Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a one-woman orchestra: a singer, songwriter, pianist, cellist and composer whose sound lives between worlds. Seamlessly blending classical, jazz, reggae, soul and R&B, she taps, strums and bows her cello while singing in a voice that’s rich, grounded and transcendent. In August 2026, she is finally coming back to GROUNDS for another honest, virtuosic and utterly original performance.

As a second-generation Jamaican born in Britain, her work celebrates her heritage, culture and identity through music that is both deeply rooted and boundlessly inventive. Ayanna is a performer of extraordinary versatility, due to her musical prowess, mesmerising vocals, uncompromising lyrics, and ability to deftly reinterpret songs on the cello. Her collaborations with many stellar artists, including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and her stunning performance on Later…with Jools Holland are fine examples of it.

Ayanna has released four EPs and her debut album Road Runner (2019) on her own independent label, Hill and Gully Records. Her highly anticipated sophomore album New Roots (due Autumn 2026) – a reflection on identity, belonging and rebirth – expands her signature fusion of classical, reggae and soul, tracing her Jamaican heritage through lush orchestrations and raw, personal storytelling to create a sound that’s both deeply rooted and boldly forward-looking. Her must-see live shows are intimate journeys that chronicle her experience as a female artist in the 21st century.