Xenia Manasseh, a Spotify RADAR artist. Photo: Courtesy
Five albums later, coupled with multiple singles and several features that span the globe, Sauti Sol, Kenya’s most celebrated boy band, is taking a bow.
The four-member group made up of Bien, Savara, Chimano and Polycarp announced an indefinite hiatus earlier this year, after almost two decades of churning out hit after hit. Some of those hits include Lazizi, Blue Uniform, Sura Yako, Melanin and Suzanna, which cemented their place in Kenya’s, and the world’s hearts.
In honour of this moment, Xenia Manasseh, a Spotify RADAR artist, has released the first ever Kenyan Spotify Single, covering Lazizi. Widely acclaimed as Sauti Sol’s first hit, it feels like a full circle moment that one of Kenya’s fastest rising R&B stars covers the first hit song, from Kenya’s top boy band, in a befitting ode to them.
The Spotify Singles programme was created to provide artists with an opportunity to re-record one of their existing songs in a fresh new way, as well as cover a song of their choice, by one of their own musical heroes.
In Xenia’s case, she brought her powerful vocals to the song, giving the 14-year-old song a fresh new twist. Her beautiful rendition starts off with a stunning harmony that carries on throughout the song, as Xenia performs a stripped down, melancholic version of Lazizi.
“Sauti Sol has been the soundtrack of our youth, for most of us, so it fits perfectly that the first-ever Kenyan Spotify Single, was a cover of one of their most iconic songs. It is an exciting time in the Kenyan music scene and our hope is to have even more Spotify Singles by Kenyan artists,” said Monica Kemoli-Savanne, Spotify’s Artist & Label Partnerships Manager, East Africa.
Meanwhile, multi-hyphenate artist Karun, is taking the stage next for the partnership between Spotify and COLORSxSTUDIOS, showcasing the very best of Kenyan R&B. She is the third Kenyan artist featured, joining Lisa Oduor-Noah and Xenia Manasseh.
The singer, songwriter and producer credits her dad for her love of music, and describes her musical style as soulful at the core, even as she dabbles in other genres. This soulful and meditative style is fully on display for her A COLORS SHOW performance, where she performs Only You in an ode to a past lover, a feeling that most, if not all, are familiar with.
“I hope to keep discovering who I am and just being fiercely myself in whatever medium that is, and so music is what I’m doing right now, and I hope it kind of just gets a bit more powerful,” says Karun on her future ambitions. Her fans can definitely attest to this self discovery and growth, as they have seen her grow from a member of the now defunct alternative hip hop group Camp Mulla, to a solo artist in her own right, with several singles and albums under her belt.
This partnership with COLORSxSTUDIOS falls under Tantalizers, Spotify’s flagship Afro R&B playlist, and also the home to all the COLORS shows, with Karun currently on the cover.
Karun’s show and interview is live at https://colorsxstudios.com/artists/karun where fans can learn more about the Berklee alum, and watch her perform the single.
There is still more to come, as three more Kenyan artists will take to the stage, proving that Kenyans have always been ready for the global stages.
