Meet Hero
The creative building a unique subculture transforming the European and Afro music industries
Saturday 16 September 2023 11 AM CET (*Central European Time*)
Hero, while travelling in Italy, gave adjoainghana an interview, and so I was grateful that he made the time …
Adjoa: So, I want to just ask you first, who is hero?
Hero: Um, that's a very good one to start with. I would say Hero is a very creative person … someone who has several interests. I don’t see myself in just like, um, one field or one area. There are several things that I find interesting, and I also use every chance that I get to dive a little bit deep into specific topics.
… Basically, I’m not going to live forever, you know, so I have more or less focused on some stuff in my life … I wouldn’t have enough time to, like, dive a little bit deeper into every topic, you know? So, I think it’s good to … take the time to do something … being aware that you can actually dive into different topics … Also being aware that if there is something that you really like or you really want, you can actually take some time and understand the area. And for me … this is something that led to music …
Hero spoke about the different things he loves doing, including painting which many people don’t know. Hero told me about the paintings he had at home …
Hero: … Sometimes some people that come around [are] like “… you painted this?” And I’m like, “yes” … I do paint … but it’s not the thing I’m putting my focus on right now. It’s more the music. So coming back to your question, Hero is a creative person with several interests … right now focusing very heavily on music.
Adjoa: Wow, you really brought that together so well and took us on a journey already! I forgot how much of a deep thinker you were. But that’s great for this because I have some more questions for us to dive a bit deeper. Can you tell us about where you grew up?
Hero: … I’ll introduce my parents … so my dad is from Togo …
Hero noted that not many people know where Togo is …
Hero: So Togo is also in West Africa, close to Ghana, and Ghana is where my mum is from. So my parents met when they were like quite young, I would say. Unfortunately, due to religion … they never had the chance to spend their life together. They grew up in a very traditional [way] I would say but they still managed to bring myself, and my sisters and brothers into the world.
I was born in Togo and then I grew up in Ghana, where my mum still lives … I lived 12 years in Ghana before moving to Germany … I had the chance to see how living in Ghana can be like …
Hero noted that spending his early years in Ghana helped him absorb African influences, which he now highlights and brings into his music …
Hero: … It's actually also very nice because I still have contacts with some people [in Ghana] … who I was like growing up with back then. I was even texting with one of the guys yesterday when I was traveling. And it's … it's super nice because … I always want to be humble. Meaning no matter like how far that I'll get in my life, I just want to stay grounded, you know … Staying in touch with people from [back home] where I grew up is very nice for that because it reminds you about like … where you come from. And sometimes I also try to support them whenever possible … it's something that gives me some purpose in life and makes me feel more happy.
… Back then, when I was like in Ghana, I used to play football ... So you go to school and after school, you would mostly spend your time playing football with your friends and then try not to come home too late. Because if you come home too late, then you're going to be punished, you know? But it was like very interesting. And then at some point I moved to Germany … you get to know a different way of living …
Adjoa: You mentioned that you grew up for the first 12 years in Ghana, and then you moved to Germany. How did that feel … moving to a different country?
Hero: it was kind of like rushed I would say … My sister [and myself], we traveled together back then. We were supposed to keep everything like top secret, not letting our close friends know about us traveling …
Hero explained a commonly held idea in Ghana that you should keep certain information secret, due to a belief that things might not work out if you tell other people …
Hero: So it was like, please keep your mouth shut. Don't tell your friends, don't tell your close friends … and the funny thing is that some of my close friends back then also traveled to Europe or like Canada and places like that. So apparently, we were all having like more or less the same secrets … Unfortunately we lost contact ... maybe we should have shared our secrets back then.
Life definitely changed … as a child you do have your own way of thinking, but there are like some decisions that your parents take care of, meaning where you sleep, what you eat, stuff like that … Unfortunately, my mum stayed back in Ghana back then and she's still living there. But she actually … as far as I can remember, she was the one who was like always pushing very hard for us to have, you know a better education abroad and stuff like that. Um, yeah … unfortunately, I also have like some lost memories …
… One thing about me is that I find it hard to cry, actually …
Hero reflected upon how he tends to have lost memories about dark moments in his life …
Hero: … And I'm starting to think that it's like my way of, like, coping with things … to block them out somehow, you know? … I just remember that we were like, at the airport, um, and then it was more like I'm going to put you guys on the plane in some few hours. This is like goodbye.
