How The Discerning Parent Handles The Looming School Fees Dilemma Like a Boss!

To a large extent, Kenyan boy-band Sauti Sol owed their audience a disclaimer at the end of their hit track, Nerea. If a parenting newbie takes its content literally, the hard truth slams down like a sledge hammer blow – every new born needs quite a definite budget. The band ought to have ended the track with a candid ‘Just Kidding!’

There’s also an indelible aspect of our African culture that weighs upon us. The extended family. That part of culture is passed down in generations. Does the adage ‘You only have a wife as your own, the offspring belongs to the village’ ring a bell?

 

Your brother’s kids are no different from your own, in the instance he’s in a disadvantaged position to cater for their needs. Hello, Sauti Sol. You lied.

That truth dawned on Mutiso, one early morning. Pardon the pun. Mutiso is a military officer, recently employed and based in a garrison in the outskirts of the city. When school holidays begun early August, his younger sister showed up at his doorstep with her two kids, aged six and thirteen. She had been a long-suffering housewife trapped in an abusive marriage, and had finally called it quits.

She didn’t have any income. Her brother was the only family she had in the city, so his house became her refuge.

For a while, Mutiso had a difficult time. He was a bachelor, and wasn’t used to the technicalities and skills to run a full household. Luckily enough, he has a good working relationship with his bank. Turns out his salary is processed through Co-op Bank, and that’s how he got help to absorb the sudden economic shock.

The military job is infamous for an erratic schedule – unplanned call ups and travel to remote places, often for extended times. For a few days after the impromptu arrival of his nephew and niece, Mutiso enjoyed relative calm. The kids adored him, and they spent a lot of time bonding and sampling fun spots in the city.

Then his job lived up to its billing. He suddenly received a call up for an operation along the volatile Somali border. There’s no time plan given for such operations, and Mutiso knew he had to plan ahead. His younger sister was still searching for a job. He had her register her younger kid in a school near their estate. The elder one was already in a girls’ boarding school.

On the day of departure, Mutiso logged into MCo-op Cash App and checked out salary advance loans. He was delighted to learn everyone whose salary processing was done through the bank had a leeway to apply a salary advance loan up to Ksh.200,000.00.

He didn’t need that much, though. Just enough money to cover school fees and living expenses for his household in his absence.

In a few minutes, the salary advance was conveniently processed. He withdrew the cash into phone. His sister was stunned by the ease of it. But she was worried he might be travelling to areas without internet coverage. Well, he explained, if he couldn’t access M-Coop Cash App, he could still access his account via dialing *667#.

#PesaIkoKwaMCoopCash is real. Thou shall not struggle with school fees. Dial *667# on your phone and apply for a salary advance loan straight to your phone.

Timmy Tdat Vs Willy Paul Vs Khaligraph: Who is the best live performer?

When you attend a gig, you expect to be entertained and this largely depends on the performers and what they do on stage. Truth is, anyone can get on stage but very few people can own it. (I sound like a motivational speaker at this point).

I have attended a couple of gigs over the last few years and watched some on YouTube and in my honest opinion some of the best live Kenyan performers are; The Kansoul, Jua Cali, Juliani, Nameless, Sauti Sol, Avril, Timmy Tdat, Willy Paul and Khaligraph Jones.

Today, we’ll focus on the last three names because they are individuals who are current i.e. they don’t belong to any groups and they have been in the game for almost the same period of time and they are still relevant to date.

We would like to find out who among the three you consider the best live performer and why. What makes each of them stand out and why? We want to know how they manage to pull large crowds to their events.

Willy Paul

Willy Paul
Willy Paul

Apart from having mad energy while performing, the Tam Tam hitmaker is known to pull stunts on stage. He always does something unexpected perhaps this is why his fans can’t get enough of him.

Timmy Tdat

Timmy Tdat

The Kipopo hitmaker is not only energetic, he also knows how to interact with the crowd. To add to that, he’s likely to dance seductively with a girl on stage during a gig.

Khaligraph Jones

Khaligraph Jones
Khaligraph Jones

The O.G as he is popularly known is good at crowd control. He’s not jumpy like the other two but if you attend his gig, you’ll definitely get value for your money. He has a unique style of entertaining his fans and in my opinion, it works for him.

According to you, who among the three is the be best live performer? Tell us!

Nviiri the storyteller the ‘music engineer’

Nviiri the storyteller is a talented Kenyan songwriter and singer. His full name is Nviiri Sande.

Did ever hit you that a mechanical engineer could leave the title for a simple role in music? Well taht is Nviiri for you. He left a very prestigious profession. It is clear that dreams are valid.

We all know Nviiri the story teller from Sauti Sol. This is a talented guy and recently he has hit the airwaves with his new single Pombe Sigara. Nviiri got the fame after co-writing Melanin something that he says changed his life completely.

