Listen: Young muso mixes nursery rhymes with Amapiano beats to make learning fun

Learning can be a drag for most people, especially for children who have a short attention span. But taking something catchy as Amapiano and merging it with educational content can make the process of learning fun.

That is what 15-year-old singer songwriter from Johannesburg GideoMan has done. He last month released an EP, Amapiano Nursery Rhymes, where he mixed the popular dance genre with nursery rhymes.

The Citizen spoke to the 15-year-old through his management, who didn’t share GideoMan’s real name and actual photo.

For his siblings

“My young siblings were always playing nursery rhymes over and over; and my parents and myself included, would not get used to them a lot.

“But because my young siblings also love Amapiano, but the messaging in the songs wasn’t really fun and educating for them, I decided to think of a fun way for them to enjoy nursery rhymes by including the Amapiano twist,” GideoMan tells The Citizen.

He describes himself as a person that enjoys singing and dancing with his young siblings. “I am part of my school’s choir as well,” says GideoMan.

Some of the popular nursery rhymes remixed on GideoMan’s six-track EP include Old MacDonald and Row Your Boat.

At first listen, there’s a sense of bewilderment hearing thee lyrics on an upbeat Amapiano sound, but the longer you listen, you could find yourself singing along to the catchy and familiar nursery rhymes.

NOW READ: Mzansi celebrates K.O, Pabi Cooper and not so much Uncle Waffles’ BET Awards nominations

A good reception

“The parents have been receiving the music so well. It really means a lot knowing that a thought I had of making nursery rhymes fun and inclusive is really being accepted very well and many parents wanted something different and fresh,” says GideoMan.

GideoMan didn’t create the animated videos on YouTube. “The character was done by Ndumiso Nyoni; it was supposed to be a representation of myself; how I look and the kind of style I like of clothing,” says GideoMan.

ALSO READ: Carte Blanche shares Derek Watts’ health update following cancer diagnosis

What’s next?

He also confirmed that the Amapiano music used in the EP is not produced by him, but a slew of producers who include London Rhodes, Christer, Vaughan Fourie, Kudz, Zadok, Tanaka Sibanda and Urban Nombela.

GideoMan didn’t respond as to who is on the vocal, but listening to it, it sounds like songwriter Manana. GideoMan’s YouTube has Manana’s full name (Ndumiso Manana) as a contributor on the EP.

The young creator said he hasn’t had to deal with any copyright issues for using the popular nursery rhymes. “Luckily enough no, because the songs are pretty much all public domain songs.”

According to GideoMan the next goal is to work on South African and African nursery rhymes.

“I believe we have already achieved what we wanted with this project by making nursery rhymes fun and educative for the whole family and most importantly inclusive even if it was only a few kiddies and parents had listened to the project, our goal would have been achieved.”

READ NOW: ‘Truth never gets old’ – Lunga Shabalala amidst Thando Thabethe’s protection order