IDEA MAGAZINE September-November 2015 | Page 36

Sauti Sol Our Diaspora Experience e are the Sauti Sol. We have experienced tremendous success in Kenya and our mission is to bring all Kenyans on board the train of Sauti Sol as we venture into a journey of music that is complimented by beats that resonate with the aspirations of our society We are working on spreading our wings and tentacles to Diaspora. To this end, we have had a number of performances in different parts of the world. It is difficult to be specific on which of these shows have stood out relative to our own performance, or the ones that have been a failure either because of our own shortcomings or because of ill prepared promoters and hosts. It is important to note that each show we go to is different from the other. This is because of the various dynamics and factors at play in each case. However, in terms of performing before a grand crowd, the moment that stands out was in Ostrava in the Czech Republic where we performed to over 60,000 adoring fans. IDEA DIAPORA 35 As Sauti Sol, our philosophy is to give our best even when odds are against us. We want to give our fans value for their money. In fact, many fans may not know that prior to any performance, we always strive to check the quality of sound and the flexibility of the stage. Our shows, especially in Diaspora America, have come under scrutiny of late, and we are aware of it. Some of the concerns are legitimate while others have not been objective and as such, have failed in the very sacrosanct aspect of positive criticism. We know that some shows could have been better. For example, we had promised fans in Seattle a performance of their lifetime sometime in the year. But then, this was not to be. We went to the airport in Atlanta and because of the heightened security around that time, three of our members were selected for further screening. This caused a delay which in turn interfered with all the other logistics that had been put in place.