Sauti Sol to perform at African ‘Oscars’

Posted on March 6th, 2013 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Kenyan man-band Sauti Sol head to Lagos, Nigeria this weekend after they were chosen as one of three acts to perform at the first ever AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and Polycarp Otieno will cross the skies from East to West Africa tomorrow for a Saturday gig alongside the legendary Femi Kuti and Nigerian Belle Chidinma.

Sauti Sol has been riding the Kenyan charts since they released the track Lazizi from their first album in 2009. Their journey has not been without stardom, which is even more evident now in their freshest melodies, like Gentleman and Money Lover.

There are no words that can befit Femi Kuti’s stage presence. His performances are rarely scripted and his entourage of a band was the very same that played for his late larger-than-life father Fela. Femi is known for tracks like Beng Beng Beng, Africa for Africa, Day by Day and Truth Don Die.

The demure and delicate Chidinma meanwhile lets the cat out with a voice so big it could swallow her up – whole.

The first AMVCA awards are designed to be a night of glam, and before the musical ensemble will be a one-hour session on the red carpet featuring interviews done by another bunch of Kenyans i.e. Nic Wang’ondu and Sarah Hassan of M-Net Lifestyle TV show Mashariki Mix.

Also on the red carpet will be the eccentric high-heeled wearing Channel O VJ Denrele Edun, presenters Helen Paul and Uti Nwachukwu of Jara, Dolapo Oni and Eku Edewor from 53 Extra, and Lawrence Maleka of the E-news type show StarGist.

Veteran Kenyan actress Lizz Njagah will be one of the several guest presenters at the three hour do, which is intended to create space for African Films to shine.

Considering the little space movies from this continent get on the global arena, it only makes sense to have a specific awards ceremony to cater for the vast field of talent displayed in the hundreds of productions that are released every year.

M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi believes: “The AfricaMagic team has been…working hard to make it an unforgettable, inspiring celebration of African film success and TV talent. It’s our way of showing just how much we value what our artists, both in front of and behind the scenes, contribute to our lives and the lives of our audiences.”

Hosted by Big Brother’s IK Osakioduwa and StarGist leading lady Vimbai Muntinhiri, the event will also have Desmond Elliot, Genevieve Nnaji, Majid Michel, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Rita Dominic as guest presenters.

Watch the Awards ceremony at the EKO Hotel live on Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, to see if they match up to an Oscar event for the continent.

No Channel O Award for Kenya, again

Posted on November 19th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

If only the 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards was a cute name for a marathon…but unfortunately, its not. This year’s fete left a bitter taste in the mouths of several Kenyans who attended, after hopes that at least one of the several nominations would result in an award came to naught.

Kenyan and East African musicians unsure about their own fortunes crossed their fingers at least for the insanely popular Camp Mulla to carry their flag high, but that came crashing down in stunned silence, when their name did not feature even once on the black envelopes that kept being opened.

Kenyans could only lay claim to an award through Sauti Sol, whose collaboration with Tanzanian rapper AY was feted as East Africa’s most gifted video, and the bespectacled man was given a gong to seal the deal.

AY was the only East African who got a taste of the action on stage, well apart from Camp Mulla who performed Fresh All Day and Party Don’t Stop to screaming fans at the Channel O Dome and millions watching via television.

The #CHOMVA12 went down at the Walter Sisulu Square in South Western Township aka Soweto on Saturday night. The electric energy and vibe of the area transported itself on stage easily enough, shaking the air into life and the performances kept it alive.

Artists kept the red carpet buzzing with hopes of coming out on top, but only a handful were rejoicing after the two-hour event.

The biggest winners were Kokomaster aka Sonko aka DJ Banj, South African veteran DJ Cleo, Nigerian newcomer Davido and the man of the event Oskido.

The biggest losers, in my opinion, were South African rapper Khuli Chana and Kenyan group Camp Mulla, who had to make do with gratifying performances on stage rather than the awards, despite a strong presence on the nominations front.

“It’s all about the votes,” Leslie Kasumba, Channel O’s African Manager, defended. “Those who won had their fans voting for them.”

“What we encouraged artistes to do this year is start early, telling their fans to vote for them to win the awards. A lot of them were distracted by the MOBO awards, but those who were focused on the voting message won the prize. I think that was the case for a lot of the artistes who didn’t win, even Nigerian favourite Wizkid. That’s what happened,” she explained.

East African artistes however feel that another strategy should be employed.

“I was always on social media, telling fans to vote, but I did not win,” stated Ugandan RnB singer Maurice Kirya.

“The Kenyans on social media really voted and there were confirmation messages everywhere, saying that so and so has voted. I saw that this year more than any year. If that’s not enough, then I don’t know what is,” added Kenyan dancehall star Wyre.

