Afrikan Sauce

Afrikan Sauce is the fourth studio album by Kenyan band Sauti Sol, released on their eponymous record label Sauti Sol Entertainment.[1][2] Primarily an Afropop and R&B record, Afrikan Sauce marked a departure from the traditional acoustic sound of their previous albums. It features guest appearances from Patoranking, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Vanessa Mdee, Yemi Alade, Khaligraph Jones, Nyashinski, Bebe Cool, Mi Casa, Toofan, Jah Prayzah and C4 Pedro.[2] The album comprises 13 tracks and was supported by the previously released singles "Melanin", "Girl Next Door", "Afrikan Star", "Short N Sweet" and "Tujiangalie".[2]

Afrikan Sauce
Studio album by
Sauti Sol
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2019 (2019-01-31)
Genre
LabelSauti Sol Entertainment
Producer
Sauti Sol chronology
Live and Die in Afrika
(2015)		 Afrikan Sauce
(2019)		 Midnight Train
(2020)
Singles from Afrikan Sauce
  1. "Melanin"
    Released: November 21, 2017
  2. "Girl Next Door"
    Released: January 10, 2018
  3. "Afrikan Star"
    Released: February 14, 2018
  4. "Rewind"
    Released: March 27, 2018
  5. "Short N Sweet"
    Released: May 17, 2018
  6. "Tujiangalie"
    Released: August 22, 2018

Background

Sauti Sol described the album as an "art and cultural exchange" project and said it would be released towards the end of 2017.[3] They also announced plans to release a new track with a different African artist every month.[3] However, this plan did not completely materialize due to financial constraints.[4]

Composition

Primarily an Afropop and R&B record, Afrikan Sauce marked a departure from the traditional acoustic sound of the band's previous albums.[3] In the mid-tempo track "Melanin", Sauti Sol and Patoranking celebrate women of color and declare love for a woman who broke their hearts.[5][6] "Short N Sweet" is composed of reggae kicks, percussion, bass guitar and electric guitar licks.[3] "Love Again" has elements of Kuduro and is reminiscent of "Say Yeah", a song from the band's third studio album Live and Die in Afrika (2015).[3] In the politically-charged track "Tujiangalie", Sauti Sol denounces Kenya's current state.[3][4] The Maleek Berry-produced track "Girl Next Door" contains Swahili lyrics and has a slow-paced reggae feel.[7] In the mellow ballad "Afrikan Star", Sauti Sol and Burna Boy trade emotive verses back and forth.[8]

Singles

The Patoranking-assisted track "Melanin" was released on November 21, 2017, as the album's lead single.[9][6] Damilola Animashaun of Konbini Channels praised the band's vocals and Patoranking's dancehall sound.[6] Sauti Sol was nominated for African Artiste of the Year at The Headies 2019 for "Melanin".[10] The accompanying music video for "Melanin" was shot and directed in Lagos by Clarence Peters; it features numerous shots of dark skin women along with dance and performance scenes.[5] Ezekiel Mutua, the CEO of the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), criticized the video and called it "absolute pornography".[11] Mutua threatened to seek a court injunction to ban the song from airing, and said Sauti Sol released the video without following Kenya's content production and distribution regulation laws.[12] KFCB told Sauti Sol to submit the video for examination and classification for age suitability; the board also warned media stations not to air the song during watershed periods.[12]

The album's second single "Girl Next Door" was released on January 10, 2018.[13] It features guest vocals by Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage and was produced by Maleek Berry.[7] The Unlimited LA-directed visuals for "Girl Next Door" features laid-back individual shots of Sauti Sol and Savage.[7] The Burna Boy-assisted track "Afrikan Star" was released on February 14, 2018, as the album's third single.[8][14] The music video for "Afrikan Star" was directed by Mex Films and shot in an old mansion filled with colorful furniture and a large book collection.[15][8] The nostalgic track "Rewind" was released on March 27, 2018, as the album's fourth single.[16][17] It features a rap verse by Kenyan rapper Khaligraph Jones and was produced by Sauti Sol.[17] The song is a fusion of hip hop and Afrobeats.[18] The visuals for "Rewind" was directed by Sesan and contains old images and videos of the band.[17]

The Nyashinski-assisted track "Short N Sweet" was released on May 17, 2018, as the album's fifth single.[19] The song was produced by Sauti Sol and mastered by Sarthak.[20] Camille Storm of OkayAfrica said the track is "evocative of the early Sauti Sol days, with a strong acoustic instrumentation and acapella-driven background vocals".[21] The accompanying music video for "Short N Sweet" was directed by Nate Thomas.[20] "Short N Sweet" was nominated for Song of the Year and Video of the Year at the 2019 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.[22]

The politically-charged track "Tujiangalie" (Swahili: "Self-reflection") was released on August 22, 2018, as the album's sixth single.[23][24] The song was recorded in collaboration with Nyashinski and addresses several societal issues, including corruption, mounting debt, economic inequality, a crisis of leadership, and the troubling connection between the clergy and the political class.[23] In a review for the website Paukwa, Ngoma Zetu said "Tujiangalie" "tells the truth in a raw way, but with fine tunes of the singers, listeners can only want to reflect on themselves".[25]