Also, it is important to note that Melanin is already a hit song where Sauti Sol featured Patoraking. It is currently at million views on youtube courtesy of Nviiri.

It is shocking that this talent had been lying somewhere underutilized. Nviiri is soon becoming the household. In an interview with Pulse, he says that he is more of a story teller. This is an art that makes him unique in the market. In Extravaganza, Sauti Sol’s collaborated with him and we can all confirm that the jam is really doing well.

Although Nviiri has just come to the limelight recently, he has had his piece of the Kenyan music platform. It will not be wrong if I said that Nviiri Sande has made a living through writing music.

Songs

Ex Anaiva where he featured Tanasha Donna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQeotUx5wtk

Niokoe featuring Gordon and Ja

Listening to the two jams, you will realize that this guy has a voice that is so great.  Even if he performs gospel or secular, I believe that he can hack both worlds.

To add on what people have said, Nviiri just needs to concentrate on doing more songs.  He is what we need in this industry. I can’t even keep calm till he releases something new. Lets promote him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXpSIuP2fg

 

Khaligraph Jones has no competitor in Kenya

As I was watching Khaligraph Jones’ new banger Leave Me Alone, I kept thinking how he’s way ahead of his peers and how long it will take them to catch up.

Also read: Khaligraph’s performance fee has shot to 1 million bob per show and it’s totally okay

In my opinion, the rapper whose real name is Brian Ouko Omollo is playing in the big leagues. His rivals are continental stars, the likes of AKA, Nasty C, M.I Abaga, Sarkodie, Ice Prince, Phyno etc.

Khaligraph has reached a point where his music is consumed by people across Africa and not just Kenya, a quick peek at the comments section of his music videos on YouTube will confirm this.

Khaligraph Jones
Khaligraph Jones

I find this interesting is because apart from Sauti Sol, the Superman hit maker is the only other Kenyan act who’s getting a lot of continental attention. The keyword is a lot.

In a way, this is a win for the country as a whole since it makes outsiders curious about the kind of music that is coming from Kenya.

Chances are, they’ll find other great musicians after listening to Khaligraph and perhaps they will enjoy their music even more.

Despite the fact that Khaligraph is doing well and making music that is consumable across Africa, I still feel that he needs a strong competitor in Kenya.

Khaligraph Jones
Khaligraph Jones

You see, as it is now Khaligraph is the pacesetter for the local rap scene, people are always curious to find out what he’s up to so that they can ‘copy’.

Because he’s ahead of the pack, this means that he doesn’t have someone to keep him on his toes. He can decide to slack because at the end of the day, he’s still the best of the best.

However, if he had someone to keep him in check i.e. a strong competitor, he would push himself harder and maybe, just maybe he’ll finally bring the BET Award for Best International Act: Africa home.

Watch his latest release dubbed Leave Me Alone below.

Are Kenyan gospel musicians asleep?

I honestly feel like Kenyan gospel musicians are deep in slumber. I’m saying this because I feel that the gospel industry is not as vibrant as it was a few years ago. I feel like it has stagnated.

If you are an avid fan of Kenyan music then I’m sure you remember how the gospel industry was big five to ten years ago. Can you?

M.O.G performing on stage
M.O.G performing on stage

The gospel industry was so enormous so much so that secular artists were almost unheard of, no one even cared about them or what they were up.

The biggest song in the country at any given time was from the likes of DK Kwenye Beat, Juliani, Willy Paul, M.O.G, Benachi, Daddy Owen, Bahati, Gloria Muliro, Eunice Njeri, Mercy Masika etc.

I don’t know what happened but somewhere along the way, the secular industry overtook took over. We can debate about this until the come home but deep down you also know that this is a fact.

The gospel music is not what it was five to ten years and this begs begs the question, are Kenyan gospel musicians asleep, did they get too comfortable or are they just lazy?

Gloria Muliro
Gloria Muliro

I know it’s not a competition between the two sides. After all, they are all Kenyan. As a Christian, it just gives me comfort when the gospel industry is at the top.

Don’t get me wrong, I listen to a lot of secular music. Yup! From Sauti Sol to Ethic, anything goes. I have nothing against secular musicians.

It’s just I really miss that days when gospel music was the order of the day. Those days when gospel gigs had the biggest crowds. The days when gospel musicians were really praising God with music.

This is a clarion call to all Kenyan gospel musicians. Enough said!

Believe it or not, Sauti Sol is saving the Kenyan music industry

I’ve listened to Sauti Sol’s new jam Extravaganza a couple of times since it was released. I kept hitting the replay button because the song sounds great. I really love it!

Sauti Sol
Sauti Sol

Each time I listened to the song I kept thinking how different it is from what the vulgar music that we have gotten used to in the last 1 year (or so).