Wyre has had numerous nominations over the years, and is one of the few Kenyans to have ever touched the award when he was in the EA Reggae Bashment Crew, Necessary Noise.

But whether or not the winning list was pleasant, the performances made up for any doubt that Channel O knows how to put on a good show.

Davido, Oskido, Khuli Chana, and DJ Zinhle featuring Busiswa far outshone the Kokomaster who headlined the performance but the favourite of the evening by far was South African kwaito madman Dr Malinga; he coupled energetic kicks with comical ballet prances and provided just enough zest to keep the event etched in the audience’s minds.

Here below is the full list of winners:

D’Banj won the award for Most Gifted Male Video, and Video of the Year; both for ‘Oliver Twist’.

Zahara scooped up the Most Gifted Female Video for her song “Loliwe”.

Most Gifted Newcomer went to Nigeria’s Davido for “Dami Duro”.

Tanzania’s AY ft Sauti Sol’s “I Don’t Want to Be Alone” won the Most Gifted African East award.

P Square won (in absentia) the Most Gifted Duo Video for “Chop My Money”.

South Africa’s DJ Cleo won Most Gifted Dance Video for his massive hit “Facebook”.

Buffalo Souljah’s “Styra Inonyengesa” beat Wyre in the Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video category.

Nigeria’s Brymo took it home with Most Gifted Afro Pop Video for “Ara”.

Most Gifted Kwaito Video went to EES featuring Mandoza’s “Ayoba”.

A remix of “Oyi” by Flavour featuring Tiwa Savage took home this year’s Most Gifted R&B Video Award.

The Most Gifted Hip Hop Video was awarded to Ice Prince for “Superstar”.

Cashtime Fam’s “Shut It Down (Stundee)” won Most Gifted South Video.

Ghana and Nigeria’s D-Black ft Mo Cheddah’s “Falling” was named Most Gifted African West Video.

And SA’s Oskido was named as this year’s Special Recognition recipient.

As far as hosts go, Bonang is a very special talent. Ice Prince on the other did good to focus on his energy because he was often inaudible.

(Photo by Channel O).

The Channel O Awards are upon us, who’s voting?

Posted on November 8th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Every time a famous Kenyan is recognized globally or regionally in the field of entertainment, the media snaps it up, the online stories are awash with comments and everywhere they go, the actors/musicians get hugs and slaps on the back.

People profess to know them and they play along, so as not to be rude. The awards come and go, and the famous Kenyan is stuck not with a trophy, but with their name on the list of nominees and an empty cloud on top of their heads.

When the famous Kenyan loses out on the award, the fans will either say pole or not mention it at all. They will Trump out their cries of injustice and vow never to vote again. After all, that one vote they made should have counted; it should have been enough for victory, yes?

We all know the problem, nobody votes. Or at least, not enough people are voting. And those who are, are only voting once. Let’s change this for the Channel O Music Video Awards, shall we?

Those who have voted, thank you. Those who haven’t, today is the last day! We have until midnight so hit the internet and/or sms pronto! See below the nominees and the voting codes.

Camp Mulla has four nominations: 3D, 4E, 13B and 14I

AY and Sauti Sol: 13C

Wyre: 6E

Habida ft Cannibal: 9E

Keko ft Madtraxx: 2E, 13A

The codes should be sent to +27 83 920 8406 and the standard rate is Sh10 per sms.

Voting can be done online here.

Kenya lucked out at the 2011 Channel O Awards ceremony, but this time we can fare much better.

NEW MUSIC: Dela, Sauti Sol and Keko

Posted on November 7th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Whatever you do, don’t let Keko go! Under the Sony Record label, the tall young Ugandan rapper with attitude has dropped her latest track AND video in a quirky love song.

With beats that are distinctly East African and a mix of song and rap, Keko presents (don’t) ‘Let Me Go’.

In the song, she spreads love and cheer as she makes promises of happiness, no doubt emanating from a similar feeling within (unconfirmed).

Catchy, feel good and very captivating is the video, according to Capital Lifestyle. What do you think?

Still on love, Kenyan band Sauti Sol are trying to figure out whether this lady ‘loves him or loves him not’ in their latest single Money Lover.

Sung in the style of Zouk, Sauti Sol’s clear vocals edge over the guitar in this new track, produced by the talented R Kay.

R Kay was responsible for their award winning tie-up with P-Unit, Gentleman, which has a Kisima Award in its closet.

“Do you love me baby? Do you love my money?” they ask. Have a listen and tell Capital Lifestyle if you love them; if you will cry in a Range Rover or laugh on a boda boda…

Far from these is yet another single by the Penya Africa label, this time in collaboration with Tanzania’s Caravan Records.

