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Braye is a diamond in the rough. Just like diamonds, the truest artists are born under the kind of pressure that could make or break the toughest among us. The Nigerian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, hailing from Port Harcourt, is a beacon that inherent talent can never be denied. “Even with constant moving around, sleeping in a friend’s car some nights, and my dad not being too happy about my decision to pursue music… I just found a way,” he explains. “I feel like I’m meant to make music. I just wanted it too much to not take it seriously.” His journey fuels his art, therein lies Braye’s strength: a determination to live and create on his own terms.
A refreshing new voice emerging out of the continent, Braye has taken it upon himself to make the type of reggae, soul and jazz-infused music that raised him and imbue them with the sounds of his native Nigeria and Accra, Ghana where he went to school. Listening to greats like Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, developed his taste for nostalgic composition and expression. While a background in fiction writing informed his vulnerable yet assured songwriting. A child of the internet, Braye used YouTube to teach himself guitar and piano and commune with producers.
“I spent a lot of time alone just listening to many different kinds of music, learning everything I could. I didn’t record or make any videos until I was confident to see myself for the musician that I am.” And when he felt like he was finally ready to let the world in, Braye shared snippets of his work on Instagram. For alté star Boj, one video was all the evidence he needed. The wheels started turning quickly after that and the generational talent found himself in the heart of Nigeria’s music industry developing a fresh new sound, gaining attention for his pen and spellbinding solo work.
Whether it’s a hum, the strum of his guitar or his endless repertoire of lyrics, music flows from Braye. “This is everything that I want to do, this is what my life is tailored towards, just creating stuff that people can hold on to, that people can experience.” After years spent honing his craft, Braye is ready to harness the opportunities abounding in his path and release his full potential.
