Taking to the decks in Wellington in 2002, Ayna started out doing regular radio shows on underground radio stations RadioActive and Firm FM.
In less than 12 months, she took the city by storm, playing at some of the city’s hottest spots due to her impeccable taste, smooth mixing, dope scratching and ability to rock every dancefloor she stepped up to.
Ayna relocated to Melbourne in 2005 and instantly created a buzz with her mix of underground hip hop and dancefloor classics. Earning regular spots all throughout Melbourne, including First Floor, Miss Libertines, Croft Institute, Lucky Coq, Carlton Club, Penny Black, Transport Bar, Transit Lounge, Workshop, Bimbo Deluxe, Golden Monkey, Blue Bar, 56 Bricks and Brown Alley, earned her the nickname “All-City Turntable Queen” by Wax Museum Records.
All-City Turntable Queen
Wax Museum Records
Perfecting her craft in front of dancefloors all over the city, Ayna’s expanded her musical horizons to include Funk, Nu Funk, Disco, Soul, Reggae, Dancehall, Nu-disco, house and R&B, still put together flawlessly, while showcasing a natural talent for reading the crowd.
Melbourne’s club industry indeed took notice, with Ayna steadily adding to her resume by supporting internationals such as Lord Finesse (DITC – USA), DJ Craze (US), Rodney P and Skitz (UK), DJ Hype (UK), DJ Yoda (UK), Krafty Kuts(UK), A Skillz(UK), Neil Armstrong (USA), Stickybuds (CAN) and Jaguar Skills (UK).
In 2016 she competed in the infamous Battle 8, representing Groove Penguin Records and getting through to the Grand Final.
Ayna has also been recognised internationally, placing 3rd in the FunkHunter’sHunter’s” “Evolution of Funk” mixtape contest on renowned UK website Ghettofunk.co.uk and having other mixes showcased on the site as well as other prominent blogs in the space of a matter of months.
A homegirl at heart, Ayna is the rare DJ who goes from from strength to strength, able to rock a crowd with a taste across various genres, flawless programming, undeniable skills, and just the right amount of curveballs and surprises.
For bookings email [email protected]
Other mixes more on the hip hop /R&B vibe are at:
www.mixcloud.com/aynahennessy
www.hearthis.at/djayna/
www.mixcrate.com/djayna/
By day, Ayna works at safe and sound counselling, specialising in personalised counselling services for neurodiverse, adhd and asd clients.