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Willis Chimano is one of Kenya’s biggest pop stars. With the boyband Sauti Sol, he’s won a string of awards and even performed for President Barack Obama. But behind the success, Chimano had a secret: being gay in a country where gay sex is criminalised and people who identify as LGBT+ can experience violence and harassment. Since his childhood, Chimano had been hiding his sexuality but then in 2018 he was outed. Suddenly his career stood its toughest test as he was caught in a media frenzy and dealing with exposure that threatened to derail his entire life – and his relationship with his conservative family. But Chimano emerged from the storm as role model for LGBT+ people, becoming Kenya’s most famous openly gay singer.

Growing up in New York, Robert Leonard fell in love with soul and Motown harmony singing. When he arrived at Columbia University in 1968, he joined an a cappella group devoted to 1950s doo-wop, a nostalgic sound from his childhood that felt gentler than the turbulent moment he and his fellow students were living through. When the group's performances around campus became wildly popular, Robert’s older brother saw an opportunity. He decided to style them into a band – called Sha Na Na – complete with choreographed moves and ironic outfits, and soon they were performing in the coolest venues across New York City. Sha Na Na’s upbeat ’50s revival act, wildly out of step with the psychedelic and folk rock of the era, became an unlikely hit with young people angry and heartbroken by the Vietnam War. Jimi Hendrix was a fan, and helped land them a slot at the now legendary Woodstock festival, where Sha Na Na’s gold lamé-clad performance would become iconic.

In the late 80s, the British group Bros was one of the most successful pop acts in the world. Made up of lead singer Matt Goss, his twin brother Luke, and childhood friend Craig Logan, Bros quickly achieved multi-platinum selling albums and legions of adoring fans. But behind the scenes not everything was as it seemed. By 1992 the band had collapsed, and the relationship between the brothers never fully recovered. Matt told Mobeen Azhar in 2021 how the split affected his mental health, and how he eventually made his way back to music.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape on a white background with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)