Sam & Ruby meet the press and elaborate on how they formed their musical partnership

“Close your eyes and listen intently to the pureness and color blindness of Sam & Ruby’s inspirational debut…” – Essence.com

During their recent Associated Press interview, Sam & Ruby elaborated on how their fated first meeting and how they decided to embark on their one-of-a-kind musical partnership. Check it out below!

Associated Press Interview Feature: Sam & Ruby Unlikely Pairing A Match Made in Music
by John Gerome (AP Entertainment Writer)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ruby Amanfu and Sam Brooker get a funny look sometimes when they step on stage.

She’s a black woman from Ghana, West Africa. He’s a white guy from Green Bay, Wis. People aren’t sure what to expect.

“We’ve played in towns where we get on stage and people have their arms crossed,” Amanfu recalled with a laugh, “God forbid we have our fiddle player and classical cellist with us.

“Then they hear what we’re doing, and they get it,” she said.

The “it” is a blend of pop, folk and R&B on their first full-length CD that came out Tuesday, “Sam & Ruby: The Here and the Now.” The music is acoustic-based and comfortable alongside artists like India.Arie and Norah Jones…..

Read Sam and Ruby’s full Associated Press interview feature right here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MUSIC_SAM__RUBY?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Also, Ruby sat down Essence.com’s Kenya Byrd one-on-one and discussed her eclectic musical background and the unique musical connection she shares with Sam. Get the scoop below!

Essence Interview Feature: Sam & Ruby Are Musically Color Blind
by Kenya N. Byrd

Close your eyes and listen intently to the pureness and color blindness of Sam & Ruby’s inspirational debut, “The Here and The Now.” Although rich and vivid, the album serves Ghanian folk-n-soulstress’ Ruby Amanfu as its ethereal and spiritual offering.

As one half of Sam & Ruby, an interracial, dynamic tandem that has been making sweet music together for a decade, Ruby’s African and southern roots have made for quite the musical gumbo…..

View Ruby Amanfu’s full Essence.com interview feature & photo gallery right here: http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/entertainment/articles/sam__ruby_make_color__blind_music_together

(AP Photo/Ed Rode)


Sam & Ruby
Rykodisc Records
‘The Here and the Now’ - Available Everywhere!
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/samandruby


*Copies of ‘The Here and the Now’ are available from Amazon.com or iTunes!

*Listen to Sam & Ruby on NPR’s “Indie Hour”: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=3&islist=true&id=46&d=08-13-2009

Some Interesting Tid-Bits About Sam & Ruby

Their album was engineered by Robbie Adams (U2 - Achtung Baby & Zooropa)

Their song “Heaven’s My Home” was nominated for a Grammy in 2007

Ruby sang a duet with Patti LaBelle at ’08 Essence Music Festival, Louisiana Superdome

Featured Artists for the Revlon Run/Walk for Women with Chaka Kahn and Mandy Moore; Times Square

Secured song placement for their version of “Heaven’s My Home” in the film “The Secret Life of Bees” (starring Dakota Fanning & Queen Latifah)

Ruby was previously signed to Polydor U.K. and had a Top 5 Hit in Europe and MTV rotation in Europe and Australia.

Sam previously had a deal at RCA and was one of the most downloaded artists during that time.