Entertainment
Kenyan singer songwriter and Sauti Sol member Chimano talks creativity and 'Friday Feeling'
Kenyan
singer-songwriter and Sauti Sol member Chimano’s Friday Feeling, is the latest
track from his first solo EP "Heavy is the Crown."
Speaking
on Apple Music 1, he talked of his 1980s pop inspirations and renewed
appreciation for his own creativity and embracing new sonic directions.
“So
it’s 2022. Everyone was at home and there was a lot of introspection. Each one
of us in Sauti Sol has ended up doing their own individual projects.
But
for me, this was just a chance to actually record and see what I can do for
myself by myself; to see what kind of artist I can be by myself, because I have
always been in a group dynamic, so you know in this moment I was like, ‘Wait,
what can I do with myself?’
"Other
people picked up an academic course; I just picked solo artistry. There’s just
another version of me that I really wanted to be seen and to be heard, that
I’ve been waiting for it to come out, and here we go," said Chimano.
He
goes on to explain the influences in his life.
“I
was born as the 80s were ending, but when I think of that period, it played a
certain part in my life and I cannot really explain it. It was an era of rock
stars and openness. This was just right after disco, and the 80s was neon,
parties... it was wonderful. It was an era that felt like people were
discovering something new."
"That
played a big role in my life, just as well as the early 90s era of Rhythm and
Blues. It played a part in my life and stayed with me because it’s very
nostalgic to me, and just feels good. Even how I write my songs, or the songs
written for me penetrate my soul to the core."
Chimano
says the EP has made him believe in himself. He says he finds it surreal
because he’s listening to himself on a song from beginning to end, and it
became a whole project.
He
says he is happy that he overcame his fear and went ahead with the project that
he feels made him a better artist for Sauti Sol. “Even among the four of us,
now we understand and we were, Oh ok, I didn’t know you could do this… Oh damn
Savara that’s amazing".
Source:
www.theeastafrican.co.ke