop music, Balligomingo brought in various female leads to sing his music, and Elizabeth Faser of the Cocteau Twins sang in a self-created language that better fit her songs.  It was ingenious and beautiful.

Thank You's

Da:  First, Thank you. You are the reason I am here. Thank you for taking the time to listen to our music. We truly appreciate you!

I would also like to thank the associated artists that have been so kind as to share their time and talents; their contributions and credits are cited on each of our songs.

I would be remiss if I did not take the time to thank my family; they are more than patient, kind and understanding when it comes to the amount of time that I am in the studio. They allow me to pick their brains regarding instrumentation and lyrics and I quite often run concept mixes by them. They are my inspiration every day and truly my/our biggest fans. 

Of course, I could not do this without you, Mozy. Thank you; your talents are beyond words.

Ja:  I am ever thankful for www.kompoz.com.  It is a phenomenal platform for musicians around the world to collaborate.  Come join!

Deep appreciation for the talents of Chris Graham at www.chrisgrahammastering.com whose light and musical touch put the right finish on so many of our songs. 

Lefty, thank you for writing what I don’t, singing what I can’t, and putting the “there” there, in every song.

And you, dear website visitor, thank YOU for listening… and for reading to this point!  We both hope you enjoy our music.