Get To Know: Aqyila

New Wave Magazine caught up with Toronto based singer-songwriter Aqyila on the verge of her first London performance at The Jazz Cafe, at an evening hosted by British singer-songwriter Mahalia. Where most would be nervous with the anticipation of performing for a new crowd, Aqyila arrives in London holding her own, moving through life with a quiet but strong confidence that she has assumed throughout her career. Aware of where she belongs, Aqyila has navigated her career thus far without assuming any form of arrogance or entitlement. Expecting nothing, she gives it her all ; but tonight, says that she is prepared to vibe with the ‘one person in the room’ who truly connects to her voice, as she recalls the earlier days of her career when she would look for just one person’s support from the crowd to keep her going through her set. 

In London however, an uninterested crowd should be the least of Aqyila’s worries, as much of her growing fanbase is from the UK, and have been eager for her to bring her talent for them to witness in person after supporting her rise from afar for so long. 

Taahira Aquiyla Duff, known by her stage name Aqyila, grew up nearby Mississauga, in the Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto. Her parents immigrated to Canada from Jamaica, and Aqyila’s childhood was one characterised by rich Afro-Caribbean culture, and in turn fused with the music of her heritage, as well as the contemporary sounds of a number of genres, including gospel, R&B, and reggae. She recalls her earlier years as a time where music was always playing, and she counts some of her greatest influences as the voices of gospel greats such as Fred Hammond and Donnie Mclurkin, as well as  Jamaican musical icons Buju Banton and Bob Marley, whose prominent voices were the soundtrack to her upbringing. With a range of influences spanning over multiple genres, it's no surprise that Aqyila has blossomed into an artist who glides  over melodies with seamless grace and vocal agility.  "My parents played a lot of R&B reggae and gospel  - I looked up to Whitney Houston - I loved how clean her voice is. As a kid I remember walking around the house trying to imitate her and thinking - ‘I’ll get it one day" she says. 

Throughout her adolescent years, it became clear that Aqyila was destined to reach heights further than she was capable of imagining at the time. Her formative years continued with her being surrounded by music, and she became influenced by a wider pool of artists, such as fellow Canadian songstress Savannah Ré.  "There were definitely some pivotal moments in listening to Toronto artists. Now to be in that space , but in my own lane - and create music that I love but still not sound like everything around me  -  is hard because people always aim to categorise you, which makes it difficult for others  to find you."

Poems written at the mere age of ten turned into lyrics, which turned into the Canadian singer-songwriter posting videos of herself singing to YouTube. It was in 2016 that a mashup of  Rihanna, Gyptian, and PARTYNEXTDOOR that she recorded at home gained significant attention - And the same happened for her four years later, when she posted a snippet of a song on TikTok in 2020.  The song, titled “The Bob for Me” was released into the world , and has garnered  more than 22 million views and 3.1 million likes to date. Embracing the circumstances of the mass of overnight attention, Aqyila worked almost immediately  on releasing a full-length version of the song, which turned into “Vibe for Me,”. The airy track of self-assurance and personal dignity, produced by Thomas Cruger and PDub The producer, earned Aqyila her first JUNO Award nomination for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year, and was featured on her 2023 debut EP, For The Better.

Well acquainted with the peaks and lows that instant attention can bring, Aqyila glides through her everyday with the assurance of knowing that what is meant to find her certainly will.  When asked about the pressure to recreate such an authentic moment as the one where she blew up on TikTok, Aqyila describes the natural pressure that comes with experiencing such sudden surges of interest from the world - ‘"Between my second and third single I felt that pressure - it was just me feeling like I wanted to recreate that moment where I blew up- I had to check myself and remind myself that it will happen - because it happened once, and so it is sure to happen again. It happened with ‘Hello’ and it happened with ‘Bloom’ Why chase the fleeting moments? - They will come and they will go, but I want to experience the moments where people connect to my music, big or small." 

The singer-songwriter knows that with time, the right people will see and hear and get attached to her sound, her story, and her vision for her artistry. Enjoying the unknown of each day, she posts without the worry of who her voice will reach.

"I post as I go about my day , not being worried and having fun - it makes for a surprise when things do take off - I think ‘wow, I was just doing my thing, and people mess with it!"

With her first London show taking place at the Jazz Cafe, hosted by Mahalia and featuring other artists Lola Moxom and Hamzaa, Aqyila remarks on how location doesn’t affect her creative process. She describes stepping  out of her home as ‘interesting’, but the singer-songwriter is accustomed to changing her scenery - ‘"A lot of my songs actually weren't made in Toronto, they were made in LA. I think wherever I am, anything can come out - I had never been to Atlanta,  but there's a song that was cut from the first session I did there - I instantly knew it would be the intro to my album." It's the energy around Aqyila that allows her to soar, and the people that she lets surround her that enable her to open up best.  She describes a good set of ‘Robert Glasper-type chords’ as a canvas on which she can set down notes and harmonies that become melodies, something that brings her pure exhilaration. 

As she continued to soar, Aqyila drew the world's curiosity to herself once again with her single ‘Bloom’- a romance-infused track where  the Toronto native demands our attention once more with her lustrous vocals that sit on top of gorgeous string-fused production. Her latest single ‘Limbo’, came naturally. Journaling is a practice that comes to Aqyila just like breathing does ; and after journaling about how her heart felt like it was in limbo’, the track was created. Working with producer Monro, and co-written with her A&R Mikal Gonzales, ‘Limbo’ describes being taken for granted in a relationship, and feeling the ‘turning tide’ that often comes hand in hand with the loss of love. "We’ve all been in that place where you’re all of a sudden getting crumbs and mixed messages," Aqyila channels the confusion and anger that comes with this feeling that too many know too well onto a slinky track laced with guitar riffs and solid vocals to create an anthem about deserving more. On putting the truth into her work, Aqyila says that "It’s not hard to be vulnerable in a song that makes me feel like I'm flowing. I could go on and on when I hear chords like that put me in that state."

And she has done just that. To reach the heights that she has and preserve a sophisticated level of self assurance and confidence can only be done by someone who possesses true dedication for their craft. With her debut album on the horizon, Aqyila has found her flow state. With her pure passion for music and an unwavering desire to excel, Aqyila’s voice is one that will carry on demanding our attention - every step that she has taken thus far has been elevated from the previous, and as she moves upward in her journey, she is bound to attract more and more supporters. Aqyila has learnt to fly - and with her eyes forward, she is ready to conquer the escapades that lay before her.