Sauti Sol talk about their new album ‘Midnight Train’

Posted on Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Author: Judith Mutua

Article image
Kenya's Afro pop music group Sauti Sol.

Sauti Sol has become a serious player on the East Africa Afro pop music scene. The boy’s band which comprises of Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano, Savara Mudigi, and guitarist and record producer has finally lived up to their promise of releasing the highly anticipated 5th album ‘Midnight Train’.

In February, the award-winning group went viral on social media after becoming the first Kenyan act signed to Universal Music Awards (UMA). For most local artists, this deal provides assurance that they could play in the big leagues.

Midnight Train

The 13-track album takes the listener through the journey of life, embracing the trials and tribulations that come with it.

The title track “Midnight Train”, produced by Andre Harris (Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Jill Scott), is a representation of the boy band’s never-say-die attitude. The song, is about their hustle and the effort they have put into their career, burning the midnight oil.

“We’ve had an amazing journey so far and it’s like an ever moving train. Each time we make it to a destination we realize the road doesn’t stop there. We continue to better ourselves and look forward to bringing our fans along with us as we grow,” said member Chimano.

With many accolades, awards and global recognition, Sauti Sol has been soaring high, offering 4 critically acclaimed singles ahead of the album’s release.

The release of the rhythmic love jam ‘Suzanna’ set the stage for the album. ‘Disco Matanga’ featuring South Africa’s fast rising star Sho Madjozi and ‘Black Motion’ enticed fans as the lead song from Netflix’s ‘Queen Sono’.


Article image
Midnight Train album was released in May 2020.

The uplifting ‘Brighter Days’ featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir gave hope at the beginning of the world pandemic and ‘Insecure’, their most recent release, explores the fear and insecurity that lies deep within.

Singing in Swahili, Luhya, Luo and English, Sauti Sol prides themselves on storytelling as an East African tradition that permeates music from that region and this is what has kept them relevant with audiences across the world and earned them so many accolades along the way.

Midnight Train Track List

  1. Intro
  2. Midnight Train
  3. Insecure
  4. Feel My Love
  5. Brighter Days ft. Soweto Gospel Choir
  6. Nenda Lote
  7. Suzanna
  8. Set Me Free (Interlude)
  9. My Everything ft. India Arie
  10. Wake Up ft. Mortimer
  11. Sober
  12. Rhumba Japani ft. Kaskazini, Bensoul, Xenia, Nviiri the Storyteller, Okello Max, NHP
  13. Disco Matanga (Yambakhana) ft. Black Motion & Sho Madjozi

The album comes after the release of Live and Die in Afrika in 2015. Previous studio releases include Mwanzo (2008) and Sol Filosofia (2011).

comments