Artist Spotlight: Rafiya

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Today we have an artist, that hails from Philadelphia, via the world.  Her name is Rafiya, and she brings aspects to Soul music that is very welcome.  Having lived in places such as Barbados, Congo, Benin, Cape Verde Islands, Senegal, Guinea and the Ivory Coast, she has embodied many of the sounds, vibes and rhythms of these places.  Also she has worked with those local artists and gained a vast knowledge from their collaborations. Some of the more notable artists are Youssou N’Dour and Oscar Kidjo.  To compliment these aspects, she also sings in English and French.  That’s a talent in itself that warrants a closer listen.

As an Afro-Soul singer, she has a very crisp, subtle and warm voice.  The crispness in her voice, I think, comes from her being able to perform in French and English.  That talent lends itself to a focus that is hard to learn in any situation.  In her new single “Amazing”, you will hear voice showcased, by instruments that do a great justice to her.  They allow her to be heard and the true emotion of the song brought forward.

Today she is releasing her single “Amazing”, which will be followed  by her “Amazing” EP on November 17th.  The creation of the EP was journey around the world.  She recorded in Paris, New York, Philadelphia and Maputo, Mozambique.  It has taken two years of to complete the EP.  You can expect it to have influences from each city, to make her EP a truly world experience in Soul.

Below we have a sample of Rifya’s new single “Amazing”.  Also there’s her video of the song “Je Me Cherche”.  Enjoy.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqDjEMpL3CI