Ayo
Ticket To the World
(Motown France)

Singer-songwriter Ayo brings her fourth project to the masses with Ticket To the World, where she captures the energy and heart of a true acoustic-soul artist.

Once again working with Jay Newland, who produced her first two albums, Ayo penned songs about world matters as well as everyday issues such as people who “whine, whine anytime of the day” (“Complain”) to living life simply with just her guitar (“Hullabaloo”), and a song she wrote in New York about the riots in London (“Fire”), which is also the first single from the album. The talented guitarist also performs a duet with singer- songwriter Citizen Cope on “Justice,” a country-folk ditty with a blues-like quality.

However, a surprisingly sweet cover comes in the form of “I Wonder” by newly re-discovered artist Sixto Rodriguez. Sixto’s story was documented in the 2012 film Searching for Sugar Man, about the folk musician that seemingly failed as an artist in the U.S. in the ’70s, but become a huge hit in South Africa years later. The documentary was a fan favorite at film festivals like Sundance and Tribeca. Simply put, Ticket to the World is as powerful as it is beautiful.

Ayo was born Joy Ogunmakin to a Nigerian father and Romani mother. “Ayo” is the Yoruba translation of “Joy.”