Masayah

Masayah, real name Mia Puhar Rodin, is a Slovenian rapper, R&B singer, guitarist and songwriter from Ankaran on the coast. Her stage name joins the word "messiah" with the Maasai people of Africa: as a child she played with a Maasai shield and spears that her father had brought home from his travels.

At sixteen she was the only girl, and the youngest performer, on her local hip-hop scene, and she has said she had to prove herself twice over, as a rapper and for her image. Her music first found its audience online, on YouTube. She records her own vocals in her home studio, and she raps and sings in Slovenian; she has said the language is only a barrier as much as you let it be.

An earlier album was shelved, but one of its songs, "Bol dol", recorded with Reta in 2019, survived onto her debut. She also took part in H2SO4, a project of rebellious poetry started by Igor Saksida, with tracks such as "Ukrepi". Her breakthrough was "Ni panike", nominated for the best new Slovenian song at Frišno 2023.

Her debut album Zavedno, which she released herself on 16 April 2023, is almost entirely autobiographical and has no guest features. Its launch concert sold out Kino Šiška, and that year she sang "Naj sije v očeh" at the national Statehood Day celebration. At Zlata piščal 2024 she won the awards for album of the year and for song of the year with "Zavedno". In 2024 she filled Cvetličarna, played the EXIT festival, and returned with the piano-led single "Cigaret".

Her second album, Lava, came out in 2026 and was introduced by the single "Design". She presented it at Kino Šiška on 7 May 2026 with dancers, musicians and her biggest stage production yet, and guests including Tomi Meglič of Siddharta on "Animal", Štras on "Robosvet" and Kani on "Zlahka".