The new song by Sauti Sol, Bensoul, Nviiri The Storyteller, Crystal Asige and Kaskazini is about a party  but it was executed so beautifully.

The other thing that I loved about Extravaganza is the fact the different singers didn’t have to throw in dirty words like lamba lolo, geuka nikubeng and what have you to make the song enjoyable.

Also read: New age musicians are destroying the Kenyan sound

I honestly miss kind of of music. It’s music that is sane, responsible and mature. People are just singing about ordinary things and it sounds so good to the ears.

As I listened to the song I a realized that Sauti Sol is trying to salvage the local music industry. Hope is not lost ladies and gentlemen!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx6rjqmhsFU/

The band has signed up a couple of singers to their label – Sol Generation Records – and they are trying to show them that you don’t have to be vulgar to get people’s attention.

I have immense respect for Sauti Sol because they have taken it upon themselves to mentor the likes of Bensoul, Nviiri The Storyteller, Crystal Asige and Kaskazini.

We are at a time when vulgar music has become the order of the day so that some artists thought it was okay to release a song and make fun of a university student who was hacked to death.

Sauti Sol could not sit back and watch these as the so called ‘new-age musicians’ ruined the industry so they act! Props to them!

Watch Sauti Sol’s new jam with Bensoul, Nviiri The Storyteller, Crystal Asige and Kaskazini below.

Most Kenyan musicians don’t know their worth and it’s sad

Despite being super-talented and all, you’ll be shocked to learn that most Kenyan musicians don’t really understand their worth. This is a sad fact of life!

So, here’s the scenario, you are are dead broke despite being an accomplished musician. You’ve dropped three new singles since the year began.

To add to that  you have thousands of followers on your own social media pages, meaning you can easily pull crowds to a gig.

Naiboi
Naiboi

Someone, say a fraudulent promoter, approaches and asks you to perform at an out of town gig for Ksh. 10,000 and you agree because you need to sort out some bills and what not.

Who’s the fool here? Is it the promoter or the musician. It’s definitely the latter and I’ll explain why.

You see, Kenyan musicians should be aware of their worth and stop undervaluing themselves. When they accept paltry amounts for out of town gigs, they are unknowingly setting a bad precedence.

Event organizers are always in constant communication. If word goes around that you charge a certain amount for a performance, your rate card is set.

Nyashinski

The next time an event organizer calls the musician up, they will probably offer them the same amount or much less.

At the end of the day, a musician will be bitter for getting bad rates yet they are being offered such meagre amounts because of the precedence that they set. It’s your fault bro!

Musicians should know that it’s okay to turn down amounts they are not comfortable with and that their personal needs or debts should not come before their crafts.

If a musician  needs a manager to help them evaluate how much they are worth, they should go ahead and get one. It’s totally okay!

This way, they’ll get paid what they are worth.  The musician, will also be able to do more things. Instead of performing at many small gigs and being underpaid, just have one or two and get your worth.

Some of the musicians who have been smiling all the way to the bank because they understand their worth are the likes of Naiboi, Khaligraph, Sauti Sol, Otile Brown, Nameless, Avril, Fena Gitu, King Kaka, Octopizzo, Nyashinski, just to name a few.

Avril

If you’ve been wondering how come they always have a new song every now and then it’s because they are getting paid what they are worth.

Also read: Khaligraph’s performance fee has shot to 1 million bob per show and it’s totally okay

Sauti Sol members are singing in French in their new collabo and we love it (Video)

Sauti Sol members are belting their hearts out in French, Lingala and Kinyarwanda in the latest collabo and trust me, they have never sounded better than this.

The boy band teamed up with Rwandan Afro-beat star Mani Martin for the love ballad dubbed Mapenzi and I love it. You’ll probably love it too.

Mani Martin
Mani Martin

Listening to Bien, Mudigi and Chimano singing in foreign languages was quite something. It’s almost as if you are listening to a new person. Just like the first time we heard Yemi Alade singing in Swahili.

Interestingly, Sauti Sol didn’t even plan to sing in Kinyarwanda, French and Lingala.

They had been working on the song with Mani for a year or so. By the time they went to record it, Sauti Sol suggested that they switch parts with the 30-year-old Rwandan singer.

They did and it turned out to be a great idea.  The result was so good so much so that they decided to leave it like that. However, Mani admits that he struggled to sing in English and Swahili.

The song was produced Rwandan producer Jacques Kikene Mastola, Sauti Sol’s Fancy Fingers and Pastor P.

The video was filmed in Rwanda by music video director Meddy Saleh.

Watch Mapenzi below and tell us what you think.

Bensoul is talented, Sauti Sol shouldn’t force him down people’s throats

Singer and songwriter Benson Mutua, alias Bensoul, is indeed gifted. Actually, some music fans claim that he’s one of the best, if not the best, male vocalists in Kenya – a sentiment that I have no qualms with.

