Oct 9, 2009 12:00 am US/Eastern
A Tuneful Twosome
Sam and Ruby relish their shared soul
Lee Zimmerman
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS) ―
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Sam and Ruby share their souls
CBS
To some, Sam and Ruby may seem like an unlikely couple, this all-American boy from Green Bay Wisconsin paired with a worldly young woman from Ghana West Africa. In truth, the two aren't romantically linked – although that's clearly been the perception – but they do share a spiritual symmetry and a common musical mindset.
Born in Africa but raised in Nashville, Ruby Amanfu grew up in a devout Christian home where secular music was totally taboo. Nevertheless, when she was given a copy of Madonna's Like a Prayer album at age ten, she found herself spurred towards writing songs. However it wasn't until a decade or so ago, when she strolled into a Nashville club and caught a young singer/songwriter named Sam Brooker, that she decided to pursue that interest in earnest. "We were friends to begin with," Ruby recalls. "We didn't set out to be a 'band.' Our songs came slowly and naturally. We love that about our music. Nothing was contrived."
Brooker had been making music since high school and after college, achieved significant success in his hometown of Green Bay Wisconsin. Lured to Nashville by the promise of a recording contract, he relocated to New York when the deal didn't pan out. In the interim, Ruby released a solo album and actually managed to scale the British pop charts. As luck would have it, their individual trajectories eventually short-circuited, landing them both back in Nashville around the same time. After reconnecting, the two started sharing stages and opted to form a duo, making their debut at South By Southwest in 2005.
"Our different backgrounds aren't so different really," Ruby insists. "We both connected with styles of music that stirred us... moved our souls. Folk, Soul, R&B and Pop. We pull from the places that we love about music... the good stuff."
Indeed, their recently released debut, aptly titled The Here and Now, brings to mind several classic couples before them – Marvin and Tammi, Johnny and June, Gram and Emmylou – suggesting a synergy and affinity that belies any hint of affectation. Nevertheless, this pair navigates a wide divide, from the seductive soul of "Too Much" and "Ain't Love Something" to the rootsier realms of "The Suitcase Song" and "Need Me Less." While most of the songs dabble in softer hues, the supple arrangements – a hint of violins on "Heaven's My Home," a bit of brass on the aforementioned "Too Much" – vary the shadings and add to the allure. One of its entries --"Heaven's My Home" – even garnered a Grammy nod after being selected for the soundtrack,
The Secret Life of Bees.
"We love the fact that we have each other's back" Ruby maintains. "It's not an easy business, and we've both been through the ropes a couple of times. Now we can lean on each other to get through it." – Lee Zimmerman
Sam and Ruby perform at 7:30 PM on Saturday, October 10 in the Abdo River Room at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Tuckers cost $25. Call 954-462-0222 or go online at www.browardcenter.org.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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