- FIRST PRIZE "International Jazz Singers Contest Nomme Jazz", Tallinn, Estonia 2006
- SECOND PRIZE "International Jazz Singers Contest Lady Summertime", Finland 2006
- THIRD PRIZE "International Jazz Soloist Competition", Monaco 2007.
- Finalist "International Massimo Urbani Award" (Italy), 2006
- "Best Spanish Group", International Jazz Granada.2003
Born in Córdoba (Andalucia, Spain), in May, Taurus. She began to study in the Conservatory of Music of Córdoba, where took a degree in classical guitar, and made several courses with Leo Brouwer, Robert Ramsley, Afonso Pais. After that, she studied Vocal Technique in the School of Creative Music in Madrid. Master classes from Maria Joao, Judy Niemack, Deborah Carter, Santiago de la Muela, Pat Metheny, Guillermo McGill, Chano Dominguez, Kiko Aguado. She atended Jamey Aebersold "Jazzwise Summer School" with Deborah Brown (vocal tecnique and interpretation), Jamey Aebersold, Pat Harbison (harmony). Now She is improving her Jazz Guitar skills at the Amsterdam Conservatory with teachers as Martien Oster and Maarten Van der Griten.
Susana has performed at: Kaunas Jazz Festival (Lithuania), Linna Jazz, Pori Jazz, Lady Summertime (Finland), Nomme Jazz (Estonia), Budapest, Latvia, Ginebra
and numerous festivals in Spain.
"I met Susana Raya at the Jamey Aebersold music workshop. I was very surprised at her singing abilities and her way of understanding how to really sing true jazz". Deborah Brown
"Susana impressed me with her beautiful and controlled voice, her improvisation skills,her musical taste both in singing and playing guitar, and her natural showmanship. In the "jam sessions" after the contest she also shows the knowledge of a broad jazz repertory. Her interpretation is always rich in spirit and suitable. For this reasons I consider Susana Raya one of the best singers of her generation I've ever heard or played with". Massimo Manzi, italian drummer.
“That Susana modifies the melody of any standard in the special way that she does, is a breath of fresh air for spanish jazz. That she ventures into the field of improvisation with her daring scats, with the effort of looking for something new with each solo she sings is something that few jazz singers do. But on top of all this she also plays the guitar, authenic jazz guitar, this is simply something that converts her in a unique singer in this country.†J.A. Maqueda, Jazz Corner Sevilla.
