The release of 'Down On My Knees', in 2006, revealed the musical gift of Joy Olasumibo Ogunmakin, better known as Ayo. Influenced by Bob Marley as well as by Donny Hathaway, this young artist coming from Nigeria immediately charmed her audience with very personal universe.
Her first album, 'Joyful', sold more than 400.000 copies… quite an amazing feat for these twelve tracks recorded in five days !
The second album, 'Gravity At Last', was recorded in the Compass Point studios in Nassau, Bahamas. Just like its predecessor, it was finalized in five days. Jay Newland co-produced it, with among others Larry Campbell playing guitars and Lucky Peterson on keyboards.
Ayo’s third opus will be named after her first daughter, 'Billie-Eve'. This new release, richer and more complex than its two predecessors, offers collaborations with prestigious guests and prioritizes profoundly moving compositions.
« I absolutely wanted the album to be recorded in New York, and we had to choose between two studios: Avatar or Sear Sound. I finally chose the second one, which is comfortable and full of positive energy. I wanted a small, unite team, in order to get back to the essential. I produced the songs myself, and I chose to collaborate with Gail-Ann Dorsey (who plays the bass for David Bowie), Craig Ross (guitar player for Lenny Kravitz) and Flemming Lauritsen on drums (an old school drummer, who might sound close to the Band of Gypsys). After the recordings in New-York, which lasted five days, just like for my two first albums, I went back to Paris to record four last songs with two of the musicians that accompanied me on tour. Among those songs were « It Hurts » and « Real Love », on which -M- played the guitar.”
This powerful album offers musical tones going from reggae to psychedelic rock, with some touches of blues and deep soul, and is perfectly completed by the moving, personal lyrics, probably the most intense that Ayo has ever written.
« This third CD is more direct, rougher, simpler. There is this rock feeling all along because of the electric guitars; contrary to my two first albums, I played very little acoustic guitar. I know that it is often said that the first disc is the more important, but for me, it would be this one. Billie-Eve opened news doors, I produced it myself and I am very proud of it.
Far from the current trends, from showbiz featuring or from any star attitude, Ayo imposes her very personality as universal artist and as a singer whose sincerity is an evidence from the first to the last track…