CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — When the envelope opened for 'Best Children's Music Album' at the 68th Grammy Awards, one father-daughter duo's "Harmony" went full circle, from having fun to making history.
For hip-hop artist Fyütch and his daughter Aura V., the moment was almost surreal.
"I was stunned," Fyütch said. "I couldn't believe it. I left my body in that moment."
Daddy-daughter duo talk GRAMMYs, making history and creating the award winning sound behind "Harmony"
When Fyütch reached the podium, though, that shock quickly turned into excitement and a chance to make the speech more than just a traditional thank you.
"I was on fire, I was ready to go," he said.
Fyütch highlighted his motivation for making music for kids and eventually their GRAMMY winning sound, was because there was a need.
"Children's music is more than just a genre," Fyütch said in his speech. "It is an intention. This is activism. This is revolution."
The duo's album Future Aura V: Harmony won Best Children's Music Album, putting the father-daughter team on one of the biggest stages in music. Since then, their lives — especially Aura's — have changed in some unexpected ways.
At school, Aura says things definitely feel different.
"Not normal," she said with a smile. "Everybody is asking me for autographs. They're telling me how cool I am. They want to be my friend."
For Fyütch, the recognition is meaningful, but the mission behind the music hasn't changed.
"I'm a hip-hop artist. I come from the church, so I've always used music as a way to speak truth to power," he said. "No matter what genre, music can uplift people, teach people, educate."
That purpose has guided their work together from the beginning.
"I'm always going to have that urge to uplift our people first and foremost, and then educate and inspire in general," he said.
The GRAMMY win has also expanded their reach in ways they never imagined. Fyütch says their platform is bigger than ever with more than four million followers.
However, the journey didn't start with GRAMMYs in mind.
"We were very genuine in this process," he said. "It was very organic. We didn't force anything. We weren't thinking GRAMMYs or going viral or news clips."
Instead, the goal was much simpler.
"We were thinking fun," Aura V. said. "There's power in following what feels great and exploring that in the moment."
That spirit of exploration helped Aura grow into a confident performer. Early on, she could only repeat lines her dad sang.
"At first, on songs like 'I Am Love, I Am Light,' she could only repeat after me," Fyütch said.
Now, she's performing full verses in front of crowds.
"She's not afraid to perform in front of hundreds of people."
Still, despite the spotlight, Fyütch says parenting comes first. Some days, music takes a back seat.
"[Sometimes] It's not a music day today, it's a bike-riding day," he said.
He never wants to get too far away from his goal of being a patient and positive parent and he feels like a big part of that is listening to your kids.
And when the two sit down to create, the process is the same. They go into their home studio, start creating a beat, find the words and they're off to the races.
Despite their obvious age gap, like true partners, they are like-minded in their belief that the message behind the music is still just as, if not more important than the sound.
"It's positivity and love," she said. "That's what we put out in the world, and that's what we receive."
The duo hopes their music continues spreading joy — something Aura sums up in her own words.
"To the sad people out there, be happy," she said. "I'm sending happy to everybody."
Together, the pair adds the message they want listeners to take away:
"Joy, peace… harmony."
Click HERE to learn more about their story, the award-winning album "Harmony" and the duo's GRAMMY acceptance speech.
