OUMAR THIAM ALIAS KINSY RAY

Instilled with profound humanity, Kinsy RAY's music imposes itself as a true reference. He is from Sierra Leone, and his family home was located right in the middle ofthe road, so as a three year old child, he sees drum players, percussionists and traditionally masked dancers before his eyes and ears on a regular basis, and is immediately and irresistibly drawn to them .

The loss of his parents at the early age of 5, pushes him to find refuge in the pleasure of singing and playing percussion, at first to entertain his family circle starting with his siblings.

He gradually gets hooked and reveals an outstanding talent.

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At 17, he experiments with many different African bands, the first of which being the Kaloum Star band from the Republic of Guinea. He sings with several other local bands on the Ivory Coast, as well as with the ORTI (Ivorian TV band). He finally ends up being hired on a permanent basis in a club for the Cabane Bambou band.

With a wealth of musical culture and its African roots and colors, decides to leave for Europe and chooses France. Kinsy RAY starts out with a ten year experience of Gospel singing and at the same time, tests the French audience by performing his own compositions in the Parisian metro.

The result is loud and clear : despite his English-speaking culture, the Parisians unreservedly acclaims the artist, Kinsy RAY, and that is in all social spectrum.

The passers by welcome and receive his music as universal, and as a peaceful haven among the city's bustle. Listening to it is a privileged moment to them.

He is then spotted by Dreyfus Jazz and signs with the late Warner boss, Yan-Philippe Blanc. The accidental death of the latter prematurely put an end to the release of his first album, which was produced by Handel Tucker (Fugees) and actually included a duet with Youssou N'Dour.

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It was at that time that director Jean Lamoot (Bashung, Nneka, Salif Keita, Pauline Croze, etc... ) and guitarist Jean-Louis Solans (Bashung, Girls in Hawaii , etc...) led him in the studio to record a first two track which introduced the notable Man in The Street it was released in 2010 by AKA music. This musical experience, enriching but a bit far away from Kinsy Ray’s real profound motivations, foreshadows his first pindependant opus Kerosene » in which he delivers for us his true vision of his own art.

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Kinsy RAY is an artist and a man who does not give up and pursues his path with great faith.

 

Stay tuned...for you have not heard the last of him.

After a break, he will return to the center of the stage. Kinsy sings with all his soul his favourite themes which are love, peace and brotherhood.

As said previously : Stay tuned...🎧 

 

HERE ARE SOME OF HIS INFLUENCES :

Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman,

Ben Harper...