Moods dictate ... Erykah Badu, Prince, Stevie, Crosby,Stills & Nash, The Meters, Omar, Pete Tosh, Cymande, Rage Against The Machine, The Jackson, Luda, Snoop, Pharcyde, Tribe, Seu Jorges, John Martyn, Aaliyah, Bel Biv Devoe, Outkast, Biggie, Buzu Baju, Buju Banton, Capleton, Sizzla, Judge Dread, Gentleman, Sean Paul, Marley, Simon & Garfunkel, Jamie Lidell, Chaka Khan, Clipse, D'angelo, Bowie, Dwele, Ella, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fink, Muddy Waters, Minnie Ripperton, Mahalia, The Doors, Raphael Saadiq, O-Jays, Gil Scott Heron, Shuggie Otis, Sly and the Fam, Robyn, SOS Band, Parliament, Dilla, Black Milk, Stone's Throw, Lou Rawls, Eric Clapton, Mahalia, Sam Cooke, Roy Ayers, Charlie Patton, Sinatra, LCD Soundsystem, Gregory Isaacs, Bilal, Chet Baker, Donnie Hathaway, Aretha Franklin ... goes and goes.
Sounds Like
TODDLA T ON AYAH: 'ive asked ayah to marry me a couple of times, i got refused... aldoh it aint purely based on her buffness.. her talent is incredible, n i cant wait for the album!'
PAUL EPWORTH ON AYAH: 'She has a sultry smokey quality to her voice which is different to any I've heard.'
THE MAG (New Music Uncovered): 'My Spy' is an upfront dominant female explosion of wickedness. The crunchy electric guitars turn this song from pop to a rocky anthem of underground turmoil with a hint of exotic spice.
I LIKE POP MUSIC: 'Ayah Marar has an amazing story to tell, sounds exotic, looks fantastic and 2009 is the year her solo sounds get unleashed.
You may recognise her as the voice behind Fabio and Grooverider's Radio 1 D'n'B show, maybe from recent Jack Penate singles including Tonight's Today, in fact since the day she stepped foot on our fair shores, Ayah literally hasn't stopped making music.'
ALTSOUNDS: 'Upfront raunchy summer goodness with a glint in it’s eye - it’s no good looking the other way, crank it up to ten and let the good times roll… '
WHATS ON IN LONDON: 'Whether you know it or not, your ears have most likely already been graced by the unique voice of Ayah Marar. Born in Jordan and moving to London when she was 18, Ayah recorded her first pop song 'Let me Know' with Calvin Harris in 2004. 'My Spy' is the first single from Ayah and shows off not only the wealth of musical influences that pour into her sound, but the fresh style with which she effortlessly pulls this off.'
TASTY: 'Wow – this track is amazingly good. AT first sight, slinky Jordanian vocal vixen Marar may just seem like your typical record industry marketing department’s wet dream – good looks, great classical sounding voice and a CV which includes the likes of Calvin Harris and Jack Penate as past conspirators. But ‘My Spy’ is more complex than that – part glamorous Bond theme, part oompa loompa and with a definite middle eastern sound to the cronky guitar lines being wrenched out. Impressively diverse and well rounded.'
KNOWLEDGE MAG: 'She has a deep, sexy, husky voice, a gorgeous tone, and sparkling personality. She is one of life's beautiful people. Her voice has an infectious energy and vivacious character, with plenty of feisty attitude, and the rich spice of life.'
MUSICNEWS.COM: 'With much of a hype created around her, Ayah Marar has decided to go solo after working with industry giants Calvin Harris, Jack Penate and others and now has a single release from her debut album. My Spy is a catchy yet musically rich R n B tune with a range of influences, including her native Middle Eastern sound. The song flows from start to finish seamlessly and her tuneful, melodic voice carries you along with a feeling of animation. She clearly draws inspiration from her predecessors in the music industry but adds her own unique twist to create a fresh sound.'
How are you doing? Its been a little while now. Loving the new track, especially the intro. Are you playing Tabarnak with Ed and crew on the 18th? Thats going to be a great jam!
hey, u sed u wanted to integrate more about palestine into your music, so you should go to audio intifada at goldsmiths student union on oct 2nd. its £6 entry and lowkey, riz mc, speakers corner quartet and kalakuta are on (i havnt heard of kalakuta before but i can vouch for the others)
hey hey lovely lady...cant make tonight in barcelona ha ha but will be back for ramis drinks prob so shout me!! if not will be around next week at somepoint... xxxx
Hey cheers for the friendship, check my page if you're interested in recording, mixing or mastering - top mics, great rooms, low rates. Keep up the good work :)
