For Kenya’s Bien, Music After Sauti Sol Is About “Starting Again”

In many ways, this commitment to constant growth and reinvention encapsulates Bien’s journey from his celebrated days as the lead singer of Sauti Sol, Kenya’s most successful band to date, to his current solo career.

It was only last November when Bien, 36, took the stage for the last time with his Sauti Sol bandmates —Polycarp Otieno, Savara Mudigi and Willis Chimano. This followed the group's announcement that they would be taking an indefinite break after 17 successful years.

“I had to have the humility to start again,” he shares. He remembers how, in his most recent European tour, he played venues that Sauti Sol performed at early in their career. “There’s no skipping steps because you're famous from a previous band. You have to start at a certain level and work your way up.”

When asked about the state of the group, Bien assures that they’re still tight. He’d just hosted them for dinner at his home the weekend before, and he sees Chimano for dance practice almost daily.

“At the end of the day, these are literally my best friends,” he explains. “I don't have anyone else to gossip with. I don't know anyone else to talk about things happening in my life, it's them! We try very much to just be present in each other's lives.”

For many artists, the move from a band to a solo career can be daunting. For Bien, it was no different. Despite Sauti Sol's incredible success, Bien understood that a solo act would come with a new set of challenges — reintroducing himself to audiences, exploring his identity beyond the band, and creating music that represented his voice alone.

All of that is best displayed in his debut album Alusa, Why Are You Topless?, which dropped weeks after that final Sauti Sol show. The album, and later its deluxe edition, showcases Bien’s talent as a songwriter, hitmaker, and collaborator. Songs like the catchy “Wahala” with Adekunle Gold and ShineTTW,“Ma Cherie” remix with Fally Ipupa, and "My Baby" with Ayra Starr highlight his knack for crafting infectious tunes.

Alusa, Why Are You Topless? explores a range of sounds, with features from artists from Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it remains distinctly Kenyan, rooted in East African sensibilities — a sound Bien feels is often overlooked on the global stage compared to music from West Africa or South Africa. To him, East African music is a "playlist you didn't know you needed."

“Nobody is looking out for us,” he says. “What we need to do [as a region] is be more confident in ourselves. And definitely our sound needs to be more distinct.”

But he acknowledges that his collaboration with different artists in Alusa, Why Are You Topless? has opened doors to new markets “I met people who had never heard of Sauti Sol but discovered Bien on Spotify and came to my shows,” he says. “When I sang Sauti Sol songs, they were like, ‘What? This is all you too?’ It was a full-circle moment.”

Though it may seem like a solo endeavor, one of the biggest changes for Bien as he stepped into solo artistry was bringing on a new manager — his wife, Chiki Kuruka.

“When I thought about someone to be a manager for me, I couldn't think of someone better,” he says proudly, noting her strong background in the music industry. He credits Kuruka’s focus and drive as pivotal to his brand and career direction, providing stability and a shared vision.

Traveling, and working together, has transformed their relationship into a creative powerhouse, he says, describing their life as "one long honeymoon."

The couple will soon be back on the road as early as November, when Bien kicks off a European tour with dates in the U.K., Finland, Germany and Norway. But he's also ready to dive into his next album, hinting that while his debut was about establishing himself as a solo artist, the upcoming project will allow him to explore his creativity more deeply, incorporating traditional instruments and even singing in Luhya, his tribal language.

“I like writing popular music, so sometimes I follow trends,” he says. “But the times in my career when I've been very successful, I wasn't following trends. I was just following my heart. And I think with my next album, I'm going there a lot more.”

After the positive reception of Alusa, Why Are You Topless?, Bien is eager to experiment further. The album has already met two of its three main goals: allowing him to discover himself as an artist and break into new markets. The final goal is yet to be fulfilled: a Grammy nomination.

“If it happens, it happens,” he pauses thoughtfully before adding, “It will happen.”