Uhuru’s Call That Made Sauti Sol Cancel International Trip

Bien-Aime of Award Winning band Sauti Sol, has revealed how they landed the chance to perform for Former United States President Barrack Obama.

In 2015, Former President Barrack Obama visited Kenya for the Sixth Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which took place in Nairobi Kenya.

Speaking on Cleaning The Airwaves (CTA) YouTube Channel, Bien-Aime Baraza revealed that the band had booked a show in Rwanda.

Sauti Sol singer Bien-Aimé Baraza.

File

Before they took off, they received a call from the late Bruce Odhiambo who was the then chairman of the youth enterprise development fund board.

In his phone call, he told Bien that President Uhuru Kenyatta wanted them to perform at a dinner in State House Nairobi.

“We were supposed to have a show in Rwanda, so we postponed it to the next day and attended the dinner,” stated Bien.

“When we got to that dinner I was asking Bruce Odhiambo, am I even going to be allowed to get near Obama?” Bien recalled, to which Bruce answered “When you have the mic, you have the power. How you decide to run the room at that time is entirely up to you”.

The Band had just released the hit song “Sura Yako”, which they performed that night. He approached the two presidents, Uhuru and Obama, and requested them to dance along. 

In the interview, Bien recalled that Obama had mentioned the song ‘Sura Yako’ in his speech and that Americans were dancing to the song.

Their musical journey started by performing at Uhuru Park to dancing with the most powerful president, “It changed my life,” said Bien.

The Band was formed in 2005 by Bien-Aime Baraza, Savara Mudigi and Chimano , who were later joined by Polyarp Otieno.

The household name in the music industry has more than five albums whose songs have spread locally and internationally.

Sauti Sol has received more than ten awards in East Africa,Africa and Europe. Recognized in  different categories ranging form AFRIMMA(best group), MTV Africa(Best African Act) to Artists of the Year.