… One thing about me is that I find it hard to cry, actually. So, I didn't actually cry … and I'm not sure if I was excited. I just know that we were like sitting in the plane [my sister and myself] and we were like dressed up. So I had my suit, sitting in the plane. And coincidently we flew via Italy and then from Italy to Germany. And then it was like we were in a completely new country.
Hero describes what it was like when he arrived in Germany …
… My dad had some days off. I didn't know how things worked back then, but he had some days off and unfortunately, he couldn't like stay home the entire time with us. So work came and then he had to, like, go back to work. And then we were still at home before school started.
… The struggle was to live with my sister alone. So we were like more or less just, you know, supporting each other. We didn't have any friends. And this is where I was very lucky, I would say, compared to my sister ... for example, playing football or soccer back then for a female, it wasn't … as easy … my sister actually used to play football as well, but she never had the chance to … show off her skills [in the way that] I had [the chance], you know? So I managed to, like, play with some kids around the corner. And with that, I met my first friends in Germany.
… I also believe that in life, everything that happens to people, you know, you can get something out of it …
… There was this saying that regarding sports or particularly regarding football, you don't have to like speak, you just have to know how to play. And I was actually very good. So people loved playing with me, and I made my first friends.
… My sister was … always more or less mostly at home and I feel sorry for that. But I also believe that in life, everything that happens to people, you know, you can get something out of it … but I never had the conversation with her to get a chance to know what she learned out of it. But yeah … from there I started integrating myself into the German culture and environment.
Adjoa: There is definitely more to you than what meets the eye. And I feel like we are delving into things that, yeah, I didn't know and probably many other people wouldn't know as well about you.
We then spoke about how Hero identifies culturally, especially as someone who has lived in both the Ghanaian and German contexts …
Hero: I love this question. So basically, I'm trying to build something which is very, in my opinion, very big. I created this name or brand called Amour Africain.
As part of the brand, Amour Africain offers a variety of stylish hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts available via the Amour Africain website …
Hero: … Sometimes I wear my shirt and people will be like, “Oh, you speak French?” And I'm like, “No, I don't speak French,” but I love the name and it has a meaning. And I feel like the French gives it a nice touch ...
Hero spoke about how wearing Amour Africain apparel can be a potential conversation starter …
Hero: … Depending on how much time I have and how much interest the person shows, I actually try to like elaborate a little bit more … I always tell people that it's something which is much bigger than myself personally.
Hero paused to reflect on where he is currently at in life …
Hero: … If you talk to my close friends, I'm actually very happy in my life. I feel like I have mostly everything that I need. It's just that I also have the sense of, okay, there is like some unused talent here and there, so why not use it? I'm just trying to like … use every everything that I came with into this world, you know?
Returning to the topic of Hero’s cultural identity, Hero shared the following powerful reflections …
Hero: I realised that when I'm in Europe, particularly in Germany, due to my skin colour or where I come from or maybe also how I speak (even though I actually speak very good German) people still don't see me as German … so I don't belong to Germany. That's how I feel personally. And this is something that I've encountered during school, my studies, at work, you know? Like you go into a room and you know that you're different.
… Up till now, like when people ask me, even though I have like the German citizenship and passport, I always say I'm from Ghana. And then the interesting point is like, when I go to Ghana … I don't feel that I belong there as well …
… Meaning that I don't really belong to the Ghanaian culture anymore, but also not to the German culture, meaning that I belong to something which, let's say, within the social environment we live in, doesn't actually exist, you know …
Hero refers to how in Ghana, people can recognise when you are coming from outside the country …
Hero: … Which makes sense because I don't speak the language on a daily basis anymore …
Hero concludes …
… Meaning that I don't really belong to the Ghanaian culture anymore, but also not to the German culture, meaning that I belong to something which, let's say, within the social environment we live in, doesn't actually exist, you know.
Hero used a German word which I unfortunately didn’t pick up but the word referred to this concept of having different backgrounds, and was comparable to the word diaspora in English. Hero spoke about how this experience of existing between two different cultures is shared by many of his friends …
Hero: … I realised that I'm not the only one. So I have so many friends from different, let's say, countries or regions of the world and they also have the same issue.