A few days ago, Bensoul re-affirmed this notion when he released his second project under Sol Generation Records dubbed Favorite Song. If you listen to the song, you can tell that a lot of thought went into putting it together. It’s a masterpiece.

His first single under the stable titled Lucy was also a work of art. Bensoul spends so much time honing his songwriting and performance skills. Perhaps this would explain why his songs are doing well.

But then again you could argue that Bensoul has Sauti Sol to thank for his newfound success seeing as they have been promoting his music heavily across their social media pages that have millions of followers.

Sauti Sol with Bensoul on Chipukeezy Show

What you may not know is that Bensoul has been doing music for quite some time. He had a name and a fanbase even before he was ‘discovered’ by Sauti Sol. He was not doing that well but he had made some steps, including recording a big hit with H_art The Band dubbed Masheesha.

To a large extent, I feel that Sauti Sol has been shoving Bensoul down people’s throats which should not be case because he is really good at what he does.

You know the Swahili proverb that says “Chema chajiuza kibaya chajitembeza“? I feel like Bensoul should just be allowed to flourish on his own. He should face challenges like any other upcoming artist so that he can really appreciate success when he gets there.

The thing about talent is that it might take time before someone recognizes it but it will be appreciated eventually. It also needs to be appreciated naturally. I’ll listen to Bensoul’s music because I feel it’s good and not because Sauti Sol keep hyping him on their pages.

In as much as Bensoul is Sol Generation Records’ first signing, I feel that the brands should be allowed to maintain their unique identities. Sauti Sol can support him but from a distance. For instance, why do they need to accompany him to every single interview?

I want to see Bensoul and think of Bensoul. I don’t want to see him and start asking myself whether he is the 5th member of Sauti Sol. There needs to be a clear distinction.

Another of Sauti Sol´s band member set to join Havard University

On the 5th of April, Sauti Sol´s Savara Mudigi left the country for Harvard University and we only expect him back in 2020.

Sauti Sol´s band member, Savara Mudigi

The vocalist took to social media to bid fans and followers ´goodbye´ claiming that he is in a bid to cut off probes from everyone.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv3uJnPBUu1/

Reactions

On his Instagram page, fans wish him well although feeling sad that he might be kept away from good music production by the books.

However, it is their joy to see him seeking advancement both in his career and educational background:

Lugha ya taiga will be a lit jam????????????

margaret.wandia

You better be stopping over to see us????

Should we start the cooking….and the music?

???????? Safe travel…

jessiejerrie

Haha One Love bro… Blessings

alekeymarshal

@savarafricaall the best and safe travel

tabsnation

Na mimi nabaki mbona????????

lynda_akinyi
The band´s members (Savara and Polycarp-holding guitar) performing on stage

This comes less that 30 days after fellow band member and guitarist, Polycarp Otieno left for Harvard too.

Anyway, we do wish them well and hope this will bring in better quality and taste of music from the renowned Kenyan band.

Ama vipi?

5 impossible music collabos we’d love to see before 2019 ends

A few days ago, Octopizzo revealed that he was willing to work with nemesis Khaligraph Jones if the song would line his pockets. Although the chances of this happening are close to zero, it got me thinking about other impossible collabos that we’d love to see.

You see, the essence of doing in a collabo is to grow an artist’s fanbase. For instance, Khaligraph’s fans would get to know about Octopizzo or appreciate his music and vice versa if the two artists ever do a collabo.

There’s also the obvious fact that two or more music greats are bound to create something magical if they ever work on a song together.

That being said, here’s our wish list of collabos:

1. Nyashinki and Otile Brown – After listening to Nyashinki and Juma Jux on Incase You Don’t Know, I couldn’t help but imagine what a Nyashinki and Otile Brown collabo would sound like. We are really looking forward to the day when they’ll give us a treat.

Nyashinki and Otile Brown

2. Arrow Bwoy and Vivian – This collabo should have happened a long time ago. I mean why not? Vivian’s smooth vocals would really blend well with Arrow Bwoy’s seductive dancehall sound. Get into studio guys!

Vivian and Arrow Bwoy

3. Sauti Sol and King Kaka – They may not see eye to eye but I’m sure you also get the feeling that a song by these great musicians would be nothing but pure bliss. You remember Sauti Sol’s collabo with Khaligraph dubbed Rewind? Think along those lines and then add King Kaka’s storytelling skills.

Sauti Sol and King Kaka

4. Nadia Mukami and Naiboi – I live for the day these two musicians will release a song together. Thinking about it just gives me goosebumps. If a collabo between Naiboi and Nadia comes to pass, it will be the biggest song in 2019. You want to bet?

Nadia Mukami & Naiboi

5. Masauti and Steph Kapela – Nothing beats a bongo-infused rap song. Absolutely nothing. It’s for this reason that I feel Masauti should do his next collabo with one of Kenya’s best emcees – Steph Kapela. What I love about Steph Kapela is that he is versatile, he could end up singing if they ever do a collabo.

