MUSIC boy band Sauti Sol has no apologies to make after all its corporate sponsors pulled out of their potential sponsorship for the quartet.
On Friday, one of its members Bien Aime Baraza went on a lengthy rant on his official blog where he criticised the cold response accorded to the band after the release of its controversial video Nishike.
Bien wrote: “With the release of our third album around the corner, a bi-weekly meeting to discuss general progress is paramount. This morning we (Sauti Sol) met with our overall management to discuss the way forward. The meeting started in a rather disheartening tone. All our potential corporate sponsors pulled out after the release of Nishike.”
He listed the alleged reasons for the about-turn by the sponsors. Among the reasons were that the band was “too out there” and that it ceased to be a brand that associates with family and Kenyan values. It was listed as too risky because it shows “great potential of breaking up, get into drugs or other vices that don’t represent company values”. Others were that the band was not Kenyan enough and that it has lost more fans than it has gained.
“In one particular boardroom during talks involving artistes, the mention of our name was met with sarcastic laughter and attention was quickly shifted to other upcoming bands and artistes in general. Too much double standards if you ask me. I refuse to be a secular artist boxed by society to restrict my freedom of expression,” he said.
Baraza said that Kenyans largely suffer from “tall poppy syndrome”. Wikipedia defines it as a social phenomenon where people of genuine merit are resented, attacked, cut down or criticised because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers.
He added: “So, forgive Sauti Sol for taking a two-month intense gym programme, a low-carb diet and risking the road less travelled in the attempt to rise above... In retrospect, are you waiting for Sauti Sol to win a Grammy to then come on board? Nonetheless, let’s face it – there’s just too much hate on social media. If all that negative influence is carried to the boardroom it directly affects critical decisions that upset a whole industry.”
“Sauti Sol is unapologetic for our actions, which we feel have done the music industry more good than harm. I bid farewell to all corporates who have walked away from what we felt would be classic industry changing partnerships. Sauti Sol will continue haunting you by trending and setting trends for your consumers. To our fans, aluta continua. We will always count on you to be ambassadors of the new generation of epic thinkers. Our value will never decrease based on someone’s inability to see our worth,” said Bien.