She paints… words, melodies and music into an art that has been well received by her listeners in five continents. Her professional career began in 1999 after a brief stint at Berklee College of Music in Boston. It began a bit earlier than that, however, in mind and in action, when she decided that school nights (after completing her studies, of course!) were better served in the studio making music. Amanfu writes a song like she cooks a meal- without a cookbook. It is this sense of reckless abandon that has sharpened her taste, and makes her music refreshingly imaginative and undoubtedly bold.
She began her life in Ghana, West Africa, and moved to America with her family at the age of 3. Her earliest memories were of singing on the coffee table in Nashville, Tennessee, while her parents and their friends looked on with a knowing of what her future would hold for her. If it wasn’t on the coffee table, it was in taking whatever harmony was available on long drives with her musical family of five.
Amanfu has had a blessed career. She has seen her songs cut by acts in Europe and in America, and she knows what it feels like to have a song up for a Grammy nomination (“Heaven’s My Home”, performed by the Canadian band, The Duhks; cowritten with Amanfu’s dear friend, Katie Herzig). In her own rite, she’s had some fun, too. While on Polydor UK she had a top 5 charted single titled “Sugah”, and a music video full of sweet treats on MTV Europe. She finds herself these days being one half of the commercially-rising duo, Sam & Ruby, with a self-titled EP out and an LP ready for a summer release.
“I’m still surprised every time a song finds it’s way into my lap, “ she says. “Writing a song is funny; it’s like this big gift I get to have, but just for a little while. Then I give it away. Watching it ‘do it’s thing’,” she laughs, while curling her fingers into quotation marks, “is the best part. It’s the absolute best part.”
There are some things in this life which we discover… and then there are some things, like Amanfu’s music, that discover us.
Sweet Ruby your music gives me chills.... just beautiful. Wanted to tell you that. Missed you and Sam last time you were in LA. Hope I get to see you soon. God bless and God speed, - Adjoa
you guys are wonderful!!!! i could not imagine it like that! wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love your music and i will tell people about you and support your music! beautiful voices!!!!!!!!!!! wow!!! be blessed!
If you're around, my band is playing a show for Lightning 100 on Sunday, October 5th. It's going to be a live radio broadcast, so, we'd like to have as many people there as possible. If you're free, I'd love to see you there, but if you're not, catch us on the radio. We'll play from 8-8:40.
as soon as he realizes I am alive. He's on tour with Kenny Chesney right now, so he's a bit busy. lol. It's ok. No one who isn't into country music knows who he is.
My roommate and I just formed a new band together and our first show is this Monday, the 14th at 3rd and Lindsley. I'd love it if you could come out and see it. I'm really proud of it and would love to get your thoughts! Hope to see you there.
Happy 4th of July Miss Ruby! Sending you lots of Love, joy & sparkler fun this weekend! Will you be at Ten out of Tenn?! Hope so--I'll look for you there! :)
