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Maurice O. Ndole contributed to this report
Millions of Kenya’s music sensation Saudi Sol fans are in a bad place. In a heartbreaking press release posted on their Twitter account, The celebrated Kenyan Afro-Pop band Saturday announced an “indefinite hiatus” together as a group.
The boy band will go on the break after their upcoming world tour from May 21 to September 3, 2023, the ‘Sol Fest’ performance, and the release of their final album later this year.
The band comprising Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano, Savara Mudigi, and guitarist Polycarp Otieno said: “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.”
Fans have reacted with mixed feelings. Some say they saw the breakup coming when the band members started opening individual YouTube accounts. Others praised the band for the great music they gave the world.
— SAUTI SOL (@sautisol) May 20, 2023
A parody account mimicking Shakahola cult leader Pastor MacKenzie humorously gave the group a famous dark warning.
“Kitawaramba mkijaribu kubreak the group,” Twitter user Pastor MacKenzie said.
“Wainuliwe,” Wise retorted jokingly, keeping up the religious humor.
Tweep Dixon Kamau expressed his displeasure at the news graphically.
“Why are you breaking up Mehn… that’s some bulls**t, manzee,” Kamau tweeted.
But some skeptics think Sauti Sol made the announcement to boost sales for their upcoming album and drum-up interest in their forthcoming global tour.
“Great way to sell an album. Don’t be tricked. Sauti Sol can’t afford to break up yet,” Indigochild, who identified himself as a film director, tweeted.
Indigochild might have a point. According to the press release, Sauti Sol has an upcoming album.
“Sauti Sol will also be dropping their last album together this year, which promises to be a fitting reflection of their musical journey together as a band,” the press release hyped. “Fans can look forward to a new single coming very soon, which will be a taste of what’s to come from band’s final album.”
Another fan tweeted that he’s “shamelessly” looking up the meaning of hiatus, a keyword in the Sauti Sol press release.
Fans of the Kuliko Jana singers can take heart that hiatus is not a breakup, but it’s pretty close.
Hiatus is a pause or a gap in a sequence, process, or activity. It refers to a temporary cessation or interruption of something that was previously ongoing. For example, if a TV show is on hiatus, it means it is taking a break and not producing new episodes for a time.
Fans in different parts of the world can see Sauti Sol live in concert during their current tour, which kicked off in the US in May and is scheduled in several cities in the US, Canada, and Europe till September.
They’re scheduled to perform at The Belasco in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, May 28 from 7 pm. They jet out later in the week to New York and Washington DC for concerts scheduled for June 02 and June 04, respectively.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
The band released their well-received debut studio album, ‘Mwanzo’ in 2008, followed by ‘Sol Filosofia’ in 2011, which amassed multiple accolades in the form of awards and nominations.
The music video for the single ‘Coming Home’ earned them the Best Music Video award at the Kisima Music Awards and the Best Fusion Artist/Group of the Year award.
Their collaboration EP with South African rapper and producer Spoek Mathambo was released in 2012. The single’ Range Rover’ music video was shot at an old Dutch ammunition factory in Zaandam, Netherlands, which has since become a cultural heritage site.
The band has also amassed recognition, respect, and international awards, including BET Awards, an MTV EMA for Best African Act, and MTV AFRICA Award for Best African Group.
The band will perform in five cities in the US, ten cities in Europe, and four in Canada before performing alongside Boys II Men on June 10 and 11 in Nairobi.
They will crown it off with a final performance at the third edition of the Sol Fest in Nairobi on December 16, 2023.
As to the future of Sauti Sol after two decades, “the indefinite hiatus marks the end of a specific chapter,” they said.
Here’s Kuliko Jana, one of Sauti Sol’s most popular gospel themed song, which more than 18 million views on YouTube.
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