Speaking on Amour Africain …
Hero: … It's targeted to people with African roots. But mostly it [represents] people who actually don't always fit in. You know, you don't fit into the African culture, but you also don't fit into the European culture. I believe that these people also have something unique, which is also very, very interesting.
… It's actually what I'm also trying to always achieve with my music. So, I tend to blend, let's say elements from the African culture and also elements from the European culture. Because I'm living in Europe, I pick up some stuff and [because] I grew up in Ghana, I also picked up some stuff and I'm trying to like merge them somehow … Does that make sense?
Adjoa: It really does. And I think that that's actually such a powerful way to describe how you identify. And I think a lot of people will be able to relate to that and I think that [what you described] also gives us a lot of hope. Because sometimes we might try to spend so much time trying to fit into a place where we might never get that recognition or sense of belonging that we're looking for, but we don't have to stop there. So I think that what you are building is definitely bigger. And I really learned so much just from what you said.
… You have an [educational] background that maybe people might not necessarily expect. So do you want to just briefly tell us what you studied?
Hero: Yeah, sure, I can tell you. So, I'll, like, take you on a journey again … Like I said, I arrived in Germany when I was like 12. Then I made my first connections of friends and was playing football during my free time. But besides that, I got introduced into like this computer world [of playing games on a PC]. And back then I had some friends in the neighbourhood, two guys, Kevin and Marvin, um, Kevin from Poland and Marvin from Iran. So they were … they were like introducing me more or less to the PC world.
… And growing up in Ghana, I think one of the ways that you had the chance to play games was to go into these game studios where they had like PlayStation or Nintendo. You had to pay some money in order to play games for a limited time. And these places were always crowded because people who couldn't afford to play also went there to see how other people play …. So coming to Europe, I got introduced to a new format of playing games, which was playing games on a PC. And coincidentally, my dad had a PC at home …
Hero reflects back to that time …
Hero: … We had like the most limited thing in everything regarding tech … the worst PC you can afford, probably the worst printer, the worst internet connection … So everything was like not the best. So whenever I went to my friend's place, I enjoyed being there. But you couldn't stay there for long. You know, at some point you have to go back home.
Then, whenever I came back home (I remember that it was also like this time where people actually, um, were like bootlegging and stuff) … my friends gave me some copies of some games and I remember playing like GTA on my PC …
We laugh as Hero tells me about how the PC would slow down and the characters would appear to be running in slow motion …
Hero: … You couldn't enjoy the game, you know … like it sucked. I was so mad playing games on my PC. So I never actually had the chance to play the games …
This led Hero to ask the question, what is the root cause of the issues?
... Whenever something negative happens to you, there is always something positive which comes out of that.
Hero: … Like, why is this game not running on my PC? And with that, I somehow got a little bit deeper into this computer world, like to understand how it works … I was looking into how I could still somehow improve the requirements of that bad PC in order to be able to play some games … Unfortunately it didn't work all that well so I never actually had the chance to play those games on my own … and like fully enjoy them. But that actually was the gateway for me into the computer world …
Hero connected this to a larger life lesson …
... Whenever something negative happens to you, there is always something positive which comes out of that. So with me struggling back then, wanting to play a game that didn't work, you know, this poor child crying and being sad about not being able to play a game, that introduced me to this world which is of interest to people nowadays … And that actually introduced me to my neighbourhood in a different way. So, people all of a sudden were like, “oh, there is this guy, this kid who lives around the corner. If your PC crashes, just call him. He's gonna fix it.”
