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Ayo

I first met Ayo (pronounced I-Yo)in 2004 at a club in Paris. Well actually I saw her guitar first among a crowd of other hip boho artist types. I was 2 weeks deep into a whimsical month long excursion in France. She turned around and greeted me with a smile that brought my own to an attention. I feared she was yet another French girl who once she learned I didn’t know any French would find a way to politely loose me in the crowd. But she quickly admitted that though she had been living in Paris for a while, she was a Nigerian girl raised in Germany and still hadn’t learned much of any French. We hung a bit while I was there and I saw her perform on a couple of occasions and was introduced to a her voice. There is an undeniable sweetness that permeates through her work. Her voice is like a bird immitating the human voice. I’m happy to announce she will be performing in NYC and San Francisco within the coming week. Info about the shows are listed in Treat Ya Self . I will be at her show April 14th at Highline in NYC and hope to see you all there. Until then take a listen below to her single “Life is Real”. http://www.myspace.com/ayo

 

 Ayo - Life Is Real [4:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

BIO

AYO is a German born artist, the offspring of a Nigerian father who had come to Germany to study in the 1970s, and sometimes worked as a DJ, and a mother who is a gypsy. AYOs rather unusual name means joy in Yoruba. Her rich cultural background is also reflected in her musical influences. She grew up amidst Pink Floyd and Fela Kuti, the Soul Children and Bob Marley, and many others.

AYOs nomadic lifestyle brought her to live between Paris and New York, two capitals that accurately sum up her musical identity. In Paris, word got around fast, and she held initial solo concerts with her guitar, opened for Omar, the British soul brother and jammed alongside Cody Chesnutt.

AYOs entire album, Joyful, was recorded in New York under live conditions. She cries, laughs and moves us with her simplicity. To accompany her, producer Jay Newland put together a group of open-minded musicians that, with a note on a B3 organ or with a stroke of slide guitar melodiously enter this unusual world, which is studded with a few words in Pidgin, the street language of Lagos, and unveils recollections of gypsy life. In addition to her parents, two other influences helped her set the tone of this album, which very well could have been recorded some 35 years ago. Firstly, theres mentor Donny Hathaway. Her other reference is Jimmy Cliff. Like her predecessors, she strives to naturally and sincerely share her stories and touch others, boosted solely by her life experience and her dreams.