Maya Azucena is an American singer-songwriter and cultural ambassador from Brooklyn, New York City. She is a multiple Award-winning Singer, Recording Artist and Humanitarian, known for her versatile voice which adapts to multiple genres and sports a soulful 4-octave range. She is also a cultural ambassador with a focus on Women’s & Youth Empowerment and Domestic/Sexual Violence, Azucena has completed 12+ humanitarian tours sponsored by American Embassies and U.S. State Department to countries such as China, Tanzania, Suriname, India, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Turkey. As a full-time touring Artist, she has traveled under her artist name Maya Azucena and with her band to 40+ countries. Musical career Solo work Maya's first release was her 2003 album Maya Who?!. The album was independently released and was followed by American and European tours. CD BABY said of the album, "Deep and soul-bearing, she sings like she's been everywhere and seen it all. This soul/R&B/hip hop album is a fantastic launching point for a young woman with a bright and long career ahead of her." The album featured guest artist Neal Evans of Soulive. Maya Who?! reached number 15 on CMJ's 2003 New Music Report. Her 2007 single, "Make It Happen," combined various styles into a track that peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Club Dance Chart. The track was released on a CD by Kult Records that featured several remixes. Maya's second major release was her 2007 album Junkyard Jewel on Purpose Music Group Records. The album is an all-acoustic performance of vocals, guitar, percussion. The album also featured cello and violin on certain tracks. The song "Set You Free" was used in a Ford Motors Podcast. The song "Down, Down" was used in an episode of HBO's The Wire. The album was nominated for the Best Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year at the SoulTracks Reader's Choice Awards. In 2008, Taste This, a mix CD made by AMORE was released into circulation. The CD featured Rich Medina, Stephen Marley, Buckshot, among others. In 2009, she released a music video for her song "Get It Together", directed by Seth Kushner. The song was inspired by the work of Martin Luther King Jr. Collaborations Maya sang a duet with Stephen Marley on his 2007 record Mind Control. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2008. Maya developed a musical relationship with Croatian singer Gibonni.