The Man and the Myth that Is Aymos: A Look Into the Life of the Amapiano Vocalist
Multitalented Muso Aymos is reaping the fruits of his labour since the beginning of his professional career when Amapiano started bubbling under in Mzansi in 2019.
The Tembisa-born star’s name has since become synonymous with the popular genre, placing him at the helm of artists with his hit songs such as “Izenzo”, “Emcimbini” and “10K Yey’nkomo”, among many others.
Keeping up with his rising star, Aymos recently released his highly anticipated sophomore album, Impilo, which features a throng of talented artists such as Nomfundo Moh, Nkosazana Daughter, Samthing Soweto, Shasha and Eemoh among the rest. Like its title, which means life, the star communicates all things pertaining to life through this 14-track album; life told through the eyes of his hometown, where he spends a lot of his time to get inspiration.
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“This album has been in the pipeline for awhile and I think I’ve been recording it for the past two years, just trying to align schedules with the different creatives that are featured.
“In terms of the inspiration, I will always attribute my sound and inspiration to the hood, Tembisa, and that is where I also spent most of my time to write the songs. It is very important for me to do that because that is where it all started, where I find that my creative juices flow more so that I deliver those dope lyrics.
“That’s where I am reminded of the lingo, the unique phrases that set my music apart. Upon the album being completed, we felt that now was the perfect time to release. I describe it as a jam-packed party in one offering, a solid body of work that is not rushed and that I am proud of,” he said.
Music, for Aymos, has always been a part of his life, from a very tender age.
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“I was raised in a very Christian home, which meant being forced (at times) to go to church even when I didn’t want to go. Church didn’t feel like it was for me until I found something that resonated with me and that gave me reason to go to church. Music became that for me; so like many African stories, music started at church,” he said.
It was there that he was exposed to different musical instruments, like a piano. This was during a time when being a male vocalist was not popular at all, to the point that when one showed off their vocal abilities, they became instant local celebrities.
“It was some sort of magic, if you could sing,” he said, laughing. With that newfound fame, he experimented with local producers, vocally, and as local fame grew, it triggered
a desire to make this a long-lasting career.
This then was preceded by a string of musical activities like joining and forming various choir groups until he met up with producer Mass Musiq who introduced him to the likes
of Maphorisa.
“I haven’t looked back since then,” he said. “I had always envisioned myself being big within the industry from the days when I’d listen to popping artists of that time like Mlindo the Vocalist or even the queen herself, Msaki, imagining myself doing exactly what they were doing or better. I always knew I could,” he said.
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The SAMA nomination for his 2020 EP collaboration with Mas Musiq, his first complete body of work, came when he had already owned the space in his mind and everything since then has manifested from that point. He shares that while he was nominated, the lifestyle had not changed, nor did it mean the money was rolling in. He remained in the hood still, with minimal change in his life. But that did not stop his pursuit of this love that tugged at his heartstrings from way back.
“Music, to me, is a tool I use to express myself and what others might be going through or thinking. I never underestimate its power to connect us, to validate us and to communicate feelings and emotions that can only be delivered perfectly through song. Past language,” he said.
“I will forever strive to tell relatable stories, to be used to heal, to entertain and to live out my calling. Music is that serious to me and I always want to respect my craft,” he said.