Sauti Sol setting new standards in the industry

Sauti Sol, on stage during their Live and Die in Afrika concert. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Those whose music has crossed borders have probably just made it into neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania. speaks to a few players in the music industry who offer an insight into achieving global recognition.
  • Eko Dydda believes that no one group or person should be the “ruler” that measures success —the kind of success that catapults an artiste to international status — because art is diverse.
  • Still on the challenges that hinder Kenya from having a host of internationally recognised musicians, Tuva singles out originality, a factor that could be one step towards achieving global status.

Sauti Sol, the country’s most popular boy band, are possibly living their dream if the current sold-out shows and filled-up venues for their Live And Die in Afrika tour is anything to go by. Every imaginable thing that can enable them traverse the country to promote their third studio album is basically at their disposal.

Sponsorship and endorsement deals? Check. Stylists exclusively dedicated to them for every destination? Check. An official MC for the tour that lives and breathes everything Sauti Sol? Check. A tour bus with gigantic photos of them plastered on it and a very elaborate management team that takes care of the Sura Yako hit-makers’ business? Double check.

It is a cut-throat industry and any musician who yearns for even an iota of the fame and popularity this internationally acclaimed band has achieved, would kill for it.

But, there being many highly desirable benchmarks of commercial success, the levels could vary for each musician. For some, an album or a hit single could be the epitome of recognition. For others, the Shake Your Bum Bum stars could be the yardstick of success in the music industry, the ultimate example of breaking entertainment barriers.

According to veteran musician Nameless, Sauti Sol have set the standards for the music industry and anyone thinking of doing the same needs to take it a notch higher.

“I’m happy for them. What they are doing is amazing. They are taking it to the next level. We didn’t have tour buses in our time, so when the younger generation is doing what we couldn’t, it means there’s growth in the industry and we’ll all benefit,” he says.

To pull professional moves like these, Nameless thinks it is not so much about the management but the content that the talent offers.

PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT

“You have to have content because having a management team without it does not make sense. The attitude also matters. Sauti Sol know that this is a business and they take it seriously,” says Nameless.

Eko Dydda believes that no one group or person should be the “ruler” that measures success —the kind of success that catapults an artiste to international status — because art is diverse.

“People are different and have different ways of doing things. Art is so diverse that you cannot use a certain standard for everyone. We shouldn’t even do what everyone else is doing because diversity will be lost. Creativity is individual and that is where our uniqueness lies,” says the Nina One musician.

The Sauti sol tour bus. PHOTO | COURTESY

On whether good management is what separates the great from the mediocre, Dydda tends to agree, saying that when it comes to management, the majority of managers have no clue of what they are doing. These, he says, are the same people who are supposed to upgrade an artiste to the next level of their career. If they cannot do that, of what good are they?

Award winning gospel musician Daddy Owen — also considered to be in a league of his own — couldn’t be prouder of Sauti Sol. Save for a few technicalities, he says the industry shows signs of continued growth.

“The industry is growing and things are happening. But our house is not in order and that’s why interested parties will only support serious people like Sauti Sol. We need to see at least five other artistes doing tours like these. This is a plus for the industry,” he said.

His issue, however, is that Kenyan artistes do not take their craft as seriously as they should.

“I know of many investors who are willing to sponsor artistes’ projects but they look around and do not see anyone serious enough to bank on for good returns,” he says, adding, “I’ve done so many shows backed by corporate sponsors; people like Size 8 are doing it as well. But don’t expect 10,000 people to get sponsorship, it’s only the crème de la crème that will. To get the full value of such endorsements, you have to show that your music appeals to everyone around the world,” he emphasises.

The reason Daddy Owen thinks many artistes will never get to Sauti Sol’s level is because they like to whine and complain all the time.

But there’s one thing the 2016 Groove Awards nominee would like to borrow from Sauti Sol. No, it’s not the tour bus but their manager Marek Fuchs because “we don’t have professional managers; we lack people with managerial skills.”

Speaking of Marek, the superstar manager says it is inevitable that some musicians might want to use Sauti Sol’s achievements to gauge theirs but, he insists, it’s “different strokes for different folks.”

ORIGINAL ARTISTES

The well-travelled manager says that privilege has enabled him to get connections and gain an international perspective that has helped the band cross over from Kenya to the world. Three albums later and a song that caught the world’s attention, it is surely not just luck that got them here. So what is the secret? It’s simple:

“Branding both locally and internationally. But above that, stick to who you are, don’t do what people expect you to do. If anything, use Sauti Sol as an example and learn from their hard work,” he says.

It’s been an age-old “song” but radio host and television presenter Mzazi Willy Tuva will continue singing it until it is not a challenge any more: lack of airplay.

This, he says, is the biggest challenge artistes’ face, barring them from breaking the ceiling and standing on a global platform both in Africa and the world.

“The media is still a way to gain international stardom, especially in East and West Africa, despite the vast resources that the Internet offers,” he says.

Still on the challenges that hinder Kenya from having a host of internationally recognised musicians, Tuva singles out originality, a factor that could be one step towards achieving global status.

“Everybody wants to be Diamond, Alikiba, Sauti Sol, AY... we cannot gain superstars by building copycats. You can be visible by being different, no one will notice you if you are a copycat,” he says.

Tuva’s list of Kenyan artistes that he considers to be international stars is very brief: Sauti Sol, Wyre, and Jaguar.

But there are musicians in Kenya who have had equally popular songs, like Mercy Masika with her hit, Mwema. How come they are not on that list?

“Is Tanzania singing along to these songs?” he asks. “It is the artiste’s effort; an international musician is one who has made it at home and the music has crossed over to other countries. Kenya has played a big part in making people like Diamond and Alikiba superstars, but are those other countries making us superstars?”