Hayley Carline better known as Ava Leigh, is a British reggae singer from Chester, England.

Career

Leigh's career first began when she started performing with her school's jazz band. In her "mid teens" she acquired a manager, and tried out for a variety of labels, singing R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

. However, Leigh realised that the genre "never, ever worked" for her. Leigh, in an interview with The Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

, attributed her mother for first getting her into reggae:

"How I got into reggae ... was from my mother listening to it. She was a big fan of [the British reggae sub-genre] Lover's Rock. When I was about nine or 10, I remember hearing 'Silly Games' by Janet Kay, with all those high notes, and thinking, 'Hmm, I wonder if I can do that?’"

Leigh worked with writers such as Nick Manasseh, Future Cut

Future Cut

Future Cut is the stage name of drum and bass producers Darren Lewis and Tunde Babalola. They share production duties.The duo first met whilst promoting rival Drum 'n' Bass nights in Manchester...

 and Feng Shui on her debut album, Turned on Underground. Partly recorded at Harry J's in Jamaica, the album was reviewed favourably and was described as having the "slick appeal of a US R&B princess." Her debut four-track extended play (EP) La La La was released on 5 January 2009.

Leigh's song "Mad About the Boy

Mad About the Boy

Dinah Washington's 1952 recording of "Mad about the Boy" is possibly the most widely known version of the song in modern times. The 6/8-time arrangement for voice and jazz orchestra by Quincy Jones omits two verses and was recorded in the singer's native Chicago on the Mercury label.Washington's...

" was featured on the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a 2008 British coming of age film film co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha starring Georgia Groome. It is based on two teenage novels by Louise Rennison: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers...

, and her version of "Mas Que Nada

Mas Que Nada

-Song information:In 2006, Mendes re-recorded the song with The Black Eyed Peas and additional vocals by Mendes' wife, Gracinha Leporace; a version that is included on his album Timeless. In Brazil, the song is well-known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas....

" was featured in a 2008 TV commercial for chain store Next's summer clothing range. Also in 2008, Leigh co-wrote Joss Stone

Joss Stone

Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...

's digital download

Music download

A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...

 single "Governmentalist", featuring rapper

Rapping

Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 Nas

Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

.

Leigh has also stated she hopes to become part of a musical movement bringing singers (as opposed to dancehall deejays) back to the forefront in reggae. As she told noted writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul

Blues & Soul

Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....

: I think the reason we're now living in the decade of dancehall deejays is because everyone these days is so into hip hop and rap, and dancehall is basically the reggae version of that. But hopefully me doing this can help signal the start of many more successful new reggae vocalists to come."

Discography

Studio albums

• Turned on Underground (2008)

Extended plays

• iTunes Live: London Festival '08 (2008)
• La La La (2009)

Singles

Year	Single	UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...  chart position	Album
2007	"La La La"	—	Turned on Underground
2008	"Mad About the Boy Mad About the Boy Dinah Washington's 1952 recording of "Mad about the Boy" is possibly the most widely known version of the song in modern times. The 6/8-time arrangement for voice and jazz orchestra by Quincy Jones omits two verses and was recorded in the singer's native Chicago on the Mercury label.Washington's... " [A]	128

^ Released as a double-A side single with "Mas Que Nada" in some retailers.