Award-winning amapiano vocalist Aymos.
Photo: Supplied
- Aymos is the voice behind hits like Isgubhu and Emcimbini.
- He credits his background as singing in church and school choirs as his influence.
- The platinum-selling vocalist has just released his second studio album called Impilo.
He’s the distinct voice on hit singles like Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa’s Emcimbini, Mas Musiq’s Sengizwile and Sam Deep’s Isgubhu.
Babili Amos Shili – who professionally goes by Aymos – has become synonymous with South Africa’s beloved amapiano sounds, guiding groovists to the dancefloor with his smooth vocals.
Before the Tembisa-born musician reached multi-platinum status with artists like Ami Faku and the Scorpion Kings – the collective name of Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa – Aymos lets TRUELOVE in on how his upbringing singing in school and church choirs influenced his sound.
Music from the soul
“I was born in bred by a warm family filled of love and who loves God so much and that’s how I was raised, hence my music demonstrates the kind of person that I am. It says a lot about who I am and what I stand for,” Aymos tells us.
“Yes, hence I do clean lyrics most of the time and I try to accommodate the old and the young people.”
Working with esteemed local artists like Sha Sha, Nomfundo Moh, Nkosazana Daughter and more gives Aymos the opportunity to learn from those artists and broaden his audience and market.
READ MORE | Nkosazana Daughter, Master KG and the chart-topping music they make together
“Because it’s guaranteed that if I work with Maphorisa, most of Maphorisa’s followers will get to know who Aymos is and so as other artists and just learning how other people do what they do. How they record, how they do their plugins and stuff like that.
“We grow faster when we collaborate,” he says.
Reflecting on life and growth
The award-winning artist has just recently come off the success of his second studio album Impilo, which has been described as a sonic dive into his life story.
He dives into the ups and downs of the creative journey behind his album.
“The most rewarding part of the creative process behind the album is the impact that I see happening out there. The same songs that I’ve been struggling to finish at night in studio is now sang by thousands and thousands of people, that feeling is amazing, it’s rewarding.”
When it comes to some of the difficulties when putting out this body of work, Aymos explains, “The most challenging is to complete the whole project because I’m dealing with a whole lot of personalities. Different artists who are also busy with their own stuff, that was the most challenging thing. And I’ve learnt to applaud people who have really, really done an album and completed a solid body of work because it’s not easy. Trust me, it’s not easy.”
Learning from the greats and staying humble
The young vocalist credits his inspirations in music from talent like Black Coffee, Cassper Nyovest and Oskido because he sees them as artists who have established their brands and mastered their artistry.
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As he looks up to these big names in South African music, Aymos knows that the secret to longevity is consistency.
“A hit song is something that only lasts for a season and you’ve got to always keep up, you’ve got to know the formula you used to make the first hit song, what made you big on the first song,” he advises.
“You can’t afford to relax. You have to produce another hit song that’s going to be in the same or even above the first track that you did. So, understanding where you are and living according to your means, up to your means and not according to fame because that’s very dangerous.”
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