For some people, a warm shower to wash away travel fatigue after a long flight to a foreign city is the best way to relax. Others treat themselves to a spa treatment or massage to relieve muscle tension and stiffness.
Then there is Delvin Savara Mudigi who unpacks his running shoes and hits the streets regardless of which part of the world he finds himself.
“I can’t tell you the number of times I have lost my way in cities with Berlin being the recent case. Whenever I go, I run. Running is always the first thing that comes to mind whenever I arrive in a new city. It’s my way of unwinding after a long flight. That’s how I beat jet lag, my go-to refresher moment,” Savara tells the BDLife.
What began as a routine to keep fit, has grown into a way of life for the well-travelled drummer and member of the celebrated Kenyan band Sauti Sol.
We are standing at a small patio of an apartment in Ruaka, Kiambu County. A studio recording session is on, and Savara has stepped out to clear his head.
He is rocking a baggy black t-shirt with his image printed on the back. The t-shirt doesn’t do much justice in revealing his well-toned and leaned torso that has become part and parcel of his brand as an artiste.
The first time Sauti Sol grabbed headlines because of their impeccable and thirst trap physique was in 2015 with the release of the hit song Unishike. What became the talk of the town, wasn’t the lyrics but rather the video to the record that was labelled ‘obscene’ and immediately banned by the government from airing during the watershed period (before 9 pm).
In the video, all four band members- Bien Aime, Savara Mudigi, Polycarp Otieno and Willis Chimano- perform topless in the company of raunchy dressed video vixens, each displaying a bulked and well-toned physique.
Three months before the video shoot, the quartet had embarked on an intense weight-lifting workout regime to bulk and build lean muscles. Savara says the results were fantastic, earning them fans, both female and male, who were impressed by their transformation journey.
Music producer and Sauti Sol band member Delvin Savara Mudigi.
Photo credit: Pool
Since then, maintaining fitness has been crucial to the band’s branding strategy.
Savara is however quick to point out that his love for working out wasn’t motivated by his gym rats’ brothers in the band.
Coping with addiction
“Throughout my life, I have always been active. It didn’t start with Sauti Sol. Even before music, I used to play football so the love of working out kind of came to me naturally. It has now become an addiction. The more you work out the more you become addicted,” he clarifies.
It is an addiction like any other, Savara adds.
“When you get addicted to exercising, it is difficult to stop. You can’t function without it because your system is used to it. If I don’t work out for three consecutive days, I always feel sickly and weak. I become so uneasy,” he says.
Savara works out three to four times a week at the gym. Initially, weightlifting was the go-to exercise. However, after many years, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) has become Savara’s favourite workout mode. He complements that with running.
“Although I love running, I tend not to overdo it because then again, I don’t want to eat into my muscle. The maximum I do when running is five kilometres in a day. In most cases, it’s three kilometres.”
Looking at the 37-year-old, it’s evident that he has lost much of his Unishike era bulkiness that had everyone watch the video multiple times. He now spots a lean frame, which he cherishes.
“Much has changed. I think it’s a question of maturity as well. Back then, I would gym and bulk for aesthetics, which worked to my advatange. But at this point, I am more focused on the functionality of my body and mental health than the aesthetics,” Savara says.
But there is also another reason why the music producer no longer fancies bulking.
“I am leaner and shredded because of the HIIT. I no longer want to bulk, because again, I am a performer and I need to feel lighter on stage. I want to dance with ease and move around the stage swiftly. Bulk is good, but it has its limitation when one is a live stage performer, it tends to slow you down especially when you are on tours with performances booked back to back,” he says.
Although he ensures his hotel has a gym whenever travelling, Savara rarely uses such facilities.
“You don’t necessarily need to hit the gym to work out. During my travels, I find running more effective—bonding with nature and enjoying the scenic view of a city while running is quite satisfying. You end up enjoying the scenery, and discovering the city and while at it you are burning calories. I find that to be very therapeutic and attractive,” he adds.
Living with ADHD
For Savara, fitness is another way of keeping him in check on the ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) condition he suffers from.
The condition affects one’s ability to focus, control behaviour, and be still.
In terms of diet, Savara eats anything that is served.
“I have trained for so long that my body has no problem digesting anything. I have a high metabolism thus making it easier for me to bulk or cut whenever I want to,” he says.
