Raised in a house with fourteen family members, Daymé Arocena reflects on how music, ancestry, and community shaped the woman she became.

n this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Cuban singer, songwriter, and composer Daymé Arocena for a conversation about family, ancestry, identity, music, and leaving home to pursue impossible dreams.  

Daymé reflects on growing up in Havana in a house shared by fourteen family members, where singing wasn’t entertainment—it was survival. She explains how music became a daily expression of joy, resilience, and healing, long before she imagined becoming a professional musician.  

The conversation explores Cuba’s conservatory system, discovering jazz, embracing her Afro-Cuban identity, and the responsibility she felt carrying her family’s hopes while pursuing a career in music. She also shares how Yoruba spirituality shaped her understanding of success, responsibility, grief, and ancestry.  

From stories about her grandmother—the matriarch who inspired her artistry—to reflections on leaving Cuba, poverty, ambition, and becoming “the wildest dream” of her ancestors, this is an intimate conversation about identity, resilience, and the people who make us who we are.

 

Guest: Daymé Arocena
Host: Nabil Ayers
Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
Produced by Palm Tree Island


Check out our Podcast:
➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast

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00:00 Intro
00:35 Growing up in Havana
02:18 Living with 14 family members
03:30 Why everybody sang
05:45 Discovering music
06:24 Cuba’s conservatory system
08:36 Finding jazz
09:45 Embracing her Afro-Cuban identity
11:12 Family, pressure and responsibility
13:36 The Yoruba idea of carrying your crown
15:30 Realising she grew up poor
20:27 Becoming her ancestors’ wildest dream
20:45 Her grandmother’s legacy
23:00 Spiritual traditions and celebration
25:33 Grief, transformation and water
26:59 What family means to Daymé

Raised in a house with fourteen family members, Daym&eacute; Arocena reflects on how music, ancestry, and community shaped the woman she became.
n this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with Cuban singer, songwriter, and composer Daym&eacute; Arocena for a conversation about family, ancestry, identity, music, and leaving home to pursue impossible dreams. &nbsp;
Daym&eacute; reflects on growing up in Havana in a house shared by fourteen family members, where singing wasn&rsquo;t entertainment&mdash;it was survival. She explains how music became a daily expression of joy, resilience, and healing, long before she imagined becoming a professional musician. &nbsp;
The conversation explores Cuba&rsquo;s conservatory system, discovering jazz, embracing her Afro-Cuban identity, and the responsibility she felt carrying her family&rsquo;s hopes while pursuing a career in music. She also shares how Yoruba spirituality shaped her understanding of success, responsibility, grief, and ancestry. &nbsp;
From stories about her grandmother&mdash;the matriarch who inspired her artistry&mdash;to reflections on leaving Cuba, poverty, ambition, and becoming &ldquo;the wildest dream&rdquo; of her ancestors, this is an intimate conversation about identity, resilience, and the people who make us who we are.
&nbsp;
Guest: Daym&eacute; Arocena Host: Nabil Ayers Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Produced by Palm Tree Island
 Check out our Podcast: ➡️https://linktr.ee/identifiedpodcast
-
00:00 Intro 00:35 Growing up in Havana 02:18 Living with 14 family members 03:30 Why everybody sang 05:45 Discovering music 06:24 Cuba&rsquo;s conservatory system 08:36 Finding jazz 09:45 Embracing her Afro-Cuban identity 11:12 Family, pressure and responsibility 13:36 The Yoruba idea of carrying your crown 15:30 Realising she grew up poor 20:27 Becoming her ancestors&rsquo; wildest dream 20:45 Her grandmother&rsquo;s legacy 23:00 Spiritual traditions and celebration 25:33 Grief, transformation and water 26:59 What family means to Daym&eacute;

Welcome to 'Identified', a podcast hosted by Nabil Ayers, music executive and author of 'My Life in the Sunshine'. This show explores the intricate and often complicated world of family and identity.

In his memoir, Nabil shared his journey of understanding his mixed-race identity, navigating a distant relationship with his father, renowned jazz musician Roy Ayers, and discovering new family connections. 'Identified' continues this exploration, broadening the scope to encompass universal themes of family dynamics.

Join Nabil as he engages in heartfelt conversations that traverse cultural histories, the impact of non-traditional childhoods, and the ways our relationships shape our identities. Through personal stories, the show confronts the challenges of loss and grief, while celebrating the unique bonds that define us. Each episode seeks to answer the profound question: What is family?

Discover remarkable stories from individuals of diverse backgrounds as 'Identified' unravels the complexities that make family so unique.

The executive producer for 'Identified' is Kieron Banerji, and is produced by Palm Tree Island.

Welcome to 'Identified', a podcast hosted by Nabil Ayers, music executive and author of 'My Life in the Sunshine'. This show explores the intricate and often complicated world of family and identity.
In his memoir, Nabil shared his journey of understanding his mixed-race identity, navigating a distant relationship with his father, renowned jazz musician Roy Ayers, and discovering new family connections. 'Identified' continues this exploration, broadening the scope to encompass universal themes of family dynamics.
Join Nabil as he engages in heartfelt conversations that traverse cultural histories, the impact of non-traditional childhoods, and the ways our relationships shape our identities. Through personal stories, the show confronts the challenges of loss and grief, while celebrating the unique bonds that define us. Each episode seeks to answer the profound question: What is family?
Discover remarkable stories from individuals of diverse backgrounds as 'Identified' unravels the complexities that make family so unique.
The executive producer for 'Identified' is Kieron Banerji, and is produced by Palm Tree Island.

Identified with Nabil Ayers

Welcome to 'Identified', a podcast hosted by Nabil Ayers, music executive and author of 'My Life in the Sunshine'. This show explores the intricate and often complicated world of family and identity.
In his memoir, Nabil shared his journey of understanding his mixed-race identity, navigating a distant relationship with his father, renowned jazz musician Roy Ayers, and discovering new family connections. 'Identified' continues this exploration, broadening the scope to encompass universal themes of family dynamics.
Join Nabil as he engages in heartfelt conversations that traverse cultural histories, the impact of non-traditional childhoods, and the ways our relationships shape our identities. Through personal stories, the show confronts the challenges of loss and grief, while celebrating the unique bonds that define us. Each episode seeks to answer the profound question: What is family?
Discover remarkable stories from individuals of diverse backgrounds as 'Identified' unravels the complexities that make family so unique.
The executive producer for 'Identified' is Kieron Banerji, and is produced by Palm Tree Island.