The Ayman story has more facets and chapters than it seems at first glance. Firstly, there is this extraordinarily sensitive voice that miraculously finds the direct path to the soul of its fellow human beings – the Americans call it soul. Secondly, there is the fairytale success story of the Berliner of Tunisian descent, who started from the bottom and rose to stardom after several years of hard work. The third chapter finally shows a cosmopolitan whose personal story represents lived international understanding. As a converter between worlds, Ayman is also a bearer of hope for the future. But everything first: the now 30-year-old found his voice early on. “When I was eleven I discovered my passion for singing, I just sang songs. My idols were Keith Sweat, Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston, because I was always into English-language music,” says Ayman.
At first it was more of a secret passion. “I couldn’t imagine being on stage myself. I was very, very shy and didn’t even dare to sing in front of three or four people. “When more and more friends finally encouraged him, the reserved talent started looking for a label. In the end he found a record company that brought him together with Ricky, the former TicTacToese. “I was allowed to sing along to the chorus on their first single “Schmerz in mir”. The song became a hit, which encouraged my label to make solo recordings with me too,” recalls the muscular guy with the sensitive vocal cords. This was followed by a six-month tour as a back-up singer for Ricky, which helped him overcome his fears. “It was a new world for me.
I remember the performance in the packed Cologne Arena. I stood behind Ricky, my voice, my whole body was shaking…” At the same time, Ayman was working on his debut album “Hochexplosiv”, for which he composed several songs together with his team. The first single “1,000 times” made it into the top 50 of the charts, but it was only the second single “Mein Stern” that fulfilled what the title of the album promised and his career literally exploded. “The song changed my whole life,” he says. In the slipstream of “Mein Stern”, “Hochexplosiv” became the most successful German-language album of 2000 with 350,000 copies sold. The single “Mein Stern” achieved an impressive number of 650,000 sales. Ayman was awarded two Echoes, both in the “Best Rock/Pop Artist National” category and in the “Best Newcomer National” category.
He also received the Golden Tuning Fork, the Golden Europe and the prestigious Fred Jay Prize. The new star rode on a wave of success for a year and a half, then work on the second album began. After a short time he encountered the famous artistic differences with his label. Ayman resolutely separated from his old record company, looked for new partners and founded his own label AT Records. After the business reorientation, he was able to concentrate again on the essentials, his beloved music. “Not just words” is the name of his second album, which invites the listener into the world of his feelings. “It’s about love and hope. The songs process my experiences of the last few years, the good but also the bad.” Musically, “Not Just Words” reflects the taste of the versatile artist, whose spectrum ranges from heated soul to emotional R’n’B and colorful pop to fiery Latin.
Our man was born in Berlin Kreuzberg in 1974. His childhood went smoothly until third grade. At this point, his father, a long-time employee at Daimler Benz, decided to send his son and his brother to a boarding school in his native Tunisia. “We should get to know our culture and language better,” was the reasoning. “After three years, however, my father no longer wanted to live away from his family, so we went back to Berlin.” After the tenth grade, the school graduate began an apprenticeship as a road construction technician, which he had to break off for health reasons. “Then I ended up in security, working in close protection for people like David Copperfield, MC Lyte and Dru Hill. When I was young I did a lot of sports, football, taekwondo and kickboxing. At first I was a really skinny guy. Later I preferred to go to the gym, where I built up my muscles.” The passionate dancer also toured the capital’s clubs and enthusiastically moved to the club hits of US stars.
The German with Tunisian roots was always fascinated by the USA. “From a young age I looked to America; R’n’B, soul and hip hop were invented there. Over time, however, I found my own style that sounds very German to my ears.” Ayman sees himself as a cosmopolitan guy, “I have many friends from different cultures. Nationality or religion is not crucial for me. My circle of friends is like my audience, very international,” says the affable cosmopolitan, who speaks French and English in addition to German and Tunisian. His plans now extend beyond his own career. “Of course, as an artist, I want to make music for my fans in the long term, as he achieves an extraordinarily rare feat thanks to his voice: bringing people of different cultures, skin colors and age groups together.
And now it’s time! Time for new ideas and new music. “I have developed further. Like my hometown Berlin, I have grown internally – become more mature,” explains Ayman. This is particularly noticeable in his music. In January 2007, Ayman’s father dies unexpectedly and this event changes him fundamentally. The artist has processed many experiences and experiences in his songs. “Privately, my father’s death was the most painful experience that I tried to come to terms with,” says Ayman. “I do that best in my music.”
He has always touched us with his voice and hopeful messages in his songs. Now – more than ever – he also reflects the signs of our times… and we like to spend them with him…
so much time has to be!
Source: ayman.de