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Dancehall artist Graff y covers Justin Bieber’s ‘Anyone’ in video Liz Fay Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Haitian musician Grafael Bruny, currently of Douglas, has come a long way in his music career since moving to the Northborough in 2015 from his hometown of Port au Prince. Best known as Graff y, this multifaceted dancehall artist speaks three languages — French, Creole and English — in which he writes and sings lyrics. He owns his own independent label, Brothers B Music, and is also a vocal coach for local artists who are passionate and committed to their craft. “Since I was 7 years old I’ve been involved in music, fi rst by singing in churches. A couple years ago I transitioned and started making Caribbean and dancehall music, which is something I really like doing. I also play a couple instruments, I play bass and I play guitar but I mostly identify as a singer which is what I do full-time.” The now 27-year-old musician says he’s seen a lot of success and growth since stepping out of his comfort zone as a gospel singer and going on tour in Haiti in 2019. “Something inside of me was burning and I had to bring that music into the world so I could reach out to more people. I make a lot of music that talks about what we’re dealing with in society, make some adult music with sexual lyrics, and cover. I have a song called ‘Jackie Chan,’ which I wrote the lyrics for in French and Creole but the hook is in English, and it’s one of my
Graffy’s most recent music video is a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Anyone.” PHOTO COURTESY CAMY BRUNY
more sexual songs.” Another of Graff y’s successes is his song “Ou Vo Plis,” which translates to “You Deserve Better.” The song was created with popular Haitian singer Olivier Duret. “We actually did a tour in Haiti where we went to all the radio stations and television
stations, and it was amazing to see all the people recognizing us and being able to play music for them,” Graff y says. In April, Graff y discovered the song “Anyone” by Justin Bieber at 4 a.m. The lyrics in Bieber’s love song put Graff y under such a spell, he decided to
make his own cover of the song, which will be released on May 17. “I liked the hook in the song which says ‘you are the only one I will ever love … if it’s not you it’s not anyone … looking back on my life you’re the only good I’ve ever done,’ and the second
verse is also my favorite, ‘forever’s not enough time to love you the way that I want.’ I thought it was a beautiful piece and I wanted to put my own fl avor into the song.” Graff y’s brother Camy Bruny is credited as videographer and writer for the music video. Graffy plays the main character in the music video, which showcases a chilling story about how far someone will go in order to keep someone they love. “The storyline of the video is about how a guy is in love with his girlfriend, and suddenly his girlfriend is taken away by a car accident and dies. After this happened, the memory of her keeps getting in the way of the man living his life as he normally would. So he is faced with a life-altering choice that could bring him and his girlfriend back together.” Camy Bruny says, “The idea came about based on our background in Haiti, where supernatural forces and superstitions are part of our culture.” Graff y’s cover and music video for “Anyone” will be released on May 17 and can be found on all streaming platforms as Graff y Acoustics or on his YouTube channel, “Brothers B Music.” Graff y says, “I was inspired by love, by how things should feel when you’re in a relationship with somebody you love so much. The titles and anything else that comes along with a relationship doesn’t matter. It’s about honesty, it’s about love, it’s about commitments … these forces are what inspired me to create this project.”
