Talent Watch: British-Nigerian Musician Nayo

I am always so proud to see young, African talent and this artist, Nayo is definitely a star in the making. I first heard about Nayo back in 2007 and it was while browsing through myspace pages that I accidentally stumbled upon her beautiful voice. I immediately fell in love with her song, African girl and her soothing vocals that reminded me so much of the legendary Sade.

NAYO (pronounced Nigh-O) jumps out from within the Yoruba name of Temitope Odunayo Abidoye, born in Lagos, Nigeria and singing from day one. Her Nigerian culture traveled with her around the world as a girl, while she incorporated its rhythms into the new beats and sounds she found in England, the United States, and the rest of West Africa. At that young age of 10, Nayo began writing songs and found her influences in artists such as Madonna, Seal, Annie Lennox and Carole King. After a childhood on many continents, Nayo relocated to the US to further her education at Pepperdine University in Southern California, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a serious passion and drive to further her musical aspirations. She was quickly performing shows in Los Angeles and New York City to crowds that warmed to her easy stage presence and the calm cool of her music. You can read more of her bio on her myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/nayo.

Nayo released her first eclectic single, Party Fever back in 2005 and it is a very hot album with sexy hits that are perfect for the pre-girl's night out. She also released her debut CD back in March 0f 2008 African Girl, and I was quick to snag my very own copy from Amazon.com after listening to demo tracks over and over again on myspace and I have to say that I was not the least bit dissappointed. My favorite tracks, while difficult to choose, are of course African girl, Fool for you and Harder than Rock. Check out her myspace page for more info.

Enjoy!