她的音樂簡單自然，她的聲音乾凈質樸，就像帶著一把吉他浪跡天涯的吉普賽女郎，散發神秘的迷人氣質。聲音表情似乎無需太多樂器潤飾，就能傳遞一場感動人心的真誠演出，為歌曲注入更多生命力，雖然有著不起眼的外型，但是帶著憂鬱氣質的Ayo，在90年代美國本土燒起一波Neo-Soul風潮下，添入鎖定眾人目光的外籍兵團，體會來自德國的暖色系音頻，調融Folk、Jazz、Soul、Reggae等聲韻，捕捉歐式浪漫，為男女情愛世界找尋可以暫時休憩的溫柔空間?！? 現居法國的德國籍創作女歌手Ayo，原名為Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin，父親是到德國唸書的奈及利亞人，母親則是成長於吉普賽群體的羅馬尼亞人，因為家庭環境影響，Ayo從小不但沉浸在父親蒐藏的唱片堆中，更嚮往波希米亞人那種游牧的生活方式，四處為家，居無定所。當她六歲時母親染上毒癮，自此不得不跟隨父親同住，也開始學習樂器演奏，從小提琴到鋼琴再至吉他，深愛音樂的Ayo，希望能多接觸各項樂器，更嚐試從中創作屬於自己的主題曲。隨著歲數增長，她決定離開家鄉，藉著旅游吸收各國音樂文化，從英國至美國再到巴黎，每一次的停留都讓Ayo獲益良多，也成為歌曲中的點滴記印?！? Folk-soul chanteuse Ayo emerged as one of Europe's biggest new pop stars of 2006 with her breakthrough debut LP, Joyful. Born to a Nigerian father and gypsy mother in Cologne, West Germany, on September 14, 1980, as a child Ayo absorbed the musical traditions of her parentage as well as influences including American soul, reggae, and Afrobeat, all staples of her father's extensive record collection. Ayo first studied violin before moving to piano and guitar. At 21 she relocated to London, later dividing her time between Paris and New York City and earning attention while opening for neo-soul kindred spirits including Omar and Cody Chestnutt. After recording a five-song demo reel, Ayo briefly receded from the live circuit in late 2005 to give birth to her first child. Early the following year she signed to Polydor, and with producer Jay Newland completed Joyful (the English translation of her Yoruba name) in just five days. Buoyed by the lead single "Down on My Knees," the album fell just shy of the German Top Ten.