Masauti and Steph Kapela

Which are some of the collabos that you’d like to see before the year ends? Leave a comment below.

Sauti Sol Yet Again!

Forget about the MTV Europe Music Award, or the BET Awards 2015, for best African Act and Best African Pop Group respectively.

Ever heard of the Nickelodeon Kids´ Choice Awards (KCA´s)?

Sauti Sol´s Post

The Kenyan band, Sauti Sol, has made it public that they are up for contention for the 2019 Nickelodeon Kid´s Choice Awards.

Woe unto them if they don´t bring it home. Just kidding.

Anyway, based on recent occurrences, it would not be a mistake to believe that this award is theirs to bring home.

¨We are pleased to announce that we´ve been nominated for the NICKELODEON KIDS CHOICE AWARDS as the FAVORITE AFRICAN STARS.

To vote, use the hashtag #KCA + #VoteSautiSol.¨ read their post.

Other notable African nominees include Davido, who was nominated in the favorite Global Music Star Category to compete against BLACKPINK (Asia), Troye Sivan (Australia/New Zealand), David Guetta (Europe), Taylor Swift (North America), J Balvin (Latin America) and HRVY (UK).

The Favorite African Star category, has the ¨Live and Die in Africa¨ hitmakers up against Stonebwoy (Ghana), radio personality IK Osakioduwa (Nigeria) and actress Adesua Etomi (Nigeria).

The Awards ceremony is to be held on 23rd March 2019, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.

DJ Khaled

DJ Khaled will be hosting the awards that feature music, TV, movies and social media categories.

The Nickelodeon Kids´ Choice Awards is an annual American children´s awards ceremony show, produced by Nickelodeon.

The show usually honors the year´s biggest music, television and movie acts as voted globally by viewers of Nickelodeon networks.

Bet you not, stars the likes of Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande are just but a few of those who have been right through these awards shows.

The show reaches out mainly to teenagers, an advantage to the stars featured, whose popularity and reach might go way beyond.

We all know that Sauti Sol have never been a disappointment, if anything, they carry the Kenyan flag high.

Sauti Sol, talented boy band that gave Kenyan music worldwide recognition

I would be so disappointed if any upcoming or established Kenyan musician does not pay homage to Sauti Sol. These talented boys literally took Kenyan music to the world, they put us on the map and showed the upcoming musicians how things should be done.

For a long time, anybody who had not stepped foot into Kenya thought that this country was all about athletics and wildlife but thanks to Sauti Sol, these days our music is one of our strongest pillars as a nation.

10 or so years ago, artists were only focused on making music that was only relevant to Kenyans, no one cared about doing press interviews to hype their new releases or shooting videos that would be considered of high quality.

An artist would get into studio and ask for a beat, record the song on the same day and do the video following day. No one even cared much about editing so the would hurry up things and release a whack video in a matter of days.

When Sauti Sol got into the music industry, they realized that they had to put in work at every stage of making music to achieve success.

They made sure they catchy beats that would catch the attention of any music lover, even if you are in your 70s you’ll still dance to Sauti Sol. I am willing to bet that your folks are their fans. Okay, maybe not.

They didn’t use any lewd words in their songs. Well, until lately. Sauti Sol also sung of love – something that we can all identify with, your sexual orientation notwithstanding.

The boy-band sought some of the world’s best video directors to shoot their music videos and edit them. The videos also had to be shot at good locations and be well-choreographed.

Sauti Sol with renowned video director Justin Campos during the shooting of ‘Unconditionally Bae’

Sauti Sol even realize that there is no need to hurry in releasing music, this explains why you’ll see you then recording a song a big artist today but the song will be released like 6 months down the line.

This is what it takes to come up with a beautiful product. You have to hang on to it for sometime so that you can release it at a perfect time when it will be received well. Timing is everything as a the adage goes.

After releasing the song then you have to do media interviews to popularize it on radio, which is still the biggest music consumption avenue in Kenya.

Sauti Sol and Khaligraph Jones at Kiss 100 after releasing rewind in 2018

Then you’ll have to put it on digital music platforms such as Tidal, Itunes and Deezer for your fans who are beyond the borders of this country. Local fans consume music on YouTube, radio, TV, clubs or in matatus.

That’s just part of the work that Sauti Sol had to put in making sure their music received world wide recognition. In so doing, they became good example to other local musicians and that’s why our songs been popular beyond Kenya in the last few years.

Wedding bells! Sauti Sol’s Bien finally proposes to his long term girlfriend

After dating for so long, Bien finally popped the big question to his girlfriend Chiki Kuruka last evening.

The news was released online by their close friends who shared a photo of Bien on one knee proposing.

