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Douyé

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Douyé
Performance by Douyé at Vibrato Jazz Grill, February. 27, 2018
Background information
Birth nameDouyé Doubara Bella Youduba
Born (1969-01-04) 4 January 1969 (age 55)
Lagos, Nigeria
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
InstrumentVocals
Years active1983–present
LabelsRhombus Records, Betsy Blue Music/Groove Note
Websitedouyemusic.com

Douyé (pronounced Doe-Yay, born 04 January 1969) is a Lagos, Nigerian born jazz vocalist who now lives in Los Angeles, California. She has released five albums; the first two recordings were R&B, but she made the change to jazz for her third album to honor her dying father's request to her when she was a child, which was to sing jazz. The fourth album is jazz interpretation of bossa nova and samba music.

Early life

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Douyé was born on January 4, 1969 at Island Maternity Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.[citation needed] Her father was Landy Youduba and her mother was Diepreye (née Isenah) Youduba.[1][unreliable source?]

As a child growing up in Lagos, Douyé was interested in the American music of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.[2] She started writing poems, and eventually songs that she started singing at the age of five.[3] Encouraged by her father, Douyé joined a local church choir.[4][5] Douyé attended Lagos’ Methodist Primary School and graduated from Government College, a secondary school, in 1988.

After her stay in London, she moved to Los Angeles to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as a vocal major and there she became interested in recording R&B music.[6] She studied Social Work and earned her Bachelor's degree from California State University, Los Angeles in 1999. In 2001, she earned her Master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach in Social Work. In 2023, she earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from California Southern University.[citation needed]

Career

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Early career

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After attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Douyé trained and had private lessons for many years with Howlett Smith, a jazz pianist, Composer, educator, and vocal coach until his passing in 2019.[7][unreliable source?]

At the Musicians Institute, Douyé met songwriter Terry Shaddick, who wrote Olivia Newton-John’s multi-platinum hit, "Physical." Shaddick and Douyé collaborated on songs that became her debut album, Journey, in 2007.[8]

So Much Love was her second R&B album, and featured elements of jazz and reggae.[9] All of the songs were co-written, once again, by Douyé and Shaddick, with fellow Nigerian Dapo Torimiro contributing on a number of cuts. Guitarist/producer Chris Sholar and jazz keyboardist/producer Philippe Saisse also made appearances on the album.[3] The lead track was dedicated to Nigeria’s well-known musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.[10] So Much Love was mixed by Ray Bardani and mastered by Bernie Grundman.[11] A song from that album, "Life Is Good," produced by Torimiro, climbed to No. 9 on the UK soul chart.[citation needed]

Daddy Said So and Quatro

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After the two R&B albums, Douyé released Daddy Said So, a jazz album. Her father had insisted she try the genre in her career, a request he made to her when she was 11 and he was on his death bed. As a result, she began performing in jazz jams at the World Stage in Los Angeles, before recording the album.[12][13]

"Douyé's first jazz record is substantial," reviewed All About Jazz.[14] The album remained on the JazzWeek Airplay chart for 26 weeks.[15]

On 5 April 2019, Douyé released Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe) an album of Brazilian and African jazz interpretations of '50s and '60s bossa nova and samba music. The styling expansion was the result of a visit Douyé took to Bahia, Brazil, where she was influenced by the African people and customs of the Brazilian people of Bahia. Quatro was voted as one of the best New Releases in the JazzTimes 2019 Reader's Poll.[16] The album placed at number 18 on The Roots Music Report's Top Jazz Album Chart for the year 2019.[17]

2023 to present

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Douyé released her fifth studio album, The Golden Sèkèrè, in July 2023. George Harris of Jazz Weekly Magazine said "Douye’ does an excellent job bridging the gap between jazz and African sounds on this album of standards, presented through the lens of Africa’s horn."[citation needed]

Discography

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  • Journey (2008)
  • So Much Love (2014)
  • Daddy Said So (2017)
  • Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe) (2019)
  • The Golden Sèkèrè (2023)

References

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  1. ^ "Douyé: The Golden Sèkèrè album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  2. ^ Worsley, Jim (21 June 2019). "Douye: At Last, A Sophisticated Lady". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Brown, Ann (31 July 2014). "Q & A: Nigerian Singer Douye' Enjoys American Success, Second Time Around". moguldom.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Douye". thejazznu.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ Kurniawan, Riandy (31 August 2010). "Douye – Journey". Jazzuality. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. ^ Nelson-Strauss, Brenda. "Women of the World: Douyé". blackgrooves.org. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Final Note: Howlett 'Smitty' Smith | 47 Blog | AFM Local 47". 24 February 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  8. ^ Matthews, Philippe (January 2014). "Music Review: Douye". The Philippe Matthews Show. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ Demps, Phinesse (14 February 2014). "Indie Soul: Soulful music winter review". Baltimore Times. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Ladybrille Music: Douye Releases 'So Much Love', A Tribute to Fela Kuti". Lady Brille Magazine. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Douye So Much Love". allmusic.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  12. ^ Gilbert, Andrew (30 August 2017). "Family Ties Shape New Albums by Douyé, and The Sons of the Soul Revivers". KQED. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Watch New Video! Nigerian Vocalist Douyé Releases New Album "Daddy Said So" on July 7th, 2017". The Urban Music Scene. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  14. ^ Worsley, Jim (2 March 2018). "Douye': Daddy Said So". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Douye – Daddy Said So". JazzWeek. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  16. ^ "2019 Readers' Poll Results". Jazztimes. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. ^ "The Roots Music Report's Top Jazz Album Chart for the Year of 2019". Roots Music Report. January 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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