Sauti Sol’s music producer and singer, Savara Mudigi, believes that out of their vast music catalog, it was the song “Sura Yako” that changed their lives for the better.
This unlikely hit transformed the Kenyan boy band into millionaires, paving the way for their enduring success.
The idea for the song emerged from an unexpected source, and at the time, none of the band members thought it would amount to anything.
Savara emphasised the importance of valuing ideas, no matter where they come from, in the creative process.
He humorously compared the concept to the preference for street food over gourmet dishes served at high-end hotels.
“Tell me why ‘chipo mwitu’ is more delicious than one served at the Intercontinental hotel,” Savara quipped.
The song was produced inside Savara’s bedroom, where the four band members used to live together.
Surprisingly, it turned out to be a game changer in their careers and life fortune, opening doors to opportunities they had never imagined.
“We honestly didn’t know it was the song that was going to transform our lives. We were just having fun when the song came about. Chimano used to get pissed off whenever I blasted the beat of the song in the house because I had a small studio in my bedroom in Kileleshwa where we lived,” Savara revealed.
Breaking down the song’s creation process, Savara explained that it took some time to put together as it was never initially intended to be a hit.
“When I created the beat, Aaron Rimbui added the bass, Cedo contributed the keys, and then I called Benjamin Kabaseke to my bedroom to add the guitar chords. Then came the mixing, and Musyoka, our producer, gave us a hard time, questioning the vocals that he felt were not of high quality,” Savara said.
Despite the challenges, the song was eventually released, and its reception exceeded their expectations.
“The reaction caught us by surprise. It was crazy. We had released a couple of songs that had done well before, but ‘Sura Yako’ made us a household name, and gigs started coming our way thick and fast,” Savara recalled.
Sauti Sol had previously released songs such as “Lazizi,” “Blue Uniform,” “Soma Kijana,” and “Coming Home,” which had gained them some recognition, but it was “Sura Yako” that turned them into national stars and set them on the path to becoming millionaires.
