“One inward desire I have is that the next generation of children will be born to my music. I want to implant my sonic DNA into their tiny hearts.” This seemingly lascivious statement would be expected from Nelly or Usher, but in fact emanates from the polite lips of Amaarae. The young Ghanaian singer, songwriter and producer is often accused of making explicit music but in fact, she points out, there’s nothing racy in her songs. “I don’t curse. There are no sexual overtures. I don’t even say pussy. And most of the time I’m actually singing about heartbreak. But because the production is so watery and my voice resonates somehow, the music sounds suggestive.”

It’s true. On Amaarae’s debut Passionfruit Summers EP, released in late 2017, her luscious, warm sounds and delicate, butter-wouldn’t-melt voice on tracks such as ‘Fluid’ and ‘Happy Mistakes’ drip with a ripe, bitter-sweet longing. Giving cheeky nods to the likes of D’banj and Crystal Waters along the way, it’s music that makes you tingle and, it must be said, does offer the perfect soundtrack for a long and hazy night of lovemaking. Skip Netflix, press play and chill.

“My favourite song on the EP is ‘Catching a Wav’,” she confides. “It’s about letting go of a relationship but wanting to enjoy spending the last moment with that person. I was inspired by Ja Rule’s ‘Down 4 You’ featuring Ashanti. I wanted to induce nostalgia, and that light, airy feeling that hit me in the chest when I first heard that record.”

Ama Serwah Genfi was indeed born to do it. Raised between the Bronx, Accra, New Jersey and Atlanta, she learnt how to be agile from an early age. “My mom is a very dynamic human being, so we’d spend a few years in a place and then she’d be like, ‘let’s find the next adventure’. That’s made it easy for me to manoeuvre between different cultures, individuals and spaces.” Her family also steeped her in music. From her father came soul (James Brown, Al Green, Marvin Gaye); from her mother, jazz (Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday); a cousin provided a hip hop education (DMX, Fat Joe, Tupac), and an uncle alternative rock (Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zeppelin).

During high school, she started making mixtapes, and by 17, she was interning in a music studio. At university, she undertook voice training and honed her song writing skills (while studying English literature) and by the time she landed back in Ghana in June 2017, she was ready to make real moves.

Since then, Amaarae’s been named as an Apple Music Africa Favourite New Artist, and has collaborated on tracks with Santi (‘Rapid Fire’) and M3nsa (‘S.D.I’). She’s also released the 2019 singles ‘Like It’ and ‘Spend Some Time’. In addition, she’s performed in Los Angeles, New York and Lagos. She’s been very welcomed everywhere, but it’s at home in Ghana that she shines brightest among the new leaders of the country’s alternative music landscape. “In Accra we have variety in terms of rap, R&B/neo soul and the electronic scene, which is crazy vibrant, and we are daring with our craft,” she reflects after a week of live showcases and publicity opportunities in Lagos. “We certainly have less international exposure than Nigerian artists, but we are more colourful and bolder in our expression.”

The same adjectives could be applied to Amaarae’s personal style. She fashions her cute tomboy aesthetic from bespoke pieces and has become known for her dazzling buzz cut that is dyed in a constantly evolving array of colourful patterns, from pink polka dots to mermaid-y stripes to rainbow swirls. Her look has been hailed by US Vogue for being “inventive' and “vivid”, and she was also named among its VogueWorld 100 street style influencers. “I want to differentiate myself from trends I might have spearheaded,” she says modestly of her fun barnet.

The near future promises a full-length record and more international gigs, and that’s just for starters. “I want to put myself in a position where my music is recognisable and respected. I want to put out that classic project that scoops every award show. But my ultimate goal is to go into doing film scores,” she says. Rom coms, perhaps? “No – cartoons. I love cartoons with all my heart and soul. Bob’s Burgers, Meet the Robinsons, Ratatouille, Coco… It would be a dream to voice a cartoon character one day, too.” We can easily imagine the bright, confident and poetic persona she’d embody.

Nataal would like to thank the British Council’s West Africa Arts programme for supporting our focus on Lagos and Accra

This story features in issue two of Nataal magazine. Buy your copy here

Words Helen Jennings
Photography Lakin Ogunbanwo
Visit Amaarae

Published on 05/01/2020