In what may well be a first for an African artist, boutique SA label soWHAT record’s new signing, Obi Sanaa – a pan-African artist collective – will premier a unique and groundbreaking debut music video titled “Walking on Water” generated entirely with AI (artificial intelligence).
The single see’s the SA-based collective collaborating with Kenyan songstress Sofiya Nzau delivering a heartelt vocal in both Kikuyu and English. The Kikuyu are the largest ethnic group in Kenya, with Sofiya Nzay an in demand vocalists with worldwide collaborators and a recent feature on the track ‘Amapiano’ by ZeXzy with over 7 million YouTube, plus support by Black Coffee on her Afro house release ‘Ouria Deka.’
Obi Sanaa comments on creating the visual love poem
“We wanted to push the boundaries of what’s possible with music videos. By using AI, we were able to bring our vision of Africa to life in a mind-bendingly beautiful way which was also quite emotional for us.”
“‘Walking on Water’ ended up being not just a song, but an experience highlighting the collaboration in visual format between South Africa and Kenya, and ended up being a kind of artistic love poem to Africa that was thankfully very much in line with our concept and name.”
The video takes viewers on a surreal trip across rural landscapes, ancestral villages, and bustling cities, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Soweto, and Nairobi. The AI algorithm seamlessly connects multiple overlapping images, shifting from one setting to the next; from the Karoo to the Serengeti, from the Khoisan tribespeople to the North African plains.
Check out the visual love poem below:
The name Obi Sanaa comes from the words ‘Obi’ meaning ‘Heart’ in Nigerian and ‘Sanaa’ meaning ‘Art’ in Swahili. Musically, Obi Sanaa’s production approach on “Walking on Water” taps into a soulful amapiano groove overlaid with organic live electric piano, bass & guitars with rhythmic log drums driving the chorus & hook.
Founder of soWHAT Records Avi Elman comments
“This kind of AI tech may well shake up the music industry, This is just the beginning, we are excited about artistic expressions of AI going forward & predict an exponential growth which is exciting but somewhat frightening; this technology is most definitely disruptive.”
“Art & technology have always been intertwined and with the rise of artificial intelligence, artists are exploring new frontiers in their work. From digital paintings to generative music & augmented reality, AI is transforming the way artists create, and it is now easier than ever for artists to incorporate AI into their creative processes.”
Obi Sanaa plan to release a single per month in the lead up to their debut album dropping second half 2023 & featuring artists Sboniso Mbhele (SA), Kaji Mija (Botswana) and more in genres covering afrobeat, amapiano, afropop afrohouse and “…. anything Afro influenced” as they like to say.
Watch this space for updates in the Music Videos category on SA Music Zone.
To stay in the loop with all things SA Music, Subscribe to our newsletter.
Looking for something to do? Check out our Upcoming Events section or the SA Gig Guide.
Want to explore the SA Music Scene? Check out our Artist/Band/Group Profiles section.
Want to discover fresh music? Follow our editor's 2025 playlist on Spotify.
