AHI, pronounced “eye,” is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter whose music embodies elements of indie folk, soul, roots rock, and blues.

Born Ahkinoah Habah Izarh in Brampton, Ontario, he defied familial expectations as a young adult by choosing to drop out of college to backpack around the world. He backpacked everywhere from Ethiopia, to Trinidad, to Thunder Bay. He has said that it was on his backpacking journey that he realized he wanted to be a musician for the rest of his life.

After his travels, AHI settled in Toronto to begin seriously working on his music. He first gained recognition when his first EP, Indie Soul (2014), landed him on a Spotify Top 50 Folk playlist in 2016. In 2017, he released his independent debut We Made It Through the Wreckage, earning him the Singer-Songwriter/Folk Award from the Canadian Songwriting Competition, and the Stingray Rising Star Award for his song “Ol’ Sweet Day” at the Folk Music Ontario conference.

AHI then signed to Thirty Tigers (home to songwriters like Jason Isbell, Patty Griffin, and Alanis Morisette), under which he released his second record In Our Time. In 2018, he won the Folk Music Ontario Recording Artist of the Year Award, received a Juno nomination for In Our Time, and was invited to play the beloved NPR Tiny Desk Concert. He made his live television debut, performing on the national U.S. television show CBS This Morning, and opened for the legendary Mavis Staples at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

Since signing to Thirty Tigers, AHI has written and recorded most of his work in Nashville, where he has really cut his teeth as a songwriter. He worked with Nashville-based with Grammy Award-winning producer Paul Maybury on his most recent record, Prospect (2021), which was longlisted for Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize in 2022.

AHI is passionate about his songwriting, striving to create songs that stand the test of time. In addition to his busy schedule of traveling, performing, and writing, he also manages a home with his wife and co-manager, Ashaten, and their three homeschooled children.

Awards

• Singer-Songwriter/Folk Award from the Canadian Songwriting Competitionthe Stingray Rising Star Award