The lights are low, the heat is on and the glasses are clinking on this Friday night at The Victoria Theater Restaurant, located on the fifth floor of the Renaissance Harlem Hotel on 125th Street.
Gloria Ry’ann, who goes by the stage name GLRYA, weaves around swaying tables and shimmying patrons with a microphone in hand. She sings classic R&B, hip-hop, reggae, and house tunes with a smooth yet soft voice.
“The Victoria is so interesting because it’s right next to the Apollo,” said GLRYA, 46. “It’s also in the Renaissance Hotel, so you get so many different walks of life and people.”
Some of the visitors who attend GLRYA’s Friday night performances are regulars or locals. Others are coming from shows at the Apollo Theater, well-known for its Amateur Night Talent Contest, or are hotel guests.
They sit in tables and booths on the first and second floors of the restaurant, or at the bar, and nod along to the music. Later in the night, some stand and dance along.
”They get a real New York experience,” she said.
A tune that carries across cities
GLRYA began singing as a child, starting with school talent shows and family reunions.
“My mom had a vast record collection,” she said. “I used to listen to her records and I would mimic the songs and see who’s doing backgrounds and learn all the parts on the album. “
She draws inspiration not just from her favorite singers—Chaka Khan, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder—but also from the people in her life. She remembers growing up and watching her Aunt Deborah do lip-syncing competitions in Houston, where GLRYA was born. Her aunt was all about crowdwork.
It’s a practice that GLRYA emulates during her performances now.
“Anytime that you see me performing and I’m going and talking to the crowd, she’s my alter ego,” said GLRYA. “ She taught me how to perform.”
Although GLRYA has a home in NYC now, Houston holds a special place in her heart. It’s where she was born and where her father’s family is from—though she was raised in Chicago, her mother’s family’s home.
But she says she “really became an adult in New York,” which is where she moved in her 20s.
“I moved to New York and I started going to open mics and just singing and showing up and meeting people,” she said.
Over the years, she says she has sung background vocals and worked with a range of artists, including Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Deborah Cox and Freddie Jackson.
GLRYA has touched national and international stages throughout her career, covering popular tunes and showcasing her own original songs, like “FREE” and “CHANEL DOWN.” She currently performs across NYC, with residencies at The Seville—on Madison Avenue and East 29th Street—on Thursdays and The Victoria on Fridays.
A family affair
“GLRYA is probably one of the most versatile singers that I know that sounds like herself,” said Rakiem Walker, saxophonist, music director and producer. “She’s authentically herself, so I’m very impressed with her ability to take her voice and put the pressure on herself to master each moment while she’s performing.
Walker leads the Rakiem Walker Project (RWP)—the band that performs with GLRYA. He’s also her husband.
“We’ve been married since 2018 and been together for 13 years,” said GLRYA.
She says they met during a gig together and are still working together years later—performing in shows across the country and internationally, and writing music for television. It’s truly a family affair.
“I love working with him,” she added. “We literally work together, live together, sleep together, eat together. We keep it fun and we also give each other space.”
They function like puzzle pieces during their sets, understanding cues without having to communicate to create a seamless show. Walker describes it as “a neurological intuitive connection” that feels “telepathic.”
GLRYA says she and Walker are currently establishing a new home and community in Farmville, NC. The family drives seven hours back and forth between Farmville and NYC each week for their shows.
“I’m going to the next gig, or next performance, or interview, or fitting or photo shoot,” said GLRYA, explaining the hustle culture of living and working in NYC. “This is the place to get all of that done, but I’ve learned and found a different peace in North Carolina.”
Amidst the constant travel, GLRYA says that she will be releasing new music soon. She added that in the summer of 2026, she and the RWP will be touring internationally in Europe.
For more information, see @officialglrya and @therakiemwalkerproject on Instagram.
