Brighter days are yet to come…
At times in life, we go through times that are so challenging that we are only looking for a glimpse of hope, something to hold on to, or rather something to brighten the days (no pun intended). Last Friday, this is exactly what we got from the song Brighter Days, the 3rd official single released from Midnight Train which is Sauti Sol’s 5th upcoming studio album.
I risk sounding like a broken record echoing what our leaders and the general public are talking about 24/7 at the moment. But as a society, we are facing unprecedented times and no one was prepared for things to go this far south this quick. People across the globe are grappling with the effects that the novel coronavirus is leaving behind its trails. We are all struggling to find something that will give us the hope and courage of a brighter tomorrow. As we all wait upon governments across the globe to figure things out, we all face either a lockdown, curfews or social isolation. Our social norms as we once knew before may not exist post this crisis. But instead of just languishing in the total disarray of an unknown tomorrow, we can hold on to some glimmering hope for a brighter future. This is why I think, this song couldn’t have been more timely.
This is not the first time Sauti Sol are collaborating with a South African artist/group nor with a choir. From what we have witnessed in their 11-year career, we got to get chart-topping hits like Disco Matanga and Kuliko Jana from such previous collaborations. Brighter Days is a little bit special, and not taking away anything from their previous songs which have been nothing short of stellar performances. I feel like everything about this song was predestined; it is special not just because of the timing, the unquestionable collaboration with South Africas multiple Grammy award-winning group Soweto Gospel Choir, but what makes it outstanding is the underlying messages of hope and resilience. We as Kenyans and Africans, in general, needed a song of this stature; a song that not only carries us through this difficult period but one that paves way for all of us to forge a better brighter future as one.
The story behind the making of the song is unique in itself, as we just learned that it was penned in 2017, meaning it took close to 3 years for it to see the light of day (talk of patience). Going through various forms of metamorphosis along the journey, the song as we now know it was finalized earlier in the year. Another great testament that this is a song bound to be timeless. A song, that took its own course and one which wasn’t just written to conveniently fit the narrative that is the current crisis that we face as humanity. If I’m to quote Sauti Sols own Polycarp “Fancy Fingers” Otieno, “Isn’t it lovely how songs develop and finally come to be?”. It is indeed quite something to revel about when we envision the making of the song.
This brings me to the other key part of this song, the unquestionable collaboration with Soweto Gospel Choir. I am not certain if everyone feels the same way, but I doubt there could have been a better companion for this song. Everything about this collaboration just feels right. The musical prowess, the harmony, and the chemistry, just send shivers down your spine. Very few songs manage to take one down such a path. As if the message of hope wasn’t enough to throw us into an emotional rollercoaster, the delivery just elevates the song to life. Soweto Gospel Choir brought a very different perspective to the song, that just elevates it. One can easily be forgiven if you draw comparisons to classic songs like “We are the world”. At the very least, this song gives us our very own African version.
Finally, for the icing on the cake, the video of the song is set in the legendary Downtown Music Hub in Johannesburg. A studio that is a defining part of South Africa’s music industry. We see the music video starting with the quadruple of Bien, Chi mano, Polycarp, and Savara arriving at the studio for a recording session. The video primarily focuses on the music, as we see the recording of the song between Sauti Sol and Soweto Gospel Choir. If there was a way to use a video as a musical instrument, then the director achieves just that. There are no theatrics, no shenanigans; simply a video purely accentuating the song, as it works to draw the audience to nothing but the music. If you are familiar with Brenda and Chiccos iconic production “Soon and very soon”, then Brighter Days is up there musically and production-wise a modern-day version of such great and iconic songs that came before it.
Overall 30/40/50 years from now when their 6 packs are faded and they reminisce on their careers, I’m sure they will marvel at how culturally defining this song was. Yes, Bien and company, you should keep sing this out loud, “And on days like this, we need to rise up. Wakijaribu kutuzika tutagerminate. Our lives will never be the same.” Finally, the song closes with some next-level take me to church Zulu rhythm from the soulful Soweto Gospel Choir, that the rest of Africa should proudly be chanting along “Ngiyakholwa, Ngiyakholwa Yebo Ngiyakholwa “ — I believe, I believe, yes I believe…with every beat of my heart.
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