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Africa’s biggest R&B link-up, Strictly Soul, is taking a break after an incredible season. With fans and residencies across the continent, this event has the potential for global impact. Strictly Soul, led by deejay and founder Akio, packs its events with R&B favourites for R&B lovers. After a special winter edition called Chinchilla Social, Strictly Soul returns in September for another season of rhythmic and bluesy nights.
Strictly Soul founder Akio Kawahito is embarking on a summer tour that will see him circling many corners of the world. As a lover and martyr of R&B, his vision for the genre is inspiring. For South Africans who love feel-good R&B music, this event fills a gap that few other event spaces ever will. Ahead of his stop in Atlanta, we spoke to Akio about Strictly Soul’s phenomenal 4-year run.
Give me an executive summary of Strictly Soul and the type of person who would enjoy it most.
Strictly Soul is the first fully dedicated R&B party in Africa. We’ve essentially taken Old School Soul Sessions from your Auntie on a Sunday and transformed it into a premium high-energy party that plays all eras of R&B. Even though, at its core, it’s a party for girls, anyone who loves R&B would love it. The night is really dedicated to people who want a break from the regular nights out where you hear the same commercial music over and over. We’ve created a space where you can sing along and dance to all your favourite songs that they never play at the club.
Strictly Soul is taking a break after an amazing season. What fond memory from this past year will you cherish?
For me, there were a couple of really amazing moments. I think the two that stand out the most were hosting Filah Lah Lah at our live concert series in Johannesburg. When we first moved to the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town, 1,300 people showed up.
R&B and Soul has evolved over the years, but its essence remains steadfast. Is the superiority of old school over new school R&B a fact, or are you also a fan of the new sounds?
Ha! It’s tough for me to say that old-school R&B is superior. The genre has changed and evolved. I grew up in the 90s, so that era will always be close to my heart and super relevant. R&B kind of disappeared once all the rappers started singing from around 2012 – 2017 or so. Then, we saw a really incredible rebirth with artists like Bryson Tiller, Brent Fiayez, SZA, Summer Walker, and more. The trap soul element really slowed down the sound and the subject matter became a bit more toxic compared to the more wholesome feel of old school, but it reintroduced R&B to a whole new generation. We also got really talented and versatile artists like H.E.R, SiR, and others who can play in the more traditional space but also hit those new school elements.
Strictly Soul, Africa’s biggest R&B link-up, sounds like a huge production. What are some of the challenges that you think you could never get used to when it comes to planning an event?
I mean, with repetition, things get easier. In South Africa, we got the production down like clockwork. The bigger challenges are the other cities across the continent. Most of the events keep growing, so we have to move to new venues, which always means new challenges and learnings. The thing you can never get used to is no matter how much planning and forecasting you do for a new venue. You’re only gonna see how guests engage and behave in the space once the doors open. This is why our 2nd event in any space is always much better.
The past few years have been challenging for the event space, with the closing of Konka Soweto and the sad ending of Sunday Roast. How is Strictly Soul keeping its flame alive?
Both Konka and Roast had amazing runs and were extremely impactful to the culture. For Strictly Soul, our biggest advantage was that we’re the first event of our kind on the continent. We’ve also really focused on organic growth. Because we don’t over-promote, many people are finding out about our event now. We’ve been around for 4 years. Each event sells out and has a huge influx of new people, so the event stays fresh and in demand. We also really put a lot of thought into new themes, concepts, and ways to build and engage our communities.
Strictly Soul also keeps the flame alive by activating in so many countries across the continent. Being part of an international movement adds a different aura of prestige and glamour to each event.
Which 2 artists, legendary or up-and-coming, would you like to bring to perform at Strictly Soul in the next season?
Yoh! It is such a tough one, but I would go with Sade and SZA!
As you reflect over the past year, what are your hopes for Strictly Soul and its fans?
From our main event side, we really want to keep improving the experience. To bring more people into the community and continue to grow the brand across Africa. In terms of the culture, our biggest objective moving forward is to continue to take the brand beyond just a party. To really elevate R&B and, in particular African R&B artists by creating more live performance platforms and a bigger platform for their music.
R&B has a safe space to grow and mold us for many more years to come because of Strictly Soul. As the local R&B scene snowballs, the community and the support for R&B sounds will find the hard-to-reach places. Be on the lookout for updates on Strictly Soul’s return in Spring. Follow Strictly Soul for me.
