Today we’d like to introduce you to Az One Niambi Rowland Ayanna Flowers
Hi Az One, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We started singing at an early age in church at St. Paul African American Episcopal (A.M.E.), which is on the East Side of town in Springfield, IL, our hometown. St. Paul is a small to medium size family church, so we got a lot of practice doing solos, speeches, and plays, which aided us in building confidence, character, and stage presence. Also, our grandma June started a family singing group with our two aunts, mom, and cousins, and we performed at church events.
We are sisters and one of four girls. Ayanna the oldest sister and Niambi the middle sister. Our parents exposed us to explore different forms of art, including ballet, tap, jazz, piano, and drawing classes. Due to having a family a six and a disabled sister, we couldn’t afford many of the classes, but the years that we took them added to our love of arts. In high school we stayed involved with music and sang in choirs and local talent shows.
Next, we both attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale and decided we wanted to take our music more seriously. We connected with a local producer on campus and recorded our first song in a college dorm room. The grind continued after college and that’s when we went full force, doing various auditions, writing songs, practicing, and performing around town. We decided on the name Az One because we are sisters, and our harmonies blend as one.
We then caught the ear of a booking agent and landed our first big show in New York City. We then produced our first album titled The Jump Off. After the album was released, we moved to St. Louis, MO and started to make connections in the local music scene. We did many performances and audiences were in awe of our harmonies, vocals, and stage presence.
We soon auditioned to perform on 106 and Park, Wild-Out-Wednesday, a music video show on B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television) and were selected and won! The national T.V. exposure boosted our fanbase and we started to tour more. We then were selected as one of the top independent artists in the Midwest for Billboard Magazine and performed a sold-out event in Chicago, IL. B.E.T. then invited us back to perform on Wild-Out-Wednesday and from there we kept grinding and opening for various artists.
We then released an international song in with a Japanese artist, released a Christmas Album, titled Christmas with Az One, and managed a teen artist for a couple of years. We then took a long break due to the passings of our parents, who were so instrumental in our lives.
Currently we create jingles for corporate companies and original songs to be licensed for movies and television. In May 2024, we did our first comeback show with DJ Captain in Rock Island, IL. The show sparked a new flame within us! We’ve been posting covers on social media, and it’s been receiving a lot of positive feedback. Now are working on a couple music projects that we can’t go into much detail yet but are excited to share soon! ….
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, to be honest, it has not been a smooth road. You must really love music to stay motivated and dedicated because it takes a lot of work, sacrifice, and money to pursue. At times we spent more money than we made, but we were determined. One of our struggles in the beginning of our career, was that Ayanna was a single mom with a daughter who has a rare genetic respiratory disorder. Her daughter was in an out of the hospital, so there were a lot of sleepless nights and time off from pursuing the music. Also, we were doing pretty much everything by ourselves, from the creatives, practicing, paying for studio time, contacting producers, finding shows, and keeping with up the business side of things, which became exhausting.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We specialize in creating custom songs, jingles, and voice overs for all your media and marketing needs. We can also be booked for lives performances.
We are known for our dynamic harmonies and stage presence – we have been told many times, “Az One puts on a heck of a show! We sing everything “live” with no lip-synching and no backup singers.
We are proud of how our parents raised us. Never give up and or never give in. We are proud of our two albums we produced and financed and that our music is being streamed all around the world.
What sets us apart is our self-determination and the ability to adapt to new situations.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson we’ve learned is to stay consistent and motivated. Surround yourself with people who can hold you accountable. We live by this quote “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/az.one
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/az.one
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azoneonline/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@azonesing
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/22NB3PegxvlCLwd4hd9mpS
