In 2022, Kenyan singer and nominated Senator Crystal Asige—a voice once celebrated for her talent and resilience—took her fight from the stage to the courtroom. Her opponents? The very stars who had promised to guide her: Sauti Sol and their record label, Sol Generation Records.
What began as a dream of mentorship and music soon spiraled into a painful battle over trust, dignity, and ownership.
Crystal says she left her hometown of Mombasa in 2019, spending her own savings to move to Nairobi after being promised a future under Sauti Sol’s wing. She threw herself into songwriting and recording sessions, believing she was building not just her career, but a creative family.
Then came “Extravaganza.” Her voice soared through the hit track, capturing the nation’s attention. Her presence—bold, unapologetic, and breaking barriers as a visually impaired artist—became a symbol of inclusivity.
But behind the applause, she says, was silence. No pay. No contract. No recognition.
“They used my disability as a selling point for their PR campaigns,” Crystal told the High Court, her voice steady but heavy with emotion. “It was portrayed as if the label was championing me as an artist with a disability.”
She claims that once she started questioning the fairness of the contracts given to other artists, everything changed.
The phone stopped ringing. Invitations vanished. She was frozen out of meetings, performances, and projects she helped create.
The breaking point came when she discovered her lyrics—her art, her words—had allegedly been used in Sauti Sol’s 2020 album Midnight Train, in the track Intro. Instead of being credited as the sole writer, she was listed as a mere co-writer.
Sauti Sol and Sol Generation have denied all allegations, insisting that Crystal was treated with respect and care—especially during her medical procedures.
But this is no longer just one woman’s story.
It’s a test case for Kenya’s entertainment industry, where dreams often collide with contracts, and where artists with disabilities still fight for a fair place in the limelight.
As the case continues before Lady Justice Margaret Mwangi, its outcome could reshape the conversation around artistic ownership, inclusivity, and justice—echoing far beyond the courtroom, into every Kenyan studio and stage.
Who Is Crystal Asige?
Crystal Asige is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, and nominated senator known for her soulful voice, advocacy for inclusivity, and work championing the rights of persons with disabilities.
She first gained national attention as part of Sol Generation, the record label founded by popular band Sauti Sol, where she featured in hits like Extravaganza, Ukiwa Mbali, and 1919 to Forever.
Crystal lost her sight in her teens due to a degenerative eye condition called glaucoma, but she has since become a strong voice for representation and accessibility in Kenya’s creative and political spaces.
In 2022, she was nominated to the Senate of Kenya by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to represent persons with disabilities. She continues to use her platform to speak out on issues of equality, disability rights, and the fair treatment of artists in the entertainment industry.
