Close your eyes and listen intently to the pureness and color blindness of Sam & Ruby's inspirational debut, "The Here and The Now."  Although rich and vivid, the album  serves Ghanian folk-n-soulstress' Ruby Amanfu as its ethereal and spiritual offering.

As one half of Sam & Ruby, an interracial, dynamic tandem that has been making sweet music together for a decade, Ruby's African and southern roots have made for quite the musical gumbo.

Arguably, it's probably the deep understanding of  the south that Ruby and her partner possess which is conveyed through their music including the 2007 Grammy-nominated "Heaven's My Home" which caught the ears of the producers of the soundtrack for the "The Secret Life of Bees." The film follows three sisters struggling to maintain their family and business together as they deal with the social, economic and political ills of the South.

For Ruby, freedom came in the form of music and her parents encouraged her and her siblings to pursue their passions whatever they might be. "My parents were not strict traditional West African parents, " explains Ruby. "I am eternally grateful for the freedom they gave me and my siblings because it encouraged my personal and cultural diversity."

Born in Ghana, West Africa, Ruby was exposed to a potluck of music when her family relocated to Tennessee including traditional and Ghanian songs, gospel music by Shirley Cesar as well as Mahalia Jackson.Ten years ago she met her musical soulmate Sam Booker at a local show and the two connected instantly.  Eventually the pair penned their first song and title track together and have been making sweet music together ever since.

And if anyone is wondering if their chemistry transcends perfect harmony, Ruby sets the record straight. "Sam and I are not dating, we're musical soulmates, but we're in a very real relationship," she explains. "When you travel and sing together you have to bare it all, so we have learned so much about each other. We love and support each tother to the end. That's what we want people to feel is our musical connection because like Obama says we are not as different as we think. Let's focus on the positive of our differences and not on skin color but the beauty of coming together as a united front."

See photos of Ruby Amanfu »