Farayi Malek
Responsible Agent: Lee Olsen & Andrew Bestick
Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
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With her warm, soulful voice, Farayi Malek has captivated audiences around the globe as a Grammy-nominated vocalist with Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers. Now, she’s returning to her musical roots, embarking on a new chapter of her journey.
The child of a Zimbabwean immigrant and a white American mother, Farayi grew up in a small, rural town in Southern Idaho, playing the fiddle and absorbing the culture of seemingly conflicting communities. Her goal is to bring all of the diverse sounds and experiences of her life into her music: the Gospel of the church she grew up in, the American folk music and hymns of her childhood, and the blues and jazz she studied, all woven into pure, resonant songs that allow her effortless vocals to shine.
Now a Salt Lick Incubator award-winner, Farayi is stepping out as a solo artist on her much anticipated debut recording project produced by Alain Mallet [Phil Woods, Paul Simon, Paquito D'Rivera, Marc Johnson, and Madeleine Peyroux.] Her writing showcases very accessible themes with a unique compositional intelligence, demonstrated in songs like “Tonight”.
When she is not performing and recording, Farayi shares her vast musical knowledge as a professor at various esteemed institutions including Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. In an interview with The Boston Globe, Farayi says, “Seeing my students be so brave and confident, so artistic and free…they’re the ones who actually inspired me to pursue my artistic career.”
Whether she is engaging with her audience through performance or education, Farayi is driven by the desire to make people feel seen and at home in their otherness.
She will be releasing her debut EP March 27th, 2025.
“The Idaho born Malek grew up loving bluegrass, American folk and gospel, with influences from her Zimbabwean father. Now a Grammy nominated vocalist, writer and instructor, she has been called by former President of Berklee and founder of the Salt Lick Incubator Roger Brown as a “once in a generation voice.”