Kirani Ayat unpacks his identity, triumph and resilience on his debut album, ‘Aisha’s Sun.’

The sun is known to move very slowly, but then again, it represents a big burst of energy that shines so bright for everyone to see. This has been the testament of Ghanaian fusion artiste Ayat, who after 6 years of debuting unto the Ghanaian music scene is finally ready to share his first body of work, ‘Aisha’s Sun.’

Ayat throughout his career has developed an extensive sound which has now become synonymous with his name. He brings this to bare on his album, made evident by the lead singles ‘Guda’ and ‘Mariama,’ which incorporate sounds from the Northern part of Ghana, Hiphop and Ghanaian percussion. For some days leading up to the release date, I had been seeing several posts announcing the album. So on one chilly Tuesday morning, I decided to slide into Ayat’s dms to see if he would be willing to answer some few questions over email. Within minutes, I got a “yea we can do that” from him. The following texts reveal my conversation with him from the comfort of his cozy Madina home.

F.A – Hi Ayat, I hope I find you well?

AYAT – Yes I’m doing great, thanks.

F.A – I see you doing a lot of work with your skating and surfing club. Are those some new hobbies you picked up?

AYAT – No I picked up skating in 2017 in California. It was a means of eco transport to my work place. So when I returned to Ghana, myself and my then girlfriend visited Kokrobite a lot and she introduced me to surfing. On one of our visits we saw a few kids skating on makeshift boards and we offered to get them actual skateboards if only they’ll take it seriously. They did and that’s how Kokrobite Skate Crew started in July 2020. It’s a way to give them a creative outlet to express themselves through the sport of skating and surfing.

F.A – How would you describe the music you make?

AYAT – My primary genre and introduction to music is HipHop. I grew up on that, and when I started making music it was mostly in that genre. However I have a diverse music palette, and I enjoy a lot of different genres. So currently most of my creation is a fusion of what I listen to. Lots of traditional African elements, some Arabian influences, mixed with western styles and production. It’s fusion, or worldwide/world beats as some folks like to call it.

F.A – Your very first introduction unto the scene was when you appeared on ‘Barisujey’ alongside Kiddblack. How has the journey been from then till now?

AYAT – No, my first breakout record on the Ghanaian scene was “IDKY” with KaySo, the first record out of the GroundUp Chale studios. ‘Barisujey’ is part of the features I was doing after that initial breakout. It’s been a learning process, lots of peaks and valleys. Connections and friendships made and lost. It was mostly me having fun with my friends in the early stages, and then it got serious. There were expectations now, and some people also saw opportunities. So it was a lot, but that’s basically human experience, all these things mold you.

F.A – Now let’s get into the album, why did it take this long to release your debut?

AYAT – Life happened, and it’s a lot of things that were out of my control. The album was initially  scheduled for a 2019 release, but I went through situations within that year that put me in a depressed state. I was creating but I wasn’t feeling it. In late 2019 I got my groove back somewhat and I finished the album, and changed the date to 2020 and then life happened again, this time it was the pandemic. But during the lockdown I had an epiphany that changed my outlook on my music and how I wanted to be represented. So I deleted the album and made a new one. This time with intention and purpose that’s true to me, and I’ve never been this proud of my music. It’s everything I envisioned, it was a challenge but it came together perfectly.

F.A – What was the whole music making process like?

AYAT – We were in lockdown so getting to the studio was the first challenge, I had to make do with my home setup. We had live Hausa instruments and percussion played on the album, which was challenge number 2; finding the instrumentalists and figuring out their schedules. Next were the producers, I had to be intentional about the selection because the sound I wanted was new and posed a challenge to them. We did figure that part out because each of them are really great talents. Then the features, luckily Worlasi was able to come to my place to record his verse, and thanks to the internet Sarkodie and Morell sent their verses over. It was a fun process still.

F.A – Interesting, what does this album mean to you?

AYAT – Identity, triumph, and resilience. Since my breakout, I’ve wanted to represent where I’m from. I swayed sometimes and got lost, it happens, but my identity has never been this certain. My people and those that understand me feel seen, feel heard, and most importantly have someone to call their own doing it. Triumph because the path I chose is the one less taken and being on this journey still, proves to myself that indeed I’m a winner and an achiever. Hearing my mother ‘Aisha’ say she’s proud of me and having my grandmother dance to my new album is testament to that. Resilience because I know a lot of people that started this journey with me, and have fallen back due to various issues and reasons but I am still on it. Going strong each day, gaining new grounds, reaching new milestones, and constantly evolving.

F.A – Is there any particular song(s) you’d like people to pay close attention to?

AYAT – My favorite on the album changes, but I’ll say ‘Ina Jin,’ ‘Duniya’ with Morell, ‘Fada Na’ with Worlasi, and ‘Take Your Time.’

F.A – What are your expectations for this album?

AYAT – My primary expectations have been met, my grandmother and my mother loves it. So now I hope my fans connect to it, and the world gravitates to it. I pray it opens the way for me to tour and perform across the globe.

F.A – You are very energetic when it comes to stage performances, what’s your pre-show ritual like?

AYAT – I workout a lot, so I’ll attribute it to that. I say a prayer, and make my intention clear to put on a great show, drink some water and go have fun.

F.A – What’s next for Ayat?

AYAT – A world tour to promote this album. I really want to tour and I’m positive this will be the catalyst for that. Lots of visuals also will follow and more remixes to some of the original songs off the album.

F.A – Alright, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. Wish you the very best on the rest of your journey and, congratulations on your album.

AYAT – Thank you for having me too.