Mzungu Kichaa teams up with Kenyan girl Dela (of the amazing voice) for the hard hitting track “African Hustle”, giving East Africa the message that success cannot survive on luck alone.

The song will be featured in Mzungu Kichaa’s upcoming album, Hustle, which will be released on December 1, more than 3 years since his last one.

The Mzungu is happy to sing with Dela, whom he describes as one of his favourite artists. The duo is recording a video for the song in Nairobi, where Mzungu Kichaa came to perform at the latest edition of Blankets and Wine.

Mombasa ‘Live’ tour plugged over insecurity

Posted on October 30th, 2012 by CAPITAL LIFESTYLE

Safaricom has pulled out of an anticipated performance in Mombasa next month for its “Live” tour due to ‘security concerns’.

In a statement, about two weeks ahead of a concert at the coastal town, Safaricom said it is holding all road shows, campus storms and concerts there until calm is restored.

“This was a tough decision because we were looking forward to having a wonderful engagement with our customers in Mombasa,” said Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore.

“The cancellation is a precautionary approach to the security situation in Mombasa and not a response to any specific threat. We recognise the hard work that is being done to improve security at the coast yet at the same time we must put the safety of our customers, staff and operations the centre of all we do,” he said.

As a result Camp Mulla, Jaguar, Jimmi Gait, Sauti Sol, Size 8 and comedian Jalango will be waiting to see if they will indeed get to charm the coastal residents, or if they will just wait for the tour’s Grand Finale in Nairobi.

For the past few months, the artistes have been traversing the country as part of the

“Nikona Safaricom Live” tour, which has so far covered Meru, Kisumu, and Eldoret and is scheduled to make landfall in Nairobi on December 15.

Apart from giving fans access to their favourite musicians, the live tour also helps improve the on-stage performances of the artistes involved.

Tensions at the coast, including raids on suspected terrorists, have created a shaky environment at the tourist destination with police working round the clock to stave off threats and restore calm.

Can you see Kanye in Sauti Sol’s new video?

Posted on September 24th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

“No we did not copy Kanye West’s Runaway video,” say Sauti Sol in reference to their latest YouTube upload ‘Range Rover’.

Accusations have been made since the video was released late last night, some telling off the band for ‘copying’ the eccentric Kanye.

But speaking to Capital Lifestyle on telephone, band member Chimano admits that in hindsight it kind of looks like Kanye West’s video, but insists that that was not the concept.

“We hadn’t even noticed. When people started making the comments is when we looked at it and saw the resemblance, but it is in essence very different.”

They went on to explain that Range Rover, a single from their latest EP, is like their version of ‘Kigeugeu’ – in principal.

This is how it plays out; lead singer Bien gives his sexy to the camera as the song starts. He sings about his new Range Rover, and is all of a sudden surrounded by the rest of the band members aka friends.

They play with his car and his girl and his rooster, before betraying him after sharing a meal with him. The three band members aka friends run off with the flashy new Range Rover Evoque and the girl. Bien is not left with stones blocking a road – as happened to Jaguar in Kigeugeu – but food and his beloved rooster.

Though the meal they share is fashioned from the Last Supper in the Bible, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas, it is highly unlikely that there is any religious sponsorship in the video.

Everybody loves that chicken but no ‘rooster religion’ is expected to emanate from the ultra-popular afro-pop band’s video.

Range Rover, was shot in a building in Amsterdam that used to be a bullet factory. The abandoned warehouse look complements the smartly dressed Sauti Sol band members, who fawn over Burundian-born model Nella Ngingo, a Range Rover and a white rooster.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you like the video?

Sauti Sol stage superb performance at Blankets

Posted on August 8th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Blankets and Wine was reeking of musical zest on Sunday after organisers crafted a medley of spoken word, hip-hop, afro-fusion, and new age electronic songs for the thousands gathered.

Michel Ongaro, Yunasi, Sauti Sol and Tumi were some of the big names employed to create the 36th edition of the monthly musical picnic.

This is how it went down: Tumi called the crowd attention; Reason and Yunasi entertained them grandly and Sauti Sol topped it off with one of their best performances ever at the Leisure Gardens in Mamba Village.

There was literally no room to dance at the bottom of the stage as the Kenyan group rocked, serenaded, danced and shouted to the beats of their new EP, titled Sauti Sol.

The four musicians started off their routine with hit song ‘Lazizi’ and the resultant screams heralded the start of a success story. Dressed in black vests, the band seemed to have a fresh infusion of energy from a recent concert in the Czech Republic.

