Meet Brook Giday of Giday in Allston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brook Giday.

Brook, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am Giday. A 25 year old musician, writer, producer, entrepreneur from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I came to Boston for College in 2010. After a couple years of going from one school and one major to the next, I decided to pursue my true passions to the fullest, and ended up leaving Civil Engineering at Northeastern University for Audio Production & Engineering at The New England Institute of Art in Brookline. I had been writing music for a few years prior to this decision (around 17 years old) and finally decided to invest my all into it. While in school we recorded a number of projects (most notably “Listen UP” available on Soundcloud) and songs that really helped to develop and heighten my abilities as a writer and vocalist, Upon graduation, a few friends and I, two who were already involved in a startup, came together to create and develop Mass Apparel. Mass Apparel is a local clothing store/recording studio/print shop/ art space located at 383 Cambridge St. in Allston. We took our knowledge from school and converted the back office into a fully operational studio featuring a control room and booth, as well as artist space. Since creating the studio we have created and put out several projects from artists from all over the United States. Most recently our good friend and hip-hop legend, Tef Poe, began to work with us about two years ago and has since signed to Major Label, Tommy Boy Records. We also print clothing for several start-up brands and local businesses all over the city and country. Each of us that came together to create this idea is also from an immigrant family, from Ethiopia, China, Brazil and Haiti, which really goes to show people that anything can be done with a little faith, hard work and visualization. We have since put out several new official releases on all major streaming platforms (i.e. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc.) that have been getting great responses; “Deserving”, “Take Time”, and “Late At Night” by GIDAY are all available now. I am always looking to evolve and grow and create something that is lasting. My mission is to spread love and peace, and to show people that you can do it, and be independent of institutions and companies, etc. you just have to have the patience and the work ethic, as well as a clear vision. We also recently launched a new creation called “Jelese” or friend in my language, Amharic. We went to Dallas and launched the website and brand at the 35th Annual ESFNA Ethiopian/Eritrean soccer tournament for the 4th of July weekend and it was a great success! Especially at such a crucial time like this for our two countries, where Ethiopia and Eritrea have just regained peace after 20 plus years; it is a blessing that we had the opportunity to do our part and spread the love. You can also check that out at Jelese.com

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building a foundation is never easy. There were several ups and downs along the way. There are still struggles that we overcome every day. The only thing that makes the journey a little easier is planning, preparing, discipline and patience. I struggled with spreading my music in the beginning, working with janky promoters who saw nothing but money, and later on in business we struggled with consistency, communication, and theft as well as a slew of other issues. However; throughout the whole journey we have remained focused, and worked on our communication which led to solutions; which you use to tackle your struggles as they arise.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Giday – what should we know?
My music is forever evolving and changing. It cannot be described or labelled as any one thing. I like to experiment and try new sounds and melodies to keep my listeners guessing and entertained. Also over the years, we have developed a strong live show, which I feel really helps to set us apart from the noise. I specialize in audio engineering and recording, and event management. My strong points are mixing, mastering and vocal production. I have engineered several of my own projects as well as others. Mass Apparel specializes in apparel, screen printing, vinyl printing and more. What sets us apart from others is our intention, our energy and our commitment to the underserved, underground Boston artist community.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Faith, Kindness and Work Ethic.

Contact Info:

• Website: GIDAYMUSIC.COM
• Email: abyssiniamusicgroup@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/gidaythegriot
• Facebook: facebook.com/mista.irie
• Other: youtube.com/brookyg1

Image Credit:
Leographic Photography

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