You also had some grandmas around the neighbourhood being like, “hey, can you fix my PC?” … it was nice because sometimes they actually gave me some money, like five bucks or something like that … and then I didn't tell my dad because back at home, when you earn too much, you're supposed to … you know, give your dad or parents some portion of that …
Hero then spoke about how his early interests translated into his teenage and adult years …
Hero: … At some point I wanted to educate myself to be even better with this stuff so that I can be even more helpful to people …
Hero explained the German school system and how you can pursue a field of study beyond the standard requirement if you have good grades. Hero reached the point where he had to decide …
Hero: … The question was, what should I do with my life? … I didn't feel like I knew what I wanted to do back then and, back then … I also didn't see that you could actually do something in the tech environment. So I decided to continue going to school …
Hero referred to the German word for this stage of education which I didn’t quite catch (again), saying that when he completed two years of study, he was faced with another choice …
Hero: It was like, okay, school's done again. So what do you want to do? Do you want to work or do you want to study? … I knew that I wanted to study, but all of my friends or most of my friends, they wanted to do something else …
Hero gave me an insight into how his schooling experience was like and how he navigated that period …
Hero: … Apparently I was like a clown at school. So I actually enjoyed making people laugh … that's what I put my focus on instead of, um, you know, like getting good grades … Reflecting back, I understood why I used to be like that, because my dad wasn't at home that much, it was mainly just me and my sister. School was actually very fun for me because I was among people and had so much fun, you know?
… So my grades weren't like the best but they were okay to like, push me forward more or less. I was also heavily relying on my friends to be very good at school …
But at a point, it became clear that Hero’s interests were not aligned with the areas most of his friends wanted to pursue …
… I wanted to do something with PCs or tech in general. And then the recommendation from other friends was like, “Nah, bro, don't do it.” There were like rumours going around that people who go into tech or study tech, they fail …
Hero: …They wanted to go in this direction of like automotive … something to do with cars. And for some reason I was never into cars. It's still the case … and it's okay, you know … I wanted to do something with PCs or tech in general. And then the recommendation from other friends was like, “Nah, bro, don't do it.” There were like rumours going around that people who go into tech or study tech, they fail. So everybody was like don't do it. You're going to fail miserably.
I was also very scared back then because I was like, oh, damn, what will I do without all my friends? Because I was always used to like doing my homework and stuff like that with them. But … you have this little voice in your head sometimes where it's like, do this. Sometimes you do what this voice tells you, like eating chocolate. And then, you know, you end up having like, an unhealthy life. But sometimes you also end up doing something that introduces you to a new world …
So in my case, this voice was saying you don't see yourself in this automotive environment. So just do something with tech … I started to study business information systems. It wasn't easy. It was actually hard, but it also was interesting because at some point I managed to be more, let's say, able to like learn on my own and not rely too much on other people.
… After doing my bachelor's degree in business information systems, which is basically a mix of, let's say, computer science with business more or less. I felt like I didn't know what to do with it. I was like, okay, so if I should go and work now, what kind of skills can I provide? I felt like I wanted to understand the tech world even deeper and that made me do my master's degree in computer science.
Hero shared about his experience completing his masters …
Hero: The master's degree was like … it actually was like one of my darkest moments in life, I would say. In the sense of like, I felt so depressed sometimes because I didn't know how to continue … At some point you get these moments in life where everything is so dark, but then when you make it through, you tend to like get something out of it, you know?
So regarding [the masters], it was so f****** hard that I was forced to, like, find my way to make it. … This introduced me to this mindset of getting to know that, okay, almost everything is possible, you know? You just have to like dedicate your time to it, focus and try to like break things into smaller chunks … try to understand them iteratively somehow. And then at some point you just somehow manage to do it.
Hero spoke about how we can allow the opinions of others to dictate our decision-making …
… I was also concerned [too much] back then … about what people will think about me … like, oh, he failed at doing his, you know, studies … I don't think you should put too much [emphasis on this]. Just do what is meant for you. And if it works out, it's good. If not, then you learn that you tried. … Luckily it worked out for me and introduced me to this mindset that I can do everything that I want … I just have to dedicate my time to it, you know? And so for that, I'm actually very glad and happy that I did my master’s degree. And with having a master’s degree in computer science, people then work in tech. So, I work in tech and that's what I actually do for a living. What most people don't know … you are right.
Adjoa: Wow. I'm really glad we went down that journey because I think even though we were talking about your educational background, there's so much in what you said about what you realised was possible for you.
I liked that Hero spoke about the importance of following through with what you know in yourself is right for you, despite dealing with outside voices telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. I also appreciated the very real conversation about how challenging studying can be …
Adjoa: … no doubt completing your bachelor and doing the masters was … I don't want to say hell, but like … I get it was very hard. And so I'm glad that now, you know, you're working in tech, you've got these lessons from it and yeah, I guess the people that told you don't go down that path are now maybe thinking they should have done tech themselves!
We laughed ...
