SA: Watch Benny Afroe’s Yohh

12 Mar 2021 - 13:19

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

South African hip hop artist Benny Afroe has released a single titled ‘Yohh’.

Benny Afroe.

The song, which is accompanied by a video, is available for streaming on major digital platforms. ‘Yohh’ talks about the kind of love that cannot be explained in words. The song is an expression of how that kind of feeling can leave one speechless.

“’Yohh’ is a song about celebrating the beauty of love – love so beautiful that there’s barely any words to describe the feeling,” Benny Afroe told Music In Africa. “The main message in the song is that of encouraging people to never give up on love. Yohh is an exclamatory word that is used when one is in awe of something.

“The title of the song was inspired by having a lack of words to describe the type of love that’s spoken about in the song. I enjoy seeing people fall in love with each other. It’s the most beautiful thing to see. I’ve seen so many people around me get into new relationships during this lockdown. It just reminded me how beautiful love can be. I just had to write a song about it.”

Benny Afroe said the idea for the song came about when he was in the studio recording another song titled ‘Sonye’. During the recording, the producer suggested that Benny should take a break and listen to some beats.

“He then played me this one beat and I immediately had a melody for it. I was so excited that I wrote the lyrics on the spot and started recording the song. We finished recording it that night and I couldn’t stop playing it,” he said.

Benny Afroe, who is signed to Vth Season, says he draws inspiration from listening “to a lot of 1980s and 1990s music. I get a lot of inspiration from that era. The music was real and heartfelt. I’ve always wanted to connect with people on that level through their music.”

Commenting on his biggest achievements, he said: “In early 2020, I was invited to perform at the SXSW global festival in Austin, Texas. That will forever be one of my biggest achievements. Having the opportunity to work with some of my favourite artists like Sjava, Ami Faku, King Monada, DJ Van from Morocco and others has also been part of the highlights of my journey as an artist.”