Although more details about the proposal are yet to be released; the photo making rounds online proves that Chiki Kuruka was undeniably surprised and excited at the same time.

On and Off relationship

Just like most relationships; a while back, Bien and Chiki Kuruka were said to be having some relationship issues that almost saw them separate.

However, we now can now assume that these were just the normal problems every relationship usually faces.

Anyway, as for now we wait for the wedding dates to be released online; but hopefully their wedding will not be held in secret like what Sauti Sol’s fancyfingers did.

Tuku is smiling in heaven! Sauti Sol drops a touching cover of Oliver Mtukudzi’s hit song ‘Neria’

Kenyan boys band Sauti Sol has decided to celebrate the life of fallen Zimbabwean music maestro Oliver Mtukudzi by continuing his legacy.

The legendary singer died on Wednesday 23rd January 2019 at Avenues Clinic in Harare aged 66. He was said to be battling  diabetes for the past one month.

His death has send shock waves across the world, several international celebrities have been pouring in their condolences and tributes.

Cover

Sauti Sol has dropped a touching cover of Oliver Mtukudzi’s hit song ‘Neria’ which was first released in early 1990s. ‘Neria’ is the title track of the official soundtrack of the eponymous movie ‘Neria’ released in 1993.

Tuku recorded the track after he was approached by directors of a movie called ‘Winds of Change’. After he was given the script of the movie, he recorded the song overnight. The directors liked the song so much that they decided to change the name of the movie from ‘Winds of Change’ to ‘Neria’. [sic]

Watch Sauti Sol’s cover of ‘Neria’ below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtBvk4LhNxf/

 

Sauti Sol finally share some ‘nudes’ to calm agitated fans who felt cheated 

On Saturday January 19th, Sauti Sol caused a stir on social media when they promised to unleash some nudes in the event that Arsenal beats Chelsea.

The gunners miraculously beat Chelsea and unfortunately Sauti Sol found it hard to keep their promise. Most people were disappointed, especially ladies.

Finally some ‘nudes’

Sauti Sol’s Savara Mudigi decided to calm the situation by posting his ‘nude’ photo. A shirtless Mudigi took to Twitter to flaunt his chest.

But some ladies just wanted the real deal;

“Instead of asking us to play Kenyan music be the mentors” Jalang’o tells Sauti Sol to share their secret with other musicians

There is no doubt Sauti Sol are the most successful Kenyan musicians. Jalang’o wants the group to share their secret with other Kenyan musicians instead of joining the bandwagon demanding 100% airplay.

Sauti Sol’s Bien took to social media to show his support to musicians demanding Kenyan music to be given priority when it comes to airplay on radio and TV.

“Kenyan music always comes with the word support. When you play Beyonce are you supporting her? I don’t know. Don’t support Kenyan music. Consume it, live it. It’s great,” wrote Bien.

Be the mentor

Jalang’o replied telling Bien to mentor other musicians instead of just calling for Kenyan music to be given 100% airplay, the Milele FM presenter says that Sauti Sol should share their secret with other musicians.

“Good…Now tell them why your music enjoy high rotation…I have really been waiting for your post or a post from Sautisol…to tell other artists why you’ve never complained about airplay! Bien you know how you work hard to get your music out there! Before any of your songs is out we receive emails , teasers and even a press release! After that it’s a series of calls to radio stations booking interviews left right and center! You show up at interviews on time…I have seen you guys do more than 5 interview in a day! You toil ! You post people dancing to your songs…you do challenges and within a week the whole country know about your new song! To make even yourself bigger you’ve collabod with TZ and Naija..you are international! I remember when you guys were hawking your music! It doesn’t come easy! People work! And until the same work ethics are instilled in our Kenyan artists we can play Kenya Music 100% and it will never go anywhere! So instead of asking about playing Kenya Music be Mentors in the industry! You can only take one portion at a time! Sautisol are Legends, UPCOMING and even new artists! No bro it doesn’t work like that! Hold people hands fam! You know the ropes!” Jalang’o commented on Bien’s post.

Bien replied saying;

“@jalangoo I agree. People must work. I can equally attest that you are one hard working guy. But now all this is beyond us. It’s about what our kids will inherit. Let’s all play our parts but let’s give US priority. Mcheza kwao hutunzwa.”

 

 

 

 

Sauti Sol forced to explain why they haven’t released new songs despite promising a song every month 

Sauti Sol has come out to explain why they didn’t keep a promise they made last year in November. The popular band had promised fans that they’ll be releasing new music every month for a year. But in 2018, the band barely hit half the number they promised.

The band has now come out to disclose that they couldn’t keep their promise because they realized that they didn’t have the financial capabilities to make the project possible.

“We took a break because we realized we did not have the required financial muscle to keep up with the releases and push the project to a global scale. We have, however, signed deals with international record labels and from next year we will be back on track,” Bien said during a media briefing.

