artist NaRai

It wasn't until the age of 15 when NaRai (who was born in Seoul, Korea, and adopted at 9 months by Canadian parents), learned that her name was a Korean expression meaning "to sing". By this time, she had long since been writing, recording, dancing and performing her own music. Her R&B group was already busy making a name around Vancouver for being hard-working, and was drawing attention from some major contributors on the production and choreography side. And they would subsequently garner serious interest from certain industry heavy hitters.

"Being in a group taught me a lot" says NaRai. Still, she was not being creatively fulfilled, and soon decided to branch out on her own. Part of defining her own sound was jumping head-first into production and composition. Her classical training in piano, combined with her natural affinity for music and a stint at Columbia Academy (for recording and engineering), made this a natural progression; so she began building her own songs from the ground up, very carefully creating the unique sound she has developed today. This sound can not be placed in a one-dimensional box; it contains Soul, Hip Hop, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, and anything else worth mentioning, thanks to her clear vision and the help of some talented local beatmakers.

Her debut album, "Color On Your Canvas" is due out Summer 2008, and promises to be a leap back into the sincerity and emotional simplicity of Motown's golden era (its heaviest of many influences), yet a giant step forward into uncharted musical territory. She will tackle subject matter that other artists wouldn't get close to, but her incomparable vocal range and head-nodding tracks make it seem accessible for the most conservative listener. Most importantly, the album will speak for itself.

Despite the amount of effort and dedication it has taken her to get to where she is now, NaRai knows she has only seen the tip of the iceberg - she faces her bright future with confidence and optimism, knowing that only more hard work will get her to where she belongs. That... and a whole lot of soul.