Adjoa: I want to change the direction now into traveling because we met when we were both traveling in Ghana. But I know that you particularly are someone who travels. I think I saw recently that you were in London. You went to Austria. I know that you've no doubt been to other places since you returned from Ghana. So why do you love traveling so much?
Hero had just arrived in Milan the previous night …
Hero: That's a good one, um ... the moment that you actually get into, let's say, the central city or where the people actually live … there is this feeling that I get every time. It's like I cannot describe it. You know, there are like some things that you cannot describe with words, but mostly it’s something that makes me feel, oh, I'm actually in a completely different environment …
… I do believe that you cannot really be open minded when you are like in one single place or one single city your entire life …
… I'm heavily interested in different cultures as well, like trying to see how people live in different [places]. Like even when you talk with people, you understand why people maybe behave a little bit different than you or think a little bit different than how you think about things, because of where they come from. … I feel like it opens the world a little bit more to me.
… I tend to describe myself as someone who is open minded. I do believe that you cannot really be open minded when you are like in one single place or one single city your entire life … the world is … so big … So I do enjoy traveling … I also have some plans because I realised that even though I've traveled … I've never been to Asia or Latin America and these are two places that I want to see in the coming years. I feel like [travelling] enriches your life …
Hero’s travels also influence the music he creates, and Hero spoke about how he picks up on different sounds distinct to the places in which he finds himself …
Hero: … So it's like a gift, you know? It gives you something back when you travel.
Adjoa: That's really beautiful. And I think you really sold traveling to the adjoainghana audience. I definitely agree with everything that you've said about the benefits of it, and hopefully we can all catch some flights like you … So we are getting to the music …
Hero: … I believe that everything that I'm doing is somewhat, like, connected, you know, so … every aspect that I get the chance to talk about makes other aspects maybe more, let's see … easier to understand, you know? So don't be strict with your [questions] …
Adjoa: Well, this next question is definitely not a strict one. And it's also a funny question because I want to go back to Amour Africain … you talked us through how it's sort of a movement. It's something much bigger. … we know that you also have co-founded a fashion brand by the same name. And I've seen the sweatshirts, I've seen the tees, I've seen the totes. And I really wanted that baby pink sweatshirt. But right now there is no international shipping … I say that with hope that I will get my baby pink sweatshirt somehow …
We laugh.
Adjoa: … So can you tell us how this fashion brand came about?
Hero: I've actually received feedback from friends like, “Oh, I like the way you dress”, you know, stuff like that. And I always try to embrace that. And with my, let's say, fashion brand, it all started with the music. That's why I was saying that everything that I'm doing is somehow connected …
Hero said that he had some ideas about what he could do fashion-wise …
Hero: ... I'm the kind of person where whenever I have an idea and I feel like I can actually achieve something … then I execute it. I started [the fashion brand] when I released my album called AFRO BASS. And Afro bass is actually how I describe like my technique or my sound that I create because I have like a unique sound. Sometimes people are like, “do you make Afrobeats or do you make electronic music or techno? … I'm like, it's my own unique sound.
Hero drew attention to the fact that Afro bass is not widely known yet …
Hero: … I'm hoping that maybe I don't know, some years from now, it's going to be something that, you know, when people say Afro bass, then, you know, oh, it's like that sound that blends in those African vibes and electronic sounds ...
Returning to our discussion about Amour Africain the fashion brand …
Hero: … I had like one, let's say close friend that I used to work with called Maciek, who lives in Poland actually, and he's like a great designer … I reached out and was like, “hey, I would love to like have a design for my next album” … He had very limited time because he's very good … but he still dedicated some time to create something for me.
Hero described what kind of design he wanted and used his tech knowledge to generate an image using AI …
Hero: … I was saying that I want to have a silhouette of a black boy with a ghetto blaster and then this picture was like generated … and I loved the image, but it was not scaled properly … it was very tiny. I sent Maciek the image … he added some more details onto it, like the Akan symbols …
I learned that Hero’s cover art is very intentional and conveys a story in itself …
Hero: … If you take a closer look, there are so many details that I would say people don't tend to see.