Other songs

Sauti Sol's collaborative single with Nigerian singer Yemi Alade, titled "Africa", was released on July 5, 2016.[26] It was produced by BeatsByEmzo and first appeared on Alade's second studio album Mama Africa (2016). The music video for "Africa" was directed by Ovie Etseyatse and features clips of different streets and iconic towers in African cities, as well as pictures of renowned leaders fighting for independence.[27]

Critical reception

Beverly Wakiaga of Tangaza magazine said the album has substantial replay value, but ended the review saying it is "missing something that gives it that oomph and makes you take notice of the band".[3] Toye Sokunbi of Native magazine called Afrikan Sauce a "game changer" and said it is a "template for Afropop that actually works to the advantage of the creators".[28] Reviewing for The Star newspaper, journalist Davies Ndolo awarded the album 3 stars out of 5, saying it "depicts and incorporates the diversity and aesthetic that is Africa."[29]

Tracklisting
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Melanin" (featuring Patoranking) 4:27
2."Girl Next Door" (featuring Tiwa Savage)Maleek Berry3:09
3."Afrikan Star" (featuring Burna Boy) 3:14
4."Rewind" (featuring Khaligraph Jones)Sauti Sol3:47
5."Short N Sweet" (featuring Nyashinski)Sauti Sol3:43
6."Tujiangalie" (featuring Nyashinski) 3:41
7."Special Somebody" (with Jah Prayzah) 3:32
8."Love Again" (with C4 Pedro) 4:11
9."Mbozi Za Malwa" (with Bebe Cool) 3:09
10."Tulale Fofofo" (with Mi Casa) 4:00
11."Kamasutra" (featuring Vanessa Mdee) 3:40
12."Love on the Dance Floor" (featuring Toofan) 3:18
13."Africa" (with Yemi Alade)BeatsByEmzo3:56

Release history
Region Date Format Version Label
Various January 31, 2019 CD, Digital download Standard Sauti Sol Entertainment

References
  1. "Afrikan Sauce by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  2. "Listen to Sauti Sol's New Album 'Afrikan Sauce'". OkayAfrica. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  3. Beverly Wakiaga (March 17, 2019). "Not Enough Sauce on Sauti Sol's 'Afrikan Sauce' album". Tanga Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  4. "Sauti Sol reveal financial constraints have affected their 2018 plans". Capital FM. December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  5. Camille Storm (November 21, 2017). "Sauti Sol Celebrate 'Melanin' In Their Stunning New Video With Patoranking". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. Damilola Animashaun (21 November 2017). "Watch The Beautiful Video For Sauti Sol & Patoranking's New Song, 'Melanin'". Konbini Channels. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  7. Camille Storm (January 10, 2018). "Sauti Sol & Tiwa Savage's 'Girl Next Door' Is Finally Here". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  8. Damola Durosomo (February 14, 2018). "Sauti Sol and Burna Boy Link Up For New Single 'Afrikan Star'". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  9. "Melanin (feat. Patoranking) - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. November 21, 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  10. Fikayo Olowolagba (October 1, 2019). "Burna Boy, Teni lead as Headies releases 2019 nominee list". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  11. Sally Boyani (November 21, 2017). "Sauti Sol's new hit angers Ezekiel Mutua, threatens ban". Citizen Digital. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  12. Robert Abong'o; Fay Ngina (November 23, 2017). "Sauti Sol in trouble with Ezekiel Mutua over obscene music video". Ureport. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  13. "Girl Nextdoor (feat. Tiwa Savage) - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. January 10, 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  14. "Afrikan Star (feat. Burna Boy) - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. February 14, 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  15. Daniel Orubo (14 February 2018). "Burna Boy Joins Sauti Sol In The Video For New Single, 'Afrikan Star'". Konbini Channels. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  16. "Rewind (feat. Khaligraph Jones) - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  17. Camille Storm (March 27, 2018). "Sauti Sol's 'Rewind' Is The Big Kenyan Collaboration We Needed". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  18. "DOWNLOAD : Sauti Sol Ft. Khaligraph Jones – Rewind". NotJustOk. April 4, 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  19. "Short & Sweet - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. May 17, 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  20. Richard Kamau (22 May 2018). "Watch: Sauti Sol's New Music Video 'Short N Sweet' Assisted by Nyashinski". Nairobi Wire. Archived from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  21. Camille Storm (May 17, 2018). "Finally! Sauti Sol & Nyashinski Come Together For New Single 'Short N Sweet'". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  22. Ehis Ohunyon (January 5, 2019). "Here is the complete winners list at the SoundCity MVP Awards 2019". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  23. Abdi Latif Dahir (August 25, 2018). "Kenya's biggest Afropop band gets political—and stirs up controversy". Quartz Africa. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  24. "Tujiangalie - Single by Sauti Sol". Apple Music. August 22, 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  25. Ngoma Zetu (June 7, 2019). "Tujiangalie by Sauti Sol". Paukwa. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  26. "'Africa' ft Sauti Sol [Video]". Pulse Nigeria. 5 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  27. Amina Wako (7 July 2016). "Yemi Alade features Sauti Sol in new hit". Nairobi News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  28. Toye Sokunbi (February 1, 2019). "Sauti Sol's Afropop Game-Changer "Afrikan Sauce" is Finally Here". Native. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  29. Davies Ndolo (9 February 2019). "Album Review: Sauti Sol's "Afrikan Sauce"". The Star. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
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