A BERMUDIAN singer is poised to take over the Christian airwaves, signed by a major record label after its founder heard her on a radio station.

Ayiesha Woods was born in Bermuda but left the island to live in the United States at the age of eight. Now 27, she is celebrating the release of her album, Introducing Ayiesha Woods, and the beginning of her career as a singer/songwriter.

Her long-held dream of being discovered was given a boost after Toby McKeehan, the head of Goatee Records, heard her sing while he was in Jamaica on holiday.

A well-known figure in the world of Christian music, Mr. McKeehan, or 'Toby Mac' as he is known, is a founding member of a popular religious band dc Talk. To date, the group has sold more than seven million albums, won four Grammy awards and is recognised as the best-selling group in contemporary Christian music history.

In light of her anticipated success, Ms Woods was interviewed by Cross Rhythms, a UK Christian music ministry comprised of various media forms devoted to that faith.

The "rock, reggae and R&B super talent" told writer Michael Rimmer that it had always been her dream to sign with Goatee Records "because of the diversity and the type of music that they put out".

She explained: "They've always been the type of record label to step out on a limb and do something new and introduce something new to the industry and to the marketplace. They've always been very open to new types of music. I used to think that if I was going to sign with a label, then the best label for me would be Goatee. And sure enough, that's the way it went.

"My music is very different. I think that it's a fresh sound. It's Word-based. My songs, lyrically, are Word-based. Stylistically speaking, I've got rock on my record. I've got reggae on my record. I've got some R&B-sounding tunes on there. Some worship-sounding stuff. So it's an eclectic blend of a number of different genres of music."

The singer's parents served as pastors in Bermuda. Since leaving the island they have called Florida, Georgia and Hawaii home, but have spent the last five years in Dallas, Texas, where the family has a youth ministry in a small church.

Although Introducing Ayiesha Woods is her debut album with Goatee Records, Ms Woods had seen previous successes in the industry. In 2004 she became the first female named 'Producer of the Year' at the Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards. She was also named 'New Artist of the Year' and 'Contemporary Vocal Performance of the Year (Female)' at the Marlin Awards.

The artist will perform next Saturday in Houston at the KSBJ Anniversary Concert.