Hero would love to take the time to walk people through the titles of his songs and the album covers …
Hero: … because there are so many details in everything … But at some point, I'm hoping to get some help from people close to me or people who are like, willing to work with me … So Amour Africain started with that image being created. And then I was thinking about ways to promote my album. So I was like, the best way is to wear a t- shirt [with the brand name] and then if someone asks you … you can say, hey, it's my album. I was going to events and saying, hey, this is my album, this is my album. And then people were like, oh, I actually like it … so it was like mainly for marketing purposes. And then at some point people were like, where can I get this shirt?
Hero started printing shirts for his friends …
Hero: … it was actually good for me … because people are going to ask them the same questions [like] where did you get this from? …Then at some point I was like, okay, it's nice, but I cannot produce unlimited shirts for like all of my friends or everyone who actually asks … So this introduced me to the idea of like, why not launch something where people who are actually interested in the [clothing] can purchase it ...
Hero spoke about how he fell into DJing as well as a way to introduce his music to more people …
Hero: … I have so many DJ friends and I never actually thought about DJing until I released my songs and was like, this is the best way to promote my songs …
Hero explained that he knew he would be releasing new music frequently and so he created Amour Africain as a separate but connected brand, complementing his music …
Hero: … then I was like thinking about a name. The name [Amour Africain] translates to African love …
Hero chose the name Amour Africain to reflect the African elements he blends into his music. He returned to this idea the brand encapsulates of embracing a unique identity …
Hero: So I want to give the world something which is like not existing yet, but something that maybe people miss without knowing that they miss it, you know? So I was like, okay, maybe it makes sense to separate the music stuff from the fashion stuff and create something which is like connected but still separated … and also give it a name that is like an umbrella term …
Hero has been on a streak of releasing music this year …
Hero: … My music pace is very fast, actually … like people are not even, let's say, fed up with the music that I just released and I already am releasing something new. It's also the fact that I knew I needed or wanted to have more tracks to play when DJing … So, I think at this point I actually have enough music to play, so I'm going to like take it slow a little bit, but I'll still keep on creating great music … yeah so this is how everything resulted with the brand.
Hero also references another term Bass L’afrique which is the name of one of the tracks from his album AMOUR AFRICAIN. Hero’s sound incorporates a distinct bass which is magnetic …
Adjoa: … I am really thrilled to hear all about this because since I met you and you returned to Germany, I have seen how much music you have produced and how much support you have received. I think it's really incredible and inspiring, actually, because like you said, it's not just about talking about these things that you want to do, but you actually are someone who's focused on execution.
I described to Hero the moment when I listened to his song AFRO BASS that features on his AFRO BASS album …
Adjoa: … I was like, I've never heard anything like this before. It really is your unique sound.
… In your [artist] bio, you describe yourself as being ‘the spark to ignite a transformative change’. Can you just tell us what that means to you?
Hero: … What I'm doing is something where I do believe that it's like much bigger than myself. So it's not about … myself. It's just like I'm the spark to introduce this, you know? And I hope and believe that it's something that has huge potential and something that can actually like grow to become very big … Like I said, I'm not the only person who is facing this issue of not belonging into like, let's say, one culture …
Hero acknowledged that the spark can be ignited in different areas by different people and that for him right now, it’s music and fashion ...
Hero: … So, the spark is basically that I'm trying to push [the message behind the music] as much as I can to raise awareness, to make people aware that, okay, there is this thing which exists. Sometimes I refer to it as like a subculture … even if, let's say all of my friends … who are in a similar boat as I am … even though they're not [all] from Ghana or from Africa … they have like this European side and a different side. We are all in this subculture, you know? And this subculture basically has its own something … like its own taste that can be introduced. So in that sense … what I'm doing, it's not like the German culture, it's also not like the African culture …
… Why shouldn't we also introduce a subculture? Why should we keep [ourselves] hidden behind some cultures [where] we actually don't belong?
Hero distinguished the Afro bass sound from Afrobeats …
Hero: I cannot really sell it as like Afrobeats … because it's different. You have like this electronic sound sometimes ...
Switching back to the topic of diaspora identities …
Hero: … The question is like, why? Why shouldn't we also introduce a subculture? Why should we keep [ourselves] hidden behind some cultures [where] we actually don't belong?
