Sauti Sol and the Case of Suzanna
Sauti Sol has done it again. They have reminded us why they are the biggest group in Kenya, and one of Africa’s most popular male groups. Their new single, ‘Suzanna,’ comes on the heels of their deal with Universal Music Africa and the announcement of their upcoming album, ‘Midnight Train.’ If this single is an indicator of what to expect going forward, audiences will be mesmerized.
‘Suzanna’ is everything we have come to expect from the band. The guitar plucking and strumming that you can’t get enough of by Polycarp 'Fancy Fingers’ Otieno, awe-inspiring melodies and harmonies from Bien-Aime Baraza, Savara Mudigi, and Willis Chimano. Most crucially though is the hook, "Suzanna bhane, Senje, hallo hallo (hallo hallo hallo), if you get to hear this song, somebody loves you." It gets stuck in your head and has you singing it over and over again.
Picking up right where they left-off almost nine months ago, ‘Suzanna’ follows in the footsteps of '‘Friendzone,’ ‘Shake Yo Bam Bam,’ and Sol Generations’ Extravaganza.’ It sounds like Rhumba, Lingala, and old-school nostalgia. Sauti Sol explores this idea further in their accompanying music video, where they pay homage to the style of the ’70s. Which according to Baraza aims to provide “comic relief,” with the band dressed in bell-bottom suits, platforms, and afros, as they sing.
‘Suzanna’ evokes a feeling of being young and the limitless possibilities and hope you have. However, just like with youth, the lyrics convey shortsightedness. Thirty seconds into the song, the band brings up the contentious subjects of sponsors, skin bleaching, and hair enhancement - AKA weaves. However, instead of tackling them in a manner that will make listeners reflect on the issues that affect people globally, the lyrics are conveyed in a chiding and derisive manner. This leads me to conclude that either the band was trying to keep in theme with the old-school vibe or it was youthful folly and not fully thinking of the message they were sending.
In an interview on Citizen’s 10 Over 10, the band revealed that the song was written by Baraza three years ago but shelved until recently. ‘Suzanna’ is the story of a woman who has left what can only be assumed to be a ‘poorer’ but ‘safer’ lifestyle. Compared to the one she is currently living where she flexes on the gram with her sponsor, is in Paris teasing men in her mini skirt, and shaking her ass in London. Truly a dangerous lifestyle.
This song is written from the male perspective and takes the moral high-ground (as most men often do) when it comes to doling out criticism and judgement. I realize that songs have time limits, and sometimes the beauty of a song comes in the nuance of the underlying message. But, ‘Suzanna’ is a man’s account that fails to take into consideration the lived experiences and expectations of women. A three minute and 56-second song can only go so far in exploring the pressures women encounter on a day to day basis. When they are told their bodies are imperfect, their skin color is not the right one, and that the hair on their head needs to be natural, but not just any natural. The right kind of natural with ringlets, defined curls or waves.
Baraza explained that the song is intended to be a message to the current generation of young people to run their own race and not get caught up in keeping appearances. Though the intent is noble, the finalized product comes across as an admonishment of “sponsor culture,” without ever tackling the root of the problem, sponsors. It is a fascinating depiction of what it is like living in a patriarchal society for men without power and money. In her book, ‘When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip Hop Feminist Breaks It Down,’ Joan Morgan posits that ‘money and the ability to spend it freely is one of society’s strongest assertions of power- and power is a very sexy thing.’
If we hadn’t already established this, Kenya is an extremely male-dominated country. Just turn on the news, women in Kenya don’t exist unless they are being killed or acting untowardly. Due to the patriarchal nature of society, men often compete with one another for money, power, and women. This is an idea Roxane Gay explores in her book of essays’ Bad Feminist,’ where she writes, ‘men want what they want. So much of our culture caters to giving them what they want.’ Which is what ‘Suzanna’ is all about.
Though Sauti Sol claims to love Suzanna and wants her to come home, they make no mention of what exactly she is coming back to. The underlying assumption is that she has sold her soul, blackness, and sense of self-worth for material things. Again, I recognize that three minutes and 56 seconds does not allow for full discussions into patriarchy, anti-blackness, and the career aspirations of women. Still, it does give you enough time to see that Suzanna is a trophy.
She is not a person sorely missed but a prize that another man (the sponsor) has won. Her being abroad and seeming to live her best life is an affront to the societal rules that dictate men’s lives. In her essay ‘Blurred Lines, Indeed,’ Gay astutely remarks this is a “symptom of a much more virulent cultural sickness - one where women exist to satisfy the whims of men, one where a woman’s worth is consistently diminished or entirely ignored.”
Women are held to a different standard than men. As Morgan points out, ‘thanks to sexism, there is considerably less pressure on us to be financially and professionally successful. For better or worse, society still allows us to measure our overall worth in ways that have nothing to do with our careers, like being good mothers, wives, or community workers.’ In ‘Suzanna,’ Sauti Sol squarely lays the blame for ‘sponsor relationships’ and other societal ills on the doorsteps of women and the choices they make. ‘And I see you in China, with the latest designer, shaking what your doctor gave you, on your worst behaviour.’
Now don’t get me wrong, ‘Suzanna’ is an incredibly catchy tune. As many women do, I have learned to ignore mildly misogynistic lyrical content to enjoy a song. Despite this, ‘Suzanna’ provides the perfect opportunity to look at the contradictory nature of the patriarchy in Kenya. Especially how men have the clarity and moral high ground to impose judgement but can’t control their impulses to cheat, to be sponsors, or when they see women’s ankles. In the wise words of Summer Walker, “How that work?”
This single is the perfect premise for the rules of patriarchy as clearly articulated by Gay, “women are their bodies and what they can offer men.” However, when women use their bodies to achieve their goals, there is a double standard that Morgan mentions; “smart, personable, attractive men rely on their combined attributes all the time to advance themselves socially and professionally - and call it charm. Women who do the same, however, are accused by others of “selling out.”” ‘Suzanna’ does not serve as a funny look into sponsor culture. It should serve as a reminder to people who take issue with sponsor or sugar baby culture, not to hate the player but to hate the game.
