Web Links

Live Gig Dates

Ryan Koriya is a singer-songwriter in his own right and has been based in the UK since 2003 when he began to successfully build an international profile for his rock band Mann Friday. He also then took up the bass guitar so as to complete the band’s rhythm section as well as singing backing vocals. Ryan was instrumental in building a sizeable following that saw the band top unsigned charts and even saw them break box office records at legendary clubs in London like The Barfly. Ryan recalls, “The internet is a powerful ally if you know how to use it and I also believe in making true fans by talking to people face-to-face”.

Fast forward to the present day and Ryan is now enjoying his centre-stage role as the purveyor of his own songs as he builds a following for his self-titled solo project. A velvet voice that delivers songs straight from the heart, influences that include artists like Sting, Coldplay, John Mayer, David Gray, Dave Matthews, Angus and Julia Stone, Radiohead, Bon Iver, Ray LaMontagne, Scott Matthews, Stephen Fretwell, Death Cab For Cutie, Muse and Kings of Leon.

Ryan’s passionate acoustic-driven, strings-laden music has already found a home in many-a-listener's heart so early on in the game which has seen him sell hundreds of copies of his current self-produced limited-edition demo EP that has even led to him playing to overseas fans in Los Angeles. Ryan recorded this EP whilst living in a massive historic abandoned hospital building at the heart of London’s W1, just five minutes walk from Oxford Street as he also busked on the London Underground for a living. The EP’s artwork lays out the story of his adventures in the form of pictures and a personal note outlining the challenges he faced in today’s very hostile arts world.

Ryan is now in the process of recording the follow-up album which is inspired by London and fast-paced big-city life. Having temporarily relocated to his hometown to make his new album, Ryan has been playing live shows alongside some of Zimbabwe's top artists including Oliver Mutukudzi and Dudu Manhenga. He has also recently shared the stage with South Africa's current top-liners The Parlotones at the Victoria Falls New Years Festival.

Ryan has also enjoyed radio play in his home country with legendary mainstream DJ Hilton Mambo and others including DJ AK and Barney Mupawira. He has appeared live on Zimbabwe breakfast TV and has also seen coverage on independent radio in the UK with stations like Bridge FM in the West Midlands. A feature on BBC World Service radio is also soon to air.

Ryan has also busked around London and Birmingham in the UK as he continues to build a following with his riveting voice, both in person and on websites like YouTube. He is normally armed with a head microphone, a small busking amplifier, his fiery-red acoustic guitar and a foot-stomp tambourine. He has even had the occasional passer by who thinks he is lip-synching to a professional recording stop him from singing to investigate further. They are then surprised to discover that what they hear is indeed 100% Ryan Koriya and 100% live.

Following a special invitation from Ambassador Ray himself, Ryan recently played a very successful headline showcase gig at Hoyle Field which is an open-air amphitheatre by the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe’s residence in Harare. The show was also presented as a part of the Daniel Pearl Music Days campaign.

The upcoming album titled 'London's Burning' is expected to be releaseds in 2011 and Ryan plans to base himself in LA upon its release.