Ay Bangz’ recent performance at the sidelines of the Tall Ships Race, held recently, in Aberdeen, Scotland, showcased his stellar musicianship, again, especially his clever command of vocal techniques. Performing alongside the UK-based Riverlite Music Band, the young bard provoked cheer from the hundreds of families gathered at the Scottish docks that fateful afternoon, as he performed ‘Why I Love You’ by American pop-soul icon Major.

Surfing on soothing piano chords, Ay Bangz’s lithe vocals cut through with a belting technique that’s a tad similar to Major’s original rendition. As a cover performance, AyBangz delivers the hook with a stellar aplomb that also closely mirrors the original performance. “This is why I love you/ Ooh, this is why I love you/ Because you love me/You love me/This is why I love you,” his falsetto soars.

AyBangz’s pace and cadence also stand out within the two-minute performance, allowing the music progression to breathe with his recitatives, “This is why I love you”. The soft drum kicks and the gingerly guitar riffs stretch the vibrance with each pause, flaunting his melancholic transitions. The tension within each pure note Ay Bangz held rang with powerful resonance, keeping the transitions ‘alive’.

The ecstasy within the performance rose throughout Ay Bangz’ rendition, anti-climaxing with vibrant mouth trumpeting, commonly also described as a ‘handophone’, just after the second verse. Bangz aptly imitates the trumpet, searing through the gentle polyphonic progression for about a minute, before ushering in a diminuendo. For a rather obscure instrumental style, fusing mouth trumpeting within a soulful joint like Major’s ‘Why I Love You’ signals ingenious thinking from Ay Bangz.

The rather brash decrescendo stressed the overall feel of the performance, lulling the audience by exposing its brevity. Overall, the experience felt like it required a looser grip, after the mouth-trumpeting, or handophoning, interlude, perhaps, an extra verse. Nonetheless, the entire performance flourished with just enough catharsis to keep the groove lightened up overall. It’s a neat balance of rhythm and innovation, adding more feathers to Bangz’ hat of bragging rights.

Born Ayo-ola Michael Fakankun, Ay Bangz is a Nigerian-born recording and performing artiste originally from Nigeria, presently based in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is known for his captivating stage presence and unique blend of musical genres.

Combining elements of his handophone, RnB, soul, afrofusion and alternative music, AyBangz’s music style defies easy categorisation, drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences. His lyrics are deeply introspective, exploring themes of love and identity, portraying some level of experience with honesty and vulnerability.

Over the years, he has created an impressive discography, including an EP titled Love and Magic. A lead track from the EP, Shooting Star, was also used as the official soundtrack for the Amazon Prime series, Grind.

Ay Bangz recently headlined his own concert in the city of Aberdeen, attracting at least 200 attendees. He’s also among the two shortlisted artistes for the Rise and Shine emerging artist development program, in Scotland, for 2024/2025.

Among other achievements, Ay Bangz has also been billed to perform at this year’s Pitch Scotland in August.