MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We have been enjoying live music from Khalil Amaru as we bring you the show live this morning from South Philadelphia. Khalil has had a big year, which includes getting some attention from NPR member station WXPN. When we spoke with him earlier, he told us that even though he has been playing since he was young, he only started releasing music recently after a talk with his dad. Let's listen.
KHALIL AMARU: I told him - you know what? - I'm going to give myself a year, and if I don't really see any progress or growth, I'm not going to devote any time to it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'LL BE YOURS")
AMARU: (Singing) Baby, I'll be yours, yours.
I released my first single back in April. And then WXPN had a 24-hour songwriting contest. And I was like, why not? It was such a crazy day because I had a photo shoot and a video shoot. And so I came home about, like, 11 p.m. (laughter). And I had church the next morning, so I had to come up with something in, like, six hours. And I just sat at my piano and started chopping things up.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
AMARU: This song is called "Dear June," and I hope you like it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DEAR JUNE")
AMARU: (Singing) Two strangers by the sea, sharing fruit and some iced tea.
"Dear June" was written to someone that I shared a summer fling with - something that you thought it was fun in the moment. But as soon as the fall hit, it just went away.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DEAR JUNE")
AMARU: (Singing) Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the petals keep falling away.
And lo and behold, I found out I was a finalist and eventually the grand prize winner.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DEAR JUNE")
AMARU: (Singing) Oh, June, June, June, June.
I originally grew up in a small township called Ypsilanti in Michigan. Growing up, I was really bullied a lot. I started to learn the piano because my dad plays. His dad plays. But it really became a safe haven for me. It was the place that I would run to after school when I needed someone to listen to me. And the piano was where I left all of my words and all of my stories and all of my pain.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LOVE PAINS, PT. 1")
AMARU: (Singing) Butterflies under the skin.
My first EP project called "Love Pains" was literally a lot for me to do. It took a year. And I think that in carving out an artistry, you just can't come through Philadelphia and expect it to be easy. The crowds aren't easy, but they are real, and they're sincere. And that has meant so much to me. Honestly, it's the resilience of Philly that has strengthened me and sharpened me as an artist.
(SOUNDBITE OF KHALIL AMARU SONG, "LOVE PAINS, PT. 1")
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And he is pretty sharp, even early in the morning here at Anthony's Italian Coffee & Chocolate House in South Philly. Folks, what do you think of Khalil so far?
(APPLAUSE)
INSKEEP: All right.
MARTIN: Khalil, let me ask you a couple questions.
AMARU: Yeah.
MARTIN: Who are your inspirations?
AMARU: Oh, man, I think, personally, definitely, as I mentioned, my father and my grandfather. But musically, Stevie Wonder. I mean, he...
INSKEEP: Oh, all right.
AMARU: Yeah, Stevie's everything. He just came through Philly. And, man, just to be able to play piano and sing like that, it was what started it for me.
INSKEEP: (Singing) Very superstitious...
AMARU: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: How is he still doing that at this age? It's amazing.
AMARU: Who knows?
INSKEEP: Wow.
AMARU: Yeah.
INSKEEP: Wow. So what do you got coming up?
AMARU: Yeah - no, I have quite a lot of things coming up. I'm dropping my live EP next month in November.
INSKEEP: Oh, congratulations.
AMARU: And then my last show of the year is December 10 at The Story Factory - Philadelphians will know - around Fishtown. And I'm excited to close out the year still promoting this "Love Pains" project. So come out and check it out.
MARTIN: Well, so it's great for you - it's really great of you to come and get up early. These are not the usual hours for a musical artist.
AMARU: Oh, no.
MARTIN: So thank you for that.
(LAUGHTER)
MARTIN: You want to play us a little bit more? Play us out.
AMARU: Yeah.
MARTIN: All right.
AMARU: (Singing) Oh, June. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the petals keep falling away. Oh, June, trying to bloom, hoping maybe this time you will stay. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the leaves, they just wither away. Oh, June, June, June, June, June. Drop-top with some shades on, we was feeling lucky. Yeah. Outside during summer, but when fall hit, she ain't know me. Ah, na-na-na. Leaves start changing. Now you're claiming you unhappy, posting pictures of the summer when you had me. Seems like I was just a photo for your memory - all your memories. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the petals keep falling away. Oh, June, trying to bloom, hoping maybe this time you will stay. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the leaves, they just wither away. Oh, June, June, June, June. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the petals keep falling away. Oh, June, trying to bloom, hoping maybe this time she will stay. Oh, June, trying to bloom, but the leaves, they just wither away. Oh, June, June, June, June. (Vocalizing). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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