Nominations

Their statement comes just a week after they were nominated in three categories at the Soundcity MVP Awards. ‘Short n Sweet’ which features Nyashinski has been nominated for two categories ‘Video of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year.’ The group has also been nominated in the ‘Best Group or Duo’ category.

 

“We took a break because we realised we did not have the financial muscle” Sauti Sol admit they are broke

Sauti Sol announced an ambitious project in November but they have not lived up to their expectations. The quartet’s objective has been hindered by lack of funds.

In November 2017, Sauti Sol promised their fans that they would be releasing a new song every month. They were to release a total of 13 songs by the end of December 2018.

“But we will be releasing a track every month beginning this Nov for the next 12 months,” Sauti Sol tweeted in November 2017.

Financial constraints

2018 had its own challenges even though the year is almost over, Sauti Sol dropped only four hit songs this year – ‘Melanin’, ‘Short n Sweet’, ‘Rewind’, and ‘Tujiangalie’.

On Wednesday December 19th, Sauti Sol admitted that they were too broke to drop a new song each month. Group member Bien Aime Baraza promised their fans that everything will be in order come 2019.

“We took a break because we realised we did not have the required financial muscle to keep up with the releases and push the project to a global scale. We have, however, signed deals with international record labels and from next year we will be back on track,” said Bien.

 

 

Khaligraph Jones receives another prestigious award nomination two months after winning AFRIMMA

Khaligraph Jones is currently the most successful rapper in Kenya. The Kayole rapper was crowned the best ‘Best Rap Act’ in the 2018 African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) which was held in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Fresh from winning AFRIMMA, Khaligraph has been nominated for yet another continental award – Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.

The Soundcity MVP Awards Festival is an event presented by Soundcity TV which awards plaques to musicians and performers across Africa. Since 2007, the winners are chosen by the viewers and fans by popular vote [sic]

Stiff competition

Khaligraph will be going head to head with Africa’s rap heavyweight including Ghana’s Sarkodie, Nigeria’s M.I. Abaga, Phyno and Falz and South Africa’s Nasty C, A.K.A and Kwesta.

Sauti Sol have also been nominated for Soundcity MVP Awards in two categories – ‘Video Of The Year’ and ‘Song Of The Year’  for their song ‘Short n Sweet’ with Nyashinski.

 

 

Rwandan Minister of Sports and Culture publicly apologizes to Sauti Sol

Sauti Sol failed to perform at a Rwandan festival following a mishap which was blamed on the organizers. The quartet was embarrassed after they were denied a chance to perform to their fans in Rwanda.

The group was scheduled to perform as the last act at the festival but the emcee announced that the festival had ended just before they performed, they were were already at the backstage when the announcement was made.

We deeply regret our failure

Rwandan Minister of Sports and Culture Julienne Uwacu apologized to Sauti Sol for the mishap in a message written on Twitter.

Sauti Sol accepted the apology and said they were looking forward to return to Rwanda to thrill their fans.

 

 

Sauti Sol’s Bien cheers Brian Nadra as he delivers breathtaking cover of ‘Short N Sweet’

Sauti Sol’s ‘Short N Sweet’ is one the best songs the quartet has ever released, the song has garnered over 6 million views on YouTube in just two months.

Brian Nadra, known for his debut track ‘Leo ni Leo’ is at his bamboozling ways yet again, this time round he dropped a breathtaking cover of ‘Short N Sweet’.

Brian Nadra
Brian Nadra

Praises galore

The self proclaimed Mr. Bamboozla released a teaser three weeks ago which was received with excitement and praises galore from everyone including Sauti Sol’s Bien.

“Nadra, you’re a bad guy, you’re the guy that should have sung this song in the first place,” Bien commented.

The cover which is a total remake, has a dub feel to it thanks to the Decimator himself Eric Musyoka. Renowned Gospel reggae artists Hope Kid and Guardian Angel liked the beat and even applauded Musyoka.

Watch the cover in the video below:

 

 

 

“Sauti Sol watu wangu manze nataka kuwabig up” Jua Cali enthusiastically praises Sauti Sol 

Jua Cali has come to assert that Sauti Sol are indeed the kings of Kenyan music industry. The Genge rapper showered the quartet with praise for taking Kenyan music to the next level.

Sauti Sol are the first Kenyan musicians to get over 10 million views on YouTube. Their song ‘Melanin’ has garnered 10 million views in just 6 months despite Ezekiel Mutua banning it.

The group’s latest song ‘Short N Sweet’ is still trending first on YouTube, the song has garnered 1.4 million views in just 9 days.

Respect

Jua Cali took to social media to pay heartfelt tribute to Sauti Sol for their accomplishments. The rapper says he has nothing but utter respect for the quartet.