Hero has embraced his unique experience through creating Afro bass, noting …
Hero: … I like Afrobeats … but I cannot like create Afrobeats as the people who actually … for example, live in Nigeria or Ghana, because the sound is not going to be as unique as, or like original as, the people who actually live there, you know? I live somewhere else and what I can create is something which is original itself … Does it make sense?
Adjoa: It does. It does. I am really excited to see the journey of your music. And I love hearing all these deep meanings and layers to it. And I love as well how you're really creating a community … seeing your friends that you're working closely with and people that you're even starting to collaborate with on producing tracks …
We were coming to the end of the interview and I wanted to ask Hero about a recent reel he had posted to his Instagram …
Adjoa: I was on your Instagram, and you had a reel that you posted about a week ago and you were wearing some shades and I think the all black outfit … you had a sleek blazer on, you looked very cool. But I think what really captured my interest was the caption … you had said …
And I thought that was really meaningful. I just wanted to get your advice for someone who is maybe fearful of pursuing a talent or interest that they have that actually makes them feel truly happy and fulfilled. What advice would you give to someone who has that fear?
Hero: … There is a saying that everyone actually came to this world with like a unique talent. And it's actually very hard to find out what your unique talent is in life, you know? … For me personally … I've been creating music for a long time actually. Like I started 2016. For some people that might not be that long, but for me I think it's long. [Though] I never started publishing my stuff until this year. So … it actually all started by … by being, let's say, inspired.
Hero’s latest release is a single called MANGO and featured on this track is Lokowat, an artist and producer based in Portugal. Hero shared how Lokowat has inspired his creative process …
Hero: … I heard like one of his tracks and I was like … oh, damn, this is like super nice. Like there are no vocals but I still want to listen to it. And then I felt like I wanted to dance … and then I was like, hey, I think this is what I want to do. So I did something in a similar way and reached out to him. Now we are like working together, which is super nice.
So coming back to your question … everyone has like a unique talent. And then the question is, how can I find this unique talent? And I realised that there are books around being in these flow moments, you know …
Hero described the feeling you can get when you are doing an activity that has this flow quality …
Hero: … Where the time actually flies, you know, like you are so focused … you tend to forget about [time]. Everything around yourself is an indicator about something that can be your potential talent. Meaning that I would never limit one's talent on one specific thing. So it can be multiple things that can be your talent.
… if you identify something that can bring you into this flow moment … you can … put some more time and effort into building something …
… In my case, it could have been football … because when I was playing football, I was also in this flow. When I paint, I'm also in this flow moment … when I'm creating music, it's the same. Meaning that there are several things that a person can do that can bring them into this flow moment. And if you identify something that can bring you into this flow moment … you can maybe like, um, you know, put some more time and effort into building something …
… If you find something that you enjoy doing, then I can actually just encourage everyone to, like, actively, you know, do it because first of all, it gives you this … beautiful feeling. … the only thing is that, I was talking to a friend regarding this actually, that it gets hard at some point. Like it gets hard in the sense of at some point, maybe, you want to bring what you're pursuing to other people …
… Like what you are doing is amazing, adjoainghana. It's something that hopefully, and I believe that it's something that, gives you something back, makes you happy when you see people being like, oh, so this is how life in Ghana can be, like, you know, [a] different perspective …
… What I learned was that the point where things get hard, this is actually very necessary …
… So basically you're doing something and then at some point you realise, okay, it's actually hard to be consistent. It's hard because you don't always get … great feedback. You don't always get great recognition from people … and then of course, whenever it gets hard, you tend to like lose the motivation to continue. And I think this is like the most crucial and important thing, at least for me personally …
… What I learned was that the point where things get hard, this is actually very necessary … My way of thinking is that every time what I'm doing gets hard, I'm like, oh, okay, give it to me … let it be even harder. Because I know that if it's hard enough, and I master this hardness, then it's going to be something that will, like, separate me from everyone else … to give me a unique, let's say, selling point.
… Every time things get hard, that's when most people quit stuff. So when things get hard, I work on it. Meaning that when other people are going to quit, I'm going to continue because I know when I continue this journey, when it gets hard, it's actually the thing that is going to be very, let's say, crucial and important [for] me … to bring me to my goal, you know?
