Going by the announcement made on social media platforms on Saturday, the four members of poular Kenyan Afropop band Sauti Sol are parting ways after 18 years of serving timeless hits and winning over hearts across the globe.
The band which comprises of vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano, Savara Mudigi and guitarist Polycarp Otieno also announced that they will do their last tour that will see them perform across 5 cities in the U.S., 10 in Europe and finally in 4 in Canada.
“We are excited to announce that Saiti Sol, Africa’s sensational musical powerhouse, will embark on an exhilarating tour stopping in 5 cities across the U.S, followed by 10 stops in Europe and 4 stops in Canada before taking an indefinite hiatus,” reads the statement in part.
According to the statement, this tour is a chance for their fans in those areas to immerse themselves in the Sauti Sol magic one last time before they take a break on group projects for a while and embark on personal endeavours. Their friendship and shared vision will always continue to be the driving force behind their future projects, they said.
“Sauti Sol has been an incredible for us, both as musicians and friends. We are filled with gratitude for the love and support we have received throughout the years. While we take this hiatus to pursue our individual and collective passions, we remain committed to our friendship and our shared businesses. The bond between us is unbreakable, and we are excited for what the future holds,” said Sauti Sol.
The Suzanna hit makers have not forgotten Africa on this tour although Kenya, their home country will be the only African country to watch them perform for the last time as a band.
They will be opening for American Grammy-winning boy band, Boyz II Men, on June 10 and 11 in Nairobi and Kampala respectively before their encore performance at the 3rd Annual Sol Fest in Nairobi on December 16.
The boys also promised to drop their last album this year which promises to be a fitting reflection of their musical journey as a band. A new single, which is a taste of what is coming from this album is said to be released soon.
The news of their separation, as would be expected, has been met with negative sentiments from their fans on social media.
“Extremely disappointed in Sauti Sol’s decision to take an indefinite hiatus. They had the potential to match the longevity of Boyz II Men, if only our leaders valued arts the way others do. This abrupt exit leaves a sour note. It’s a shame we’re left in the lurch this way.” @Favreu said on Twitter.
“Great way to sell an album, don’t be tricked.. sauti sol can’t afford to break up yet” joked @Jessy Kigen
“Where is Kampala in this schedule ???” asked @PiusPari
“This breaks my heart I cannot lie. I have been a fan of Sauti Sol since the blue uniform days. Your music has gotten me through some of the best and worst moments of my life.” – @Angeline Wanjeri
“Ugh this is hard to take in. Wish you all the best” – @Isioma
“World tour without Africa from African artists. What a joke!!!. If you want to know a world tour check what major Lazer did in 2019” – @Wod Agago.
For those that have been following Sauti Sol’s moves in the last one year or so, this doesn’t come as a surprise. In October of 2021 when the band revealed that it would be embarking on solo projects, many said the writing was on the wall – that the boys were bound to separate.
During, a UK tour, they said they were launching “Alone-Together”, a journey they said was birthed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This journey, Sauti Sol said, would showcase their personal strengths and characters. The decision was as a result of “deep reflections that we experienced as individuals and as a group”.
Each of the four members would release a solo project beginning with Bien who released Bald Men Anthem, a single on which he collaborated with Kenyan jazz musician, Aaron Rimbui.
“It ties with our natural progression of self-growth, while still being a single unit. The journey is a 4-part musical and visual series for you and the world with the hope it enlightens you to who we really are; 4 phenomenal parts that make 1 iconic whole,” the band explained in a statement in October 2021.
Sauti Sol’s latest album ‘Midnight Train’ which had hits like Midnight Train, Insecure and Rhumba Japani among others got good reception in East Africa and around the world despite being released in the middle of a pandemic.
In August last year while in Uganda, Bien said if East African musicians don’t begin to work as a block, they will continue to play catch up with their counterparts in West Africa.
Bien said East Africa needs to make a solid attempt to export its music.
“We can’t keep blaming the system. We are being left by the bus. Right now, Afrobeats is the biggest genre in the world, and we (East Africa) are not sitting at the table,” Bien said while on a media tour in Kampala.
“The unity is the problem. We pick poverty over unity. We work in silos. You wanna shine alone, so you make other people look bad. East Africa or ‘Swahili Nation’ as Diamond calls it, should go to that table as one person. Nigeria has 200 million people, yet East Africa combined still doesn’t have that kind of population,” the Mbwe Mbwe singer explained.
The latest development would seem like an indictment on the part of Bien (who is leader of Sauti Sol) that he has failed at keeping the group as a bloc.
