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Bien-Aimé Baraza
Bien-Aime (French for beloved) Baraza is a vocalist, songwriter and guitarist. He is a member of Sauti Sol, a Kenyan afro-pop band. His style of singing is soulful and his songwriting skills celebrated  by many.

Since Sauti Sol’s inception in 2006, Bien-Aime has remained active in the group and part of the creation of Sauti Sol two albums: Mwanzo (2008) and Sol Filosofia (2011). Bien-Aime occasionally writes songs for other artists inclding Elani, Amos & Josh and Wendy Kimani.

He says of songs from Sauti Sol’s first two albums: Mwanzo and Sol Filosofia, “I love to write songs. And women inspire me. My thought process equates songs to women; to an extent I call our songs my women. Lazizi is the hot girl at the bar. Zosi is the good sweet girl who goes to church. Mama Papa and Soma Kijana are the voices of my mother.

“While on stage, these hit singles are among my trophies. Some women like Wera, Subira, Mapacha, Awinja and Asubuhi are wife material–girls who knew me in the hood before the lights, camera and action. They remind me of Sauti Sol days before success and the magical struggle that our music has been. They are show for sacrifice and represent the road we’ve treaded.”

Bien-Aime studied Journalism and Media Studies at the United States International University and graduated in 2011.