Doug DeFalco Presents: AyoINMotion, Los Crema Paraiso, Super Yamba Band @ Black Bear Bar

Growing up during military tyranny in Nigeria left AYo feeling powerless, unable to improve the plight of his people. Similar feelings ensued when he arrived in the depressed economic climate of Flint, Michigan, a city with resilient character but still reeling in the aftershocks of General Motor's abandonment and violence. In both places, however, he found strength in words that would ultimately radiate through his music. Discovering a deep love for hip hop during a brief stay in Japan, he returned to the U.S. and enrolled at the University of Michigan (U of M) at the age of sixteen. Musically, it's been onward since then.

The passion and energy embedded in AYo's lyrical content and performance presence commands attention and has captivated the eyes and ears of both the hip-hop and spoken-word poetry communities. He recently opened for Talib Kweli at the J.Dilla tribute, alongside Phony People, Soul Khan and other notable acts. He has served on a panel with the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Byron Hurt, interviewed Russell Simmons for MTV and went on a successful European tour last year. AYo also recently graced the legendary Apollo theater stage, featured at SXSW (he opened for Gyptian) and has performed/headlined at foremost world venues such as: BAM, Wesbter Hall, SOBS, The Shrine, Hamburg Molotow and numerous University campuses (Stanford, University of Michigan, NYU and more). His latest international performance at the WIGFEST Music Festival in the UK was very well received.

Primarily a NYC-based hiphop artist, AYo plays with his own live band, which blends influences of Afro-Beat from his Nigerian roots with jazz, soul and other musical influences that have likened comparisons to Kanye West, Common and Fela Kuti to name a few. It's important to mention that AYo sounds authentically unique and his Spoken Word Poetry catalog, affords him the ability to alternate between an energetic live performance and laid back acoustic rhythms. His live show is simply ELECTRIC!


Four years ago, three talented New York based Venezuelan musicians got together to jam in a basement in the East Village. All of them, coming from different musical backgrounds, started playing and instantly fell in love with what was coming out of their instruments.
They started focusing in bringing a new sound to the traditional latin American Waltz as a challenge but they couldn't avoid their Rock, Jazz, funk and pop backgrounds to come out in their music.
Their first album "el debut" was critically acclaimed in their native country as one of the best ever made attempts to bring Venezuelan music out of their paradigms.


Super Yamba Band is a Brooklyn based funk project that plays original music influenced by the psychedelic sounds of African Funk and Soul.