“Sauti Sol watu wangu manze nataka manze kuwabig up sana jo kwa hizi projects munafanya manze. Yani jo munapush hio boundary, yani jo munapeleka ngoma zetu, ngoma za Kenya to the next level manze. Yani ngoma jo inaweza chezwa Zambia, ngoma inaweza chezwa Angola, inaweza chezwa ata China manze. So big up sana endeleeni hivyo hivyo sio. Alafu next time jo make it ‘Long N Sweet’ au sio. Morale Jua Cali hapa respect,” said Jua Cali in a video posted on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXZ101B_lr/?

 

“There is no way you can retire from music” Khaligraph expresses disappointment with Sauti Sol

Sauti Sol broke hearts when they announced plans to retire from music. Khaligraph has since rubbished the outrageous announcement by the singing quartet.

Sauti Sol explained that they were retiring from music to focus on grooming raw talent. They said they wanted to started a record label after calling it quits.

Also read: Sauti Sol announce their retirement from music, opening studio first

No one retires from music

Khaligraph was featured by Sauti Sol in a song dubbed ‘Rewind’ which was released on March 2018. This explains why the rapper can’t stomach news about Sauti Sol’s retirement.

Speaking to Word Is, the rapper said Sauti Sol’s announcement was a hole load of bullcrap. Khaligraph is of the idea that no musician really retires from music.

“What I think of that is total nonsense. You can never retire from music. I wish they said that when I am present. There is no way you can retire from music. I can’t let that happen. Nobody is retiring from music, especially Sauti Sol,” said Khaligraph.

 

 

“I stopped working for Sauti Sol in January 2017” Anyiko Owoko absolves herself from Sauti Sol’s saga

Sauti Sol’s popular publicist Anyiko Owoko has absolved herself from the saga involving the music group. Anyiko says she shouldn’t be dragged into Sauti Sol’s mess because she no longer works for them.

For starters, Sauti Sol made a big mess when they decided offer models food and exposure as incentives to appear in their upcoming video.

Also read: Sauti Sol cancels video shoot after controversial ‘food and exposure’ email to models is leaked online

Anyiko in the mix

Sauti Sol and Anyiko Owoko

Anyiko’s name has been dragged into Sauti Sol’s mess because of the statement the music group issued after the email to models was leaked.

“We have been made aware of an email going around asking models to appear in a Sauti Sol dance video production for no compensation. The production email address it was sent from is often used by 3rd party contractors and in this case they clearly got it all wrong.

“We believe in fair compensation for all work in the entertainment industry and do not condone the “exposure” speak. We believe our track record speaks for itself. Needless to say, we have terminated our contract with the production company involved and apologize for this misunderstanding,” the statement from Sauti Sol read.

Most people thought the statement was the work of Anyiko because they didn’t know the publicist had stopped working for the singing quartet.

January 10th last day

Anyiko has since clarified that she stopped working for Sauti Sol on January 10th 2017. She further reveals that her PR company had only worked with Sauti Sol for their two singles ‘Melanin’ and ‘Girl Next Door’.

“I’ve been receiving numerous calls regarding this recent @sautisol statement, and tweet response. Let’s be clear – I am no longer working as Publicist to Sauti Sol. My last day was January 10th 2017. However my company @anyikopr has done PR – ONLY – for their last 2 singles “Melanin & Girl Next Door” Anyiko Owoko posted.

 

 

 

 

 

Sauti Sol cancels video shoot after controversial ‘food and exposure’ email to models is leaked online

Sauti Sol want models to feature in their music video for free and in return they will give them food and exposure. This was revealed in a leaked email to models who were invited to appear in their upcoming video.

Sauti Sol announced on social media that they were looking for models to feature in their next video. The quartet said that the female models should be between the age of 18-25 years.

“PSA: This is a casting call to all female models between the age of 18-25 years old from Nairobi needed for a shoot on Monday next week. Kindly submit your full body and portrait shots (front and side) to [email protected]. Deadline is tomorrow midnight,” Sauti Sol posted on social media.

No pay, just food, transport and exposure

A leaked e-mail from Sauti Sol telling the applicants that there would be no any other form of payment caused a stir on social media.

The email explains that the models stand to benefit from exposure. Sauti Sol tells the applicants that they will only provide food and transport during the shoot.

Video shoot cancelled

Sauti Sol was forced to cancel the video shoot after the email leaked online. The leaked email sparked a backlash from Sauti Sol’s fans forcing them to apologize.

“We have been made aware of an email going around asking models to appear in a Sauti Sol dance video production for no compensation. The production email address it was sent from is often used by 3rd party contractors and in this case they clearly got it all wrong. We believe in fair compensation for all work in the entertainment industry and do not condone the “exposure” speak. We believe our track record speaks for itself. Needless to say, we have terminated our contract with the production company involved and apologize for this misunderstanding,” Sauti Sol addressed the leaked email.