Ayo/ Ben Harper (Jazz a Juan 2025)

_Singer, composer and performer, AYỌ is a rare artist whose smooth, powerful voice transports the listener from the very first notes. Born to a Nigerian father and a German mother, she draws on her roots in soul, folk and reggae to create a unique and vibrant sound. Revealed in 2006 with her album Joyful (over a million copies sold), AYỌ has established herself as a key figure on the music scene. Her raw talent and sincerity touch the hearts of an ever-widening audience. Since then, AYỌ has enjoyed a string of successes, with albums such as Gravity at Last (2008), Billie-Eve (2011), Ticket to the World (2013) and Royal (2020). Each of her albums is an invitation to an intense musical journey, where emotions mingle with spellbinding melodies.

An accomplished artist and insatiable traveller, AYỌ unveils her seventh album, Mami Wata, inspired by her move to Tahiti. A powerful, introspective album, it marks a new chapter in the artist’s career.

_Ben Harper, born in 1969, is a versatile songwriter, steering his way between pop, reggae, soul, blues and rock. He has recorded 18 albums studio and sold over 16 million records, winning three Grammy Awards. He has worked with many artists, including Harry Styles, Keith Richards and Pearl Jam, and written for the likes of Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal. Socially committed, in 2023 he was nominated for a Grammy Special Merit Award. His latest album, Wide Open Light (2023), includes a duet with Jack Johnson. It followed up the album « Bloodline Maintenance », nominated for the Grammy Awards for its political and personal revelations, fearlessness and soulfulness.