SAUTI SOL IN HARMONY WITH SOWETO GOSPEL

KENYAN Afropop band Sauti Sol are bringing Africa closer together – one song at a time.

Working in collaboration with the Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, the group’s latest single, Brighter Days, comes at a time when the world is in need of positivity.

“It was a great experience to work with the Soweto Gospel Choir. They’re blessed in their vocal harmony. They bring a different taste to our music,” said band member Savara Mudigi.

He added that because the group was an a cappella group first, they were fascinated but also felt at home when they heard the choir sing.

“Even when we were together shooting the video, they’d just burst into harmony in the same way we do.

“It’s the synergy and spirit, when you’re in the presence of people who have similar ambition and a similar way of doing things and you’ve been friends with them. Things just work seamlessly. It was a really good experience.”

The song has been a work in progress since last year, having already been written in 2018.

“The thought of working with the choir came at the end of the process as the icing on the cake, to make the song international.”

Releasing Brighter Days during the lockdown was done deliberately.

“Musicians have a catalogue, especially one that people have yet to hear, songs in studio, ideas that pop any time. Whenever we have songs from just the things that happen in life, the songs become very relevant or relatable for that period.

“So in a time like this, with Covid19, people need hope and need to be uplifted. Why not a song we’ve had ready for a time like this?”

Mudigi added that for musicians, recording never stopped.

“We’re getting into a realm where we’re just putting down ideas as much as possible so we have a bank of music.

“So if we want to release music in the next few weeks or even a year, we can shop from a list of albums we have already. So we continue recording because you never know. We’re going to do EPs and feature in other people’s work as well.”

The reception to their music since their inception in 2005 has been “amazing”, Mudigi said.

“The fans have been holding us since day one, and there’s been growth. Seeing the industry change, the fans are always with us. Our last release, Suzanna, had an amazing reception. We just released Brighter Days and the fans are still following up with us. That’s a blessing.”

This is not the first time the band has worked with an award-winning South African group. They performed with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 2011.

“Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to Kenya before the jazz festival and it was the first time we played with them. That was the first time I cried on stage. I was playing drums and I could see people waving in the audience and it got emotional. It was an amazing experience. At that time things were really explosive in the country. We became cleansed at that performance.”

The group plan to collaborate more with South African musicians.

“Even in terms of production, collaboration is the best form of opening up another realm in terms of creativity.

“So there’s a lot of things right now – some maPiano tracks we’ve done, I’ve been in the studio with Jazzy Disciples. I’m here and there, and producing with artists online.”

The coronavirus had forced the band to think out of the box and be innovative, Mudigi said.

“Lockdown has affected us into adjusting. We’re adapting to doing things online. Shifting mindsets and how we engage with fans increases social media engagement. It’s affected us money-wise, but ultimately it calls for adaptation to a different kind of being. We’re taking up the challenge.”