With roots in Haitian heritage and formal training in classical, jazz as well as contemporary music, Ray fuses it all into something vibrant, borderless and undeniably her own.
But this isn't just another genre hopping record. Ray’s music is grounded in intention. She draws from Afro Caribbean rhythms, jazz harmonies, gospel phrasing and soul infused vocal layers, all while maintaining a cohesive throughline of clarity.
“Take That,” which is the record’s boldest statement, is a rhythmic liberation where resilience meets modern empowerment.
On “Wild,” late night mysticism in this track hints at Nina Simone and Erykah Badu but flows with Debo’s unique phrasing and phrensy. The vocals are smooth and hypnotic, and the chord progressions dance just left of expectation, giving it a dreamlike energy. Elsewhere, “You Read Me Wrong” bends R&B into unexpected shapes, weaving electric guitar into what could otherwise be a neo-soul framework.
But this isn’t just fusion for the sake of it. It’s sound as storytelling, migration, healing. Debo Ray's voice carries the clarity of someone who has learned to speak many musical languages and now chooses to write in her own dialect.
For listeners of global sounds, and music with roots deeper than the charts, Debo Ray offers something rare. This is a debut that doesn’t dilute influences but elevates them. It’s world music redefined not by geography, but by spirit.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5KbLcBO6AYdoI378CwfA2v
