Wedding bells are ringing louder than ever for Sauti Sol vocalist Bien Aime Baraza and his longtime girlfriend Chiki Onwukwe alias Chiki Kuruka.
This is after the towering member of the highly acclaimed Afropop boyband popped the all-important “Will You Marry Me?” question on Wednesday.
Bien, 31, who is also a guitarist and a vocalist, asked Chiki Kuruka for her hand in marriage in style; he hired out Westgate cinema, setting up a romantic scene that would make it difficult for his Nigerian dancer girlfriend to say no.
On the big screen, Chiki Kuruka watched her family and friends say good things about her in a series of recorded clips. Bien also slow danced with Chiki in the cinema hall as he sang to her in an extremely intimate moment backed by Bensoul’s guitar chords.
In his proposal, Bien gushed: “You’re the most amazing friend, my best friend for four years, the girl I met outside the bar.”
Chiki Kuruka says it was the easiest yes she’s ever said.
“I was not expecting this at all! Hiring out a cinema, all my family and friends involved. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Easiest yes I’ve ever said. To my homie, my nigha, my best friend and shit my FIANCÉ, I love you,” said Chiki in a post on Instagram.
After the movie-like proposal (pun intended), Bien and Chiki treated friends to a quaint engagement soirée at Mama Rocks. In addition to live acoustic performances by Bensoul and Kaskazini band, Bien Baraza had the crowd awwwing when he performed a song he wrote for Chiki.
“I want to remind you that I love you every day,” said Bien before serenading the love of his life.
Present to witness the lovebirds take the next step in their relationship were other Sauti Sol members, their manager Marek Fuchs, their former Publicist Anyiko, Edith Kimani, Tallia Oyando, Annabel Onyango, and others.
A wedding is expected before the end of the year.
Bien’s engagement comes months after another Sauti Sol member – Polycarp Otieno alias Fancy Fingers – quit the bachelor’s club. Polycarp and his Burundian bride Lady Mandy solemnised their union in November at an exclusive event held in Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club, Nanyuki.
