Aisha

b. Pamela Ross, 27 October 1962, Wolverhampton, England. Assuming a name meaning ‘life’, and occasionally referred to as ‘Sister Aisha’, Aisha began singing at the age of eight, and through her live performances built a significant following in and around the Midlands. Demonstrating her individualism, she followed in the direction of roots music as opposed to singing soulful cover versions of R&B hits, the latter being the most frequent route for reggae divas. In the late 80s Aisha began recording with the Mad Professor and released ‘Prophecy’ on his Ariwa Sounds label. This success led to other recording sessions with female vocalists, performing conscientious lyrics and culminating with the Roots Daughters series, in which Aisha featured alongside the revitalized Fabian, Kofi and Sandra Cross. In 1996 Aisha released ‘Hail H.I.M.’, which resulted in her appearance at the Essential Music Festival in that year. This salute to Haile Selassie was followed by ‘Don’t Tell Me No Lies’ and ‘Raise Your Voice’, both of which achieved acceptable placings among the ragga hits that dominated the reggae chart. Aisha’s work with Norman Grant of the Twinkle Brothers led to her featuring as part of the Twinkle Showcase alongside Princess Sharifa, Kid Livi and Steve Santana. Aisha has been showered with accolades for her accomplished performances, captivating audiences wherever she appears, and she continues to pursue a career based on her assertion that ‘music comes from the root of love’.