The rhythm of Afrobeat Sauti Sol

(Music)

(Singing) Ooh ooh

She wants to be rich

She wants to be famous

She wants to have lots and lots of money

Soar above the clouds

She wanna be free

Like Nelson Mandela

Stand tall like a pyramid

So, so courageous

No place she’d rather be

Oh na na na, oh na na na

And there’s no place she’d rather be

Oh na na na, oh na na na

Live and die in Afrika

She wanna live and die in Afrika

Oh lo lo lo lo

Live and die in Afrika

I wanna feel love

I wanna be remembered

I wanna go down in history

And make my mama proud

The darker the berry

The sweeter the juice

Na sitoki nyumbani wacha mila ni mtumwa

No place I’d rather go

Oh na na na, oh na na na

No place I’d rather go
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Live and die in Afrika

Oh lo lo lo lo lo lo

Live and die in Afrika

Oh yeah yeah

Live and die in Afrika

(Applause)

Bien-Aimé Baraza: Good afternoon,
ladies and gentlemen.

It’s a pleasure and honor
to be here today.

Onstage is the group called Sauti Sol.

(Cheering)

We have a couple of people paid
in the audience to make some noise for us.

(Laughter)

The four of us met
in high school, 15 years ago,

and at the time, we were famous
for singing Boyz II Men covers,

because they were our biggest inspiration.

(Laughter)

And I remember, in a very pervy way,
in my room, I had a Mariah Carey poster

and a Britney Spears poster, too.

(Laughter)

And I can’t help but feel
that times have changed.

Because what used to be
Mariah Carey in my room now,

in a 15-year-old boy’s room,
is Tiwa Savage.

What used to be 50 Cent in my room then,

to a 15-year-old boy’s room now

is Sauti Sol.

(Cheering) (Applause)

The role of Afrobeats in emancipating

and getting over the colonial
mindset of the youth

cannot be ignored.

Afrobeats has played the strongest
role so far, if you ask me,

as far as emancipating
the youth is concerned.

We are now the superstars
of our generation, for our people.

We are the solution
to their musical problems.

(Applause)

And people our age are no longer
looking for entertainment

from America, from the West.

We are the entertainment,

and they’re priming us above
any other form of art.

In 2015, President Obama came to Kenya,

and we had the pleasure
of being the entertainment

for the state dinner that happened
at state house, Nairobi.

And as we were performing,

he jumped onstage with us,
and together, we did a cultural dance

to a song that I want to share
with you guys right now.

And wherever you are,
if you feel the music, dance.

Ladies and gentleman, “Sura Yako.”

(Cheering)

(Music)

Nimekuchagua wewe, nikupende

Mama, sitaki mwingine

Aushi usiniache, usinitende

Mama, usipende mwingine

Moyo wangu ni mwepesi

Umenikalia chapati

Nafanya vituko kama chizi

Kukupenda sitasizi

Moyo wangu ni mwepesi

Umenikalia chapati

Nafanya vituko kama chizi

Kukupenda sitasizi

Sura yako mzuri mama

Mzuri mama

Na tabasamu lako maua

Mzuri mama

Sura yako mzuri mama

Mzuri mama

Piga dansi kidogo

Piga da … piga dansi kidogo

Dansi kidogo

Piga da … piga dansi kidogo …

Dansi kidogo

Piga da … piga dansi kidogo …

Dansi kidogo

Sura yako mzuri mama

Mzuri mama

Na tabasamu lako maua

Mzuri mama

Na sura yako mzuri mama

Mzuri mama

You’re so, so beautiful

Mzuri mama

You’re so, so

Mzuri mama

(Applause)

Savara Mudigi: Wow.

Thank you, thank you so much.

(Applause)

So, afrobeats, afrobeats.

Afrobeat is a force,
it’s a force in the world right now.

Just last year, in the last year alone,

Africa had songs in the Billboard charts.

“One Dance,” written by Wizkid,
performed by Wizkid and Drake.

“Unforgettable” by French Montana.

For those who know or don’t know,
French Montana is Moroccan.

Artists who the world
has normally considered as mainstream

are now realizing
they’re late to the party.

And they are knocking on the door,

and because we are good people,
we are going to let them in.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

When we look at an artist,
Queen B herself – in brackets, Beyoncé –

(Laughter)

Beyoncé has African
influence in her music.

A couple of years ago, in 2011,

through YouTube, she saw
these dancers called Tofo Tofo dancers,

from Mozambique,

and she flew them all the way
from Mozambique to Los Angeles

to teach her and her dancers

the now signature dance moves
that you see in her song,

“Run the World (Girls).”

Yeah. (Laughs)

So, with social media and a vibrant,
vibrant African diaspora,

more and more the world
is dancing to our rhythm

and talking our pidgin.

Yeah? (Laughs)

Thanks, Nigeria, we’ll use that
for across the board.

(Laughter)

Our next song, “Kuliko Jana,”
had a viral video

that was posted by Snoop Dogg,
Ne-Yo, Talib Kweli.

And the general feedback of this song,

especially in the black community
in the United States,

was that this song gave them
a feeling or a sense

of spiritual repatriation.

So, ladies and gentlemen, “Kuliko Jana.”

(Cheering)

(Vocalizing)

(Vocalizing ends)

Bwana ni mwokozi wangu

Tena ni kiongozi wangu

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

Baraka zake hazikwishi

Si kama binadamu habadiliki

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

Kuliko jana

Yesu nipende leo kuliko jana

Kuliko jana

Yesu nipende leo kuliko jana

Wewe ndio nategemea

Kufa kupona Baba nakutegemea

Chochote kitanikatsia

Kuingia mbinguni utaniondolea

Wewe ndio nategemea

Kufa kupona Baba nakutegemea

Chochote kitanikatsia

Kuingia mbinguni utaniondolea

Wewe ndio nategemea

Kufa kupona Baba nakutegemea

Chochote kitanikatsia

Kuingia mbinguni utaniondolea

Wewe ndio nategemea

Kufa kupona Baba nakutegemea

Nakutegemea

Na Bwana ni mwokozi wangu

Na tena ni kiongozi wangu

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

Baraka zake hazikwishi

Si kama binadamu habadiliki

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

Kuliko jana

Yesu nipende leo kuliko jana

Kuliko jana

Yesu nipende leo kuliko jana

Na Bwana ni mwokozi wangu

Na tena ni mkombozi wangu

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

Amen

Baraka zake hazikwishi

Amen

Si kama binadamu habadiliki

Amen

Ananipenda leo kuliko jana

(Music ends)

Thank you very much.

(Cheering)

(Applause)