“Bensoul is going to be the biggest African Artist” – Bien-Aime Gives His Blessing

From the eerie slums of Embu’s Dallas to the scale of a musical Godfather, Bensoul has defied many odds on his way to the summit. He featured in the latest episode of Sol Family and his story is immensely moving. At a very young age, his father deserted the family after his mother refused to convert to Islam. They (Bensoul and his elder sister Lucy) were raised by a single mom as a result. His desire and passion for music cropped up amid all this and it was clear that he was determined to learn.

His Sunday School teacher, Teacher Njoki, attests to Ben’s drive to learn new things. She would see him sit next to instrumentalists, taking note of what they were doing and pushing to replicate the same on his own. It was this consistency that got him to join, and play the bass for, H_ART The Band during a concert. They would later compose hits such as Uliza Kiatu and El Shaddai. In fact, Mordechai was the one who introduced Bensoul to Sauti Sol through Bien. He was an instant impresser.

At a point, Bensoul fell seriously ill and nearly quit music. He admits to thinking that he was down with AIDS but would later be diagnosed with Tuberculosis. His sister and mother shared this story with tears in their because they feared for Bensoul’s life. However, he recovered and was back at his best.

“Sikuwa nimewahi skia songwriter msincere hivo in a long time,” was Bien’s remark after hearing Bensoul for the first time. The rest of the squad later got to comment on him, with Polycarp praising the musicality of the Sol apprentice. Savara and Bien added that when Sol Generation was about to sign their first artist, Bensoul was an undebatable topper on the list. “Bensoul is actually going to be the biggest African artist. I believe it 100%,” Bien concludes the episode by saying. It doesn't get much bigger than that. #bensoul #SautiSol