The band was ecstatic to receive an invitation to headline the colour festival in Ndola especially as they were the first international act to do so. The show was a massive success with an incredible turnout of 8000 people. “So many people travelled from all over Zambia and it was such an honour to see our Zambian fans out in their numbers and know our songs so well!” Savara said of the show in Ndola.
Sauti Sol’s Zambian fan base is a testament to their music and following the show in Ndola, they thought it appropriate to go to Lusaka and host a private show for the media and their key contacts in Zambia. The event was held at Misty Jazz restaurant and cafe. In attendance were media personalities as well as various musicians. It was a way for Sauti Sol to introduce themselves and begin a new relationship with the Zambian media. This also went to demonstrate their commitment to coming back for a public show in Lusaka.
ABOUT SAUTI SOL
Aptly crowed Best Group at the Mtv Africa Music Awards, the Kenyan band comprises of Bien-Aime Baraza (guitar, songwriter, vocalist), Willis Chimano (vocalist, Keytar and saxophone), Polycarp “Fancy Fingers” Otieno (guitar) and Savara Mudigi (vocals, percussions, and drums). Friends for longer than they have been bandmates, they cite this bond as one of the main reasons for their current success.
Bien, Chimano and Savara began as an acapella group in highschool before meeting Polycarp and adopting the name Sauti Sol ; loosely translating to “voice of the sun”. Creating music together for over a decade, the band has honed their craft blending resonant pop lyrics with traditional Kenyan influences and soulful vocals. Their distinctive style and penchant for risk-taking has propelled them into stardom rarely achieved by East African musicians.
In 2017 the band announced their next project as a collaborative effort with other major African artists. “We are always looking for new ways to create music and give our fans something fresh. As consistent ambassadors of our beautiful continent, we were eager to create music that celebrates the diversity on the continent and allows our wider audience to appreciate that we have mutual experiences” Chimano explained. Featuring the biggest artists on the continent such as Patoranking, Tiwa Savage and Burna Boy, the resulting African Sauce LP is a tour-de-force of African ingenuity. The lead single, Melanin , was an instant hit with the vibrant video garnering a whooping 4.6 million views on YouTube within a month of release. To date this is the only video by a Kenyan artist to hit over 10 million views.
As they release hit after hit from African Sauce LP , the guys embark on the Melanin World Tour beginning June 2018 with performances in Africa, Australia, Europe and the USA.
Sauti Sol has generated over 55 million video streams and a million audio streams on all major platforms internationally. Sauti Sol has won the most acclaimed awards in Kenya and Africa and internationally (Kisima music Awards, Channel O Awards, Mtv Europe Music Awards for best African group and at the US BET awards for best African Act.
Sad. Success?