Bien over the moon as he wins first Solo Award after Sauti Sol breakup

Published By The Statesman For The Statesman Digital
21 hours ago

Grammy-award-winning songwriter, guitarist, and singer Bien-Aimé Baraza has won his first ever award as a solo artist!

Bien was the fourth member of Kenya's globally celebrated boy band Sauti Sol, has that been topping the charts for over a decade. The band announced they had taken a musical hiatus towards the end of 2023 with all members pursuing different arenas in their careers.

It seems lady luck has shone brightest on the 37-year-old vocalist as he recently received the Best East African Male Artist award at the just concluded Trace Awards Kenyan Tour.

Speakingly exclusively with Mpasho after his win the Sol Generation co-founder gushed over this big win acknowledging that it the feeling was incomparable.

"It feels great maahn!" Bien calmly shares in between smiles.

He goes on to highlight that he's been receiving awards for the better part of his career but there is just something special about this specific onw. Not to done play all the others he's gotten and the great work him and his band members did, but being singled out and honoured for your individual work just slaps different.

"You know I have been receicing Awards in clussteres before and I have been in groups, still doing great things though. But it just hits different when it is yours," the 'Ma Cherrie' hitmaker candidly shares.

Being among one of his biggest cheerleaders, the musican goes ahead to give himself a pat in the back as he looks back at all the effort he has been putting in his art and creative space ever since the split.

"I have been putting in so much work in the last year since I became a solo artist and my career has just began so it feels great. Yeah, absolutely amazing," he adds with more vigor a show that his words aren't just for show and tell. He truly believes his words and that he is worthy of all the accolades he is receiving.

Touching on the Trace Music Award ceremony that is slated for next month, where he has been nominated in a few categories the 37-year-old vocalist maintains he has no expectations. He has learned not to show up to these things with expectations throughout the course of his decades long career.

Bet let things surprise you.

"I don't really go to Awards ceremonies with expectations of winning the awards more than I look forward to experiencing the artists who are going to be there.

Watching the perfomances, linking up with other artists who I admire and just you know... being in that one space. The oneness with art at that time. Yeah, it is a celebration," Bien says. Adding, "if I win an award, fine we're lucky but even if we don't we've won by just being in that room at that time coz that is where we need to be,"

Finishing up, Bien shares at this time period and age he's at he doesn't define his success by awards. Noting, "I am garateful when they come my way because that is recognition of work done. I really motivates my team.

But for an artist if you are out there and you don't have an award it doesn't mean you are any less of an artist,"