At a state dinner in Nairobi in July 2015, the President of the United States got up and danced. The band on stage was Sauti Sol, and the dance was the Lipala.
Obama was on his first visit to Kenya as president, the country of his father’s birth. Sauti Sol performed at the dinner hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Obama joined the band for a few moves. The video spread worldwide and made Sauti Sol famous far beyond East Africa.
The band
Sauti Sol was formed in Nairobi in 2005 by Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi, who began as an a cappella group in high school. Guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined soon after. The name means “voice” in Swahili, combined with “sol”, for soul.
The sound
Sauti Sol’s music mixes Afropop, R&B, benga, rumba and soul, with close harmonies, guitar and songs in English, Swahili and Sheng, the Nairobi street slang. Their songs cover love, celebration and social issues.
Hits include “Sura Yako”, “Nerea”, “Melanin” with Patoranking, “Short N Sweet” with Nyashinski and “Suzanna”. Their 2020 album Midnight Train was released internationally.
The Nairobi scene
Sauti Sol came up alongside a growing Kenyan music industry. In the late 2010s, a younger, rawer street style called gengetone, driven by groups such as Ethic Entertainment, took over Nairobi matatus and clubs. Sauti Sol’s polished pop sat at the other end of the scene, and both found large audiences.
Activism
The band has spoken out on social and political issues in Kenya. In 2022, they objected publicly when a presidential campaign used one of their songs without permission.
Solo projects
In 2023, the members announced they would take a break to focus on solo careers, with a farewell tour. Bien, Chimano, Savara and Polycarp have released solo music and pursued other projects.
Legacy
Sauti Sol became the most successful Kenyan band of their era, winning awards across Africa and performing at festivals worldwide. They showed that East African pop could compete with the dominant sounds from West Africa and South Africa.
The Lipala
The Lipala dance, which they promoted with their song “Sura Yako”, is a playful move of the shoulders and hips. After the state dinner, it became one of the most searched dances in Kenya.
Four teenagers who sang in school corridors ended up dancing with a US president. Kenyans still play the video whenever the band is mentioned.