Michel Ongaro was first on stage; feeling out the audience with his acoustic guitar. Next up was Tumi, lead singer of South African band Tumi & the Volume. His twisted cap, black shirt and printed shorts dressed a rare talent of putting words together in a fashion that’s nothing short of brilliant.

An uplugged version of ‘Bus Stop Confessions’ drew whistles and cat calls and Blankets fans did not seem to mind that the Volume was not with him.

Tumi did not come alone though, he introduced a surprise guest by the name Reason, a South African rapper – fresh on the scene.

Hip-hop heads responded to Reason’s charms even though his efforts to not swear so much, failed miserably.

Meanwhile, Muthoni, the proprietor of Blankets and Wine, announced that American neo soul artiste Dwele would be the next act on stage on September 1.

(Pictures by Paul Munene. Find more here).

Sauti Sol to drop latest album at Blankets

Posted on August 2nd, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Kenyan band Sauti Sol will be using the upcoming Blankets and Wine event this weekend to test the waters with their new self-titled EP album.

The EP, which has been produced by South African musician Spoek Mathambo, deviates from Sauti Sol’s original Afro-beats to adopt a more eclectic outlook.

The album was launched in Amsterdam’s MC Theatre on July 5 and was used by the four men who make up the band on July 14, during their first drop-down at the Colours of Ostravia, a massive music festival held in the Czech Republic every year.

voices of the sun from lebogang rasethaba on Vimeo.

As videos from the new EP are being put together for songs such as Love or Leave and Range Rover, the four men will take to the stage more than a year since entertaining Blankets fans.

Michael Ongaro and a mash up by Yunasi and Tumi & the Volume will complete the set of the August 5 line-up at the Leisure Gardens, Mamba Village.

Typically speaking, Tumi puts the volume on strong keys and bars that demand attention when played because they take music to an unexpected path. In other words, add a little hip hop and Tumi & the Volume will sound like a more refined version of Kenya’s own Just a Band.

Heavy guitar-stringing and heavy meaning on many words will demand a quiet audience, which should be a bit of a challenge.

A mash-up with Yunasi on the other hand promises to be most interesting.

So who’s coming? A ticket to Blankets this weekend retails at Sh1,500 at the door and Sh1,300 for advance tickets.

Zuku will be one of the main sponsors at the event.

Sauti Sol, AY, for BBA eviction show

Posted on June 14th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Kenya’s Sauti Sol and Tanzanian rapper AY will take the stage at the Big Brother eviction show this weekend, where Namibia and Malawi are facing a ‘send-home’.

The four-man band will be making their first appearance on the BBA stage, and it will be the first time a second Kenyan act is brought onto the show in one season. The first were Camp Mulla, who have since been signed up by Universal Music Group.

The men, who are among Kenya’s most successful bands, have been in studio all week to practice ahead of the show. They already have a collaboration with AY known as ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Alone’ and it’s thought it will be one of the songs they sing this weekend.

Sauti Sol is made up of Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and Polycarp Otieno, who began music in 2005 and have two albums out.

Downville residents Keegan, Luke, Junia and Jesica are up for eviction this Sunday, and as is the fashion, three contestants will be headed home while one will be whisked off to the Upville house.

Capital Lifestyle’s bet is on Cape Town boy Keegan to stir trouble in celebrity-ville. Who has your vote?

Sauti Sol, Just a Band head to Texas

Posted on March 6th, 2012 by LAURA WALUBENGO

Sauti Sol and Just A Band head to Austin, Texas this week to take part in the South by South West Musical (SXSW) festival that runs from March 9-18.

The award winning ‘boy-band’ Sauti Sol will be making its second appearance at the SXSW festival, which celebrates original music and nurtures talent through a variety of conferences and trade shows across a ten-day period.

Sauti Sol’s performance has been listed under the World Music category and they take to the stage on Wednesday and Thursday next week, hoping to ‘make a splash in Austin’.

Just a Band’s category on the other hand has been slotted as Electronic.

Among the other African acts at the festival are Nigerians Bez, Naeto C and Seun Kuti.

Multiple award winner John Mayer, will also be part of this massive festival, which is in its 26th year running.

SXSW encompasses music, film and interactive. Rock music legend Bruce Springsteen will give the music keynote address at the festivals where thousands of fans can watch music played by hundreds of artists from all over the world.

Willis Chimano, Ben-Aime Baraza, Polycarp Otieno and Delvin Mudigi, who make up Sauti Sol are enthusiastic about heading to Texas, just weeks after attending another festival in Mali.

“We are so excited and honoured to get an invite to perform at SXSW Festival once more. It’s a perfect place to network and showcase our music to the thousands of fans and bands that comprise of influential music industry players from all over the world,” they said.