I am surviving on royalties, says Bien

Sauti Sol's Bien says he has been forced to survive on royalties. 

Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV’s Willy M Tuva, Bien said the corona pandemic has affected him financially.

“At the moment I am surviving on royalties because I have written many songs for many people," he said.

"Early last year, I was in Germany to work on more songs over there, and that is what has been sustaining me. Royalties given to Sauti Sol are also going a long way," he said.

"My savings, too, have gone a long way because as an artiste, you have to save. Hopefully, our savings will push us as far as it can until this nightmare is over."

He said the going is not easy as he had many other projects in the pipeline, bills, salaries and rent to pay for his work offices.

“We have videos from Bensoul and Nviiri that must be done so they do not stay from the limelight too long and lose relevance," he said. "We also have other things, including our singles and more that have been affected.” 

Bien asked the government to consider tax relief for musicians this year due to the massive losses they are facing as they can’t do live performances or even tour.

Sauti Sol is connecting with its audiences on various platforms. The group is now holding an eagerly anticipated online show on August 22 that will also be shown on Kiss TV.