Those who of you who attended the Quay Folk and Blues club, or the Live Acoustic Music Club, will probably remember Maya. From the late eighties, Maya was involved in setting up and running music clubs and forums on the Isle of Wight.
Her main work was with Russell (her husband) setting up the Live Acoustic Music Club. This club met at the Castle Pub in Newport, before being re-located to ST Marys church hall in East Cowes. It ran there for some time before finally being wound down in 2003 shortly after her death.
Maya died in a car accident on 29th December 2002. It came as a terrible shock to all her friends and musicians across the Island. This was evident at her funeral on 14th February 2003, where 250 people packed the church (overflowing to the steps outside) where the music club used to take place. Alan Springate played ‘Fire and Rain’ at the funeral.
Even now people still come up to me and recall events or memories of Maya. In the year prior to her death, she was running workshops on hand drumming and rhythm in local schools. It was very popular.
During 2003 and 2004 several musicians wrote songs for and about Maya. These are being collated together and will (in time) be put on a CD.
