Home > Honolulu Music > CD Review > Ayo, "Joyful"

Backstory: Born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a gypsy mother, this nomadic songstress (she’s lived in Germany, Africa, England and France) has racked up multi-platinum sales all across Europe with her debut album “Joyful.” Now she’s bringing her infectious, folk-tinged world music across the Atlantic on Interscope Records.

Why you should care: Effortlessly blending Parisian bistro vibes (“How Many Times”), Flamenco guitars (“Without You”) and gospel-inspired anthems (“Neva Been”), Ayo manages to carve out a neo-nostalgic niche that is all her own. And with a live concert special soon to air on PBS, Ayo could be attracting plenty of attention from the Josh Groban/Norah Jones crowd Stateside.

Verdict: “Joyful” was produced by Jay Newland, who co-produced some of Norah Jones’ biggest hits, so comparisons are inevitable. But where Jones is breathlessly seductive, Ayo’s vocals exude an almost childlike innocence that is artfully elevated by “Joyful’s” raw and immediate production values (the album was recorded in just five days).

X-Factor: Ayo’s middle name—Olasunmibo—translates from the Yoruba language to mean “she who is born elsewhere, but who will come back full of prosperity.”

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