She was born as Raya Jerkovitch. In 1926, she emigrated with her family to France. She studied at the Olga Preobrazhenskaya Ballet Studio. In the 1930s, she starred ni several dramas and comedy films, including with Fernandel (Les Rois du sport and Ignace, both - 1937). The song and dance "La Mexicana" performed by her with Fernandel in the musical "Ignace" became widely known. She also starred in four Christian-Jacques films. She was engaged to Maurice Chevalier. After the capture of Paris by German troops, Chevalier and Raya, with their parents, fled to the south of France, which was without occupation, where they settled in the Chevalier house in Cannes. She is the author of several songs, including "Je M'imagine" and "Toujours Aimer (both performed in 1961) by Edith Piaf. She sang thesongs she composed, the best known of which became "La cane du Canada" and "Matéo". From 1940 to1955, she was the principal dancer of the Folies Bergere in Paris. She filmed in the pro- ductions: La rafle est pour ce soir (1954); Bécassine (1940); Entente cordiale (1939); Ignace (1937); Les Rois du sport (1937); CEil de lynx, détective (1936); Sacré Léonce (1936); Au son des guitares (1936); Le Roi des gangsters (1935); Sous la griffe (1935); Et moi, j'te dis quelle t'a fait deloeil (1935); Lucrèce Borgia (1935); La Sonnette d'alarme (1935); L'École des contribuables (1934) si Le Père Lampion (1934).