Sauti Sol lead singer Bien insists that only mediocre Kenyan musicians feel threatened by the foreign musicians performing in the county, noting that Diamond Platnumz has all the rights to perform in Kenya.
Eric Omondi has been leading the push to block foreign musicians from performing in the country as he urges event organizers to book local musicians for local gigs.
Eric’s action has elicited mixed reactions and recently Sauti Sol while in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were asked about the comedian’s campaign to lock out foreign musicians from the Kenyan music scene.
Speaking to Tanzanian media after their performance in Dar, Sauti Sol’s lead singer Bien insisted that Diamond had all the right to perform in Kenya without any intimidation.
He added that only underperforming Kenyan musicians wanted foreign artistes to be blocked from performing in the country.
“Mimi siwezi sema Diamond asikuje Kenya kuchukua pesa zake, huyo jamaa amechapa kazi. Kuja Kenya piga show chukua hela zako enda. Sisi tuko Dar, unajua mara mingi pia unafeelingi hizo masentiments zinatoka kwa wale watu ambao hawataki kuchapa kazi,” Bien said.
Bien further implored musicians to work hard, noting that their music is not just supposed to be played in their local country but gain a worldwide audience.
“Lakini kama wewe ni msanii chapa kazi uheshimika kwote. Sauti Sol ni watu walichapa kazi, tumepiga kazi for many years ata kama sahi tumerelax bado munatuita because munajua hawa watu wamelima. So wasanii tulime tujulikane beyond. Muziki yako si tu kuweka hapo penye umezaliwa, ni ya kukupeleka dunia nzima,” Bien said.
Echoing Bien’s sentiments, Sauti Sol’s Savara Mudigi said;
“And Diamond is a global artiste, an international artiste he has the right to be called anywhere any country. So wacha acheze kwetu, ni sawa.”
