Universal Music Africa signs Sauti Sol

Universal Music Africa (UMA) have announced the signing of a recording agreement with award-winning Kenyan music collective, Sauti Sol.

The agreement will give the band access to Universal Music Group’s global network around the world and will allow greater opportunity to reach new audiences globally, as well as continue to satisfy and excite their dedicated fanbase and engage a new generation of fans in Africa.

Speaking about the deal, Sipho Dlamini, MD of UMG South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa, enthused, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Sauti Sol, one of the most innovative and creative groups to have broken through from Africa in recent years. Universal Music Africa is dedicated to helping the best African music talent reach new audiences around the world and we are excited to welcome them to our global UMG family. We look forward to working together with them to ensure they are able to authentically celebrate Africa through music and to help introduce their unique blend of afro-pop to new listeners everywhere.”

Sauti Sol is comprised of vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano, Savara Mudigi and guitarist, Polycarp Otieno.

The band released their debut studio album, Mwanzo, in 2008, followed by Sol Filosofia in 2011, which amassed multiple accolades in the form of awards and nominations.

Live and Die in Afrika, their 2015 third studio album, was released for free download for 48 hours, garnering 400,000 downloads in that period alone. Last year the band opened its record label, Sol Generation Records, with the sole mission of developing and introducing new iconic live African acts.