Hero spoke from his own personal experience making music, and how at the beginning it was hard. But through consistency and persistence, nowadays, it is not as hard as it once was …
Hero: … You gain some experience … you know how to like market some stuff. You get some more knowledge … So coming back to your question, I would say when you have something that you are passionate about, you should never be fearful … You shouldn't care about what other people think too much and you shouldn't bring yourself down … For me personally, when I'm creating music, I'm probably the happiest …
Hero described how immersed he feels when he is creating music. Even when he is around others …
Hero: … People who have seen me creating music, sometimes they have to force me to stop so that we can, like, do something else … it's like I'm in my world playing games and I don't want to stop doing that. It gives me joy.
We returned to the idea of pressing on with what gives us purpose even when it gets hard. Hero spoke about this in relation to his music …
Besides one of my close friends, I don't know anyone within Germany who is doing what we are doing right now … It's a challenge actually for producers to create music or songs without people singing on [them].
Hero: … Getting feedback, like, let's say productive or constructive feedback from people or knowing how to identify what the next steps are … [that’s] what makes it hard. I'm always like, hey, embrace the fact that it's hard because if it wasn’t hard, other people would be creating it.
Afro bass and the movement Hero is building around the brand concept of Amour Africain is creating a subculture within existing spaces. Hero is one of the only two people in Germany who are at the forefront of creating music with this unique blend of traditional African rhythms with modern sounds …
Hero: Besides one of my close friends, I don't know anyone within Germany who is doing what we are doing right now. Like there are no producers besides me and my close friend Teriyaki who are producing music that you don't actually have people actively singing or rapping on it. … It's a challenge actually for producers to create music or songs without people singing on [them].
Hero emphasised how consistently releasing music has been a positive challenge for him, giving us a final reminder …
Hero: … I would encourage everyone not to be fearful … embrace the fact that things can be hard in life. And whenever something gets hard … be happy that it's hard because then you have a hint or a signal telling you that you have reached a point where other people are quitting … you just have to … overcome. And then it's going to be even more easier … Makes sense?
Adjoa: Yes makes sense …You're saying what everyone needs to hear! I really think that's very valuable advice. And just to hear your own experience with that … I can see the fruits of how things are shaping out for you.
For adjoainghana community members, and people who are interested in your music, what is the best way for them to support you?
Hero: … [I] think the best way to support me is actually like to actively listen to my music. And if you like something, then also like providing feedback … like, hey, I like this. But if you don't like something, also give me feedback … it helps. It helps me every time people give me that kind of feedback and it also helps me to improve my music.
… I never reach out to friends and be like, hey, can you please share my music on this platform or on that platform? … My goal is to create music that people actually really want to listen to by themselves and feel like, oh, I actually like this. Because I believe that if people love the music that I'm creating, then … it can spread easily. Meaning if you, for example, listen to my music in Australia and you have neighbours who get the chance to listen to it as well, and they for example, Shazam it, then it's like a way that my music spreads, you know?
So … people can support me by actually listening to my music and also playing my music, and of course sharing it to close friends or on other platforms. But ultimately my goal is for people to actually listen to the music and be like, oh, I love the sound that I'm listening to. That's like more important to me personally than having people share my music everywhere, even though they don’t really like it, you know?
Adjoa: Those are very practical ways to assist. And yeah, I've, I've run up some streams in the past 48 hours. … Is there anything else that you'd like to add?
Hero: I feel like we could talk for ten hours … but we have to, like, somehow, wrap up so … one thing that I would like to add or like say is that I'm very grateful that you reached out to me and were like, hey, should we have, like, you know, an interview to talk about some stuff? Because it's also like a sort of … confirmation that what I'm doing is like, you know, being welcomed in different parts of this big, huge world that we live in.
… And also, I love the fact that adjoainghana is, you know, more or less collaborating with Hero because … you have some, let's say, expertise in some Ghanaian regions that I [haven’t visited] … [In contrast to the South of the country] … only a few travel up to the north of Ghana where you have … And this is somewhere where I would love to see in my life as well … traveling, seeing some unique places … is something that can enrich my life. And everything that enriches my life is something that I can use to like, you know, influence what I create … So … basically I'm grateful to collaborate with you and also see the insights that you're giving people …
Adjoa: Amazing! I'm really excited about this … thank you for agreeing. I know that you're busy, you're traveling, so I really appreciate you making the time … you're really part of this … this new direction …
Interview by Adjoa for adjoainghana.