In a shocking turn of events, Kenyan Award winning music group Sauti Sol have announced that they want to pursue solo careers.
The quartet, currently on their residency tour in the United Kingdom for the first time in two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, made the announcement through an open letter to fans posted on social media. The letter was signed by all the group members Polycarp Ochieng Otieno popularly known as Fancy Fingers, Willis Austin Chimano popularly known as Chimano, Bien Aime Alusa popularly known as Bien and Delvin Mudigi popularly known as Savara who are the founders of Sauti group Sol and Sol Entertainment.
“THIS TOUR IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY BEING ‘ALONE-TOGETHER’. IT IS A WONDERFUL JOURNEY IN WHICH WE ARE SELF-ACTUALISING BY SHOWCASING OUR PERSONAL STRENGTHS AND CHARACTERS AS THE ARTISTS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO FORM SAUTI SOL,” THE LETTER READS IN PART.
This period of professional separation has been nicknamed ‘Alone together’ and its aim is to help each of them shine and make full use of their talents in music and will return to work together in 2022 and by May next year they will launch a joint album.
Sauti Sol came to the fore in 2004 when they curtain raised for popular musician Nameless at a concert in Nakuru. They went on to be the opening act for Amani, Redsan and the late E-Sir. In 2006 the group launched their first album which was a sensational hit, topping the East African charts and at one point had 4 singles in the top 10.
Their second album launched in 2008 was not such a great hit and it is then that rifts started appearing within the group. One faction believed that they needed to adapt to changing times to appeal to the youth while the other faction wanted to remain true to their origins and target the older generation who were familiar with their style.
Since then, there have often been separation rumors of the group in the public domain, however Sauti Sol has always rubbished them considering them baseless and uncalled for. This time however, the issue of them embarking on solo careers has officially come from them.
Though fans predicted this would be end of the group, Sauti Sol insisted they are not disbanding and that they will be releasing their next album in May 2022. The big question however is, will this plan go as scripted? Lets watch the space.
( source: spindj.net)