My Dream My Way

A former Miss Morgan sets her own path

Brains, beauty and extraordinary talent— the triple threat so often looked for but only occasionally realized— is evident in vocalist, Navasha Daya.

As the lead singer of Baltimore’s most popular and original music ensemble, Fertile Ground, Navasha Daya (real last name Collins) has been a familiar face throughout the metropolitan area for many years. With a smooth and full-bodied voice giving life to meaningful lyrics and inspiring rhythms, this Morgan alumnus is currently reaping the rewards of setting early goals and staying true to her plan.

Attending Morgan State University from 1993– 1998, Collins remembers choosing Morgan for its exceptional music program.

“I already had a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music at the time. But I was very impressed by the wonderful choir at Morgan and also the wonderful food.”

While at Morgan, Collins participated actively in the music program and gained her most beneficial experiences with the choir under the direction of the late Dr. Nathan Carter. She says she never once regretted the decision to relinquish the full scholarship to the more prestigious and well-known music school in Boston.

However, it was another decision at Morgan that she remembers fondly. She decided that she would run for the position of the campus queen, Miss Morgan State University. It was during her senior year in 1997-98 that she won the crown and fate took over. Friends and well-wishers had nothing but praise for Collins and the attention boosted her confidence and encouraged her to expand her horizons.

“After winning Miss Morgan, I thought I could be successful running for Miss Baltimore. I won that title the following year (1998-99),” she recalls. “I was the first Miss Morgan to go on to win other pageants.” 

The Miss Baltimore title and a year of representing the city inspired Collins to continue on the pageant track, although not your traditional pageant type by her own admission. Unlike many pageant participants who start young and run annually, Collins only registered for those contests that moved her closer to her professional goals and those she believed she could win. Her musical talents were a strong asset. With two wins to her credit, she set her sights on the Miss Black Collegiate Pageant and then Miss Maryland. But unfortunately, the next year, the former was cancelled and in the months to come, the latter yielded an unfortunate loss. Undeterred, Collins used the loss as a personal defining moment which helped to more clearly set her path.

“It wasn’t in my heart,” Collins says reflecting. “I don’t think I wanted Miss Maryland the way the other girls wanted it. They were more career pageant types, used to the atmosphere and people telling them what to say and how to act. I thought I could be independent. There wasn’t a place for me there.”

Collins used the experience to help her to find her place. With a Music Education degree in hand, she realized her interest in healing others and began researching ways to combine the two. With a focusing on assisting young people, Collins worked regularly within the Baltimore Public School System with elementary and middle school students using music to help children find their own talents and abilities. She has been an artist in residence for the past four years, finding great success with African American boys especially— helping them to get past preconceived notions of the arts and their own creative abilities.

Collins has also found great success as a performer. Fertile Ground has been a leading ensemble in the Baltimore/ Washington area and beyond for many years, performing at Artscape, downtown festivals, private parties, regional clubs and more. Founded by her husband of five years, James Collins, as a performance vehicle for his wife, Fertile Ground has provided the singer with the unique and rewarding opportunities.
“My husband composes for the group and that has allowed me to be more original,” she explains. When music is written for you, it’s raw. You have no one to copy from. You give it your own personality.”

Difficult to classify, Fertile Ground has built ongoing success in the area as a band with its own personality. Combining tight instrumentation, diverse and intricate R&B, jazz and African rhythms, heartfelt vocals, spoken word, dance, meaningful lyrics, the band’s CDs can often be found in the Urban Contemporary and Neo-Soul areas of record stores. More than a musical ensemble, Fertile Ground has been credited with creating a visual world on stage. It has been successful in taking an audience beyond the usual auditory experience, with Navasha as the focal point.

“I’ve had audience members tell me that our performances are healing,” says Collins. “Like testimony— experiencing Fertile Ground has been like a spiritual work.
“Although we perform regularly here in Baltimore and throughout the east coast, I know that what we do is not popular music. It’s world music. James and I have been building this for ten years and I know, because it’s original, we have a harder road to go. It’s not my path to do what Beyonce’ does. I’m not trying to sacrifice myself for that life. I want to uplift folks with my music, change humanity, if I can, survive and above all, be comfortable.”

At 29, still beauty pageant lovely, happily married and fulfilling personal and professional dreams, Navasha “Daya” Collins continues to be a triple threat wherever life takes her.