Rwandan artiste Justin Gaju, best known by his stage name of Kid Gaju, has been dreaming big of late. He plans to release his first album in November and also do some collabos with regional and continental musicians.

Who is Kid Gaju?

I was born to Sephanie Gatungo and Abia Nyirampore on February 1, 1990 in Bukavu, DR Congo. A music freak, big dreamer and a believer, I start school in Bukavu before coming to Rwanda for secondary education which I completed in 2010. I plan to join university in January next year.

When did you start singing?

When I was a child, but only started recording in 2008. My first song was Iruhande Rwawe, recorded by Pastor-P, but I never released it because I wanted to finish high school first before fully joining the music industry. I released my first song, Umunota umwe, in early 2011 but was not a hit. Later in November I released another one, Mama Bebe, which earned me fame.

When the song impressed my fans, superstars such as Riderman, Urban Boys and Ama-G The Black approached me for its remix. We remixed the song and what followed is now history—it pushed me up and people started calling me Mama Bebe.

How many songs do you have to date?

I can’t precisely tell the number, but they are in 20s. Some of them are collabos such as Tokazamani featuring Uganda’s Allan Toniks, Tornado featuring of Radio and Weasel also from Uganda and the most recent one called Gahunda with Cindy. There is also My Queen featuring Riderman and Safi.

Which of your songs tell true stories?

Mama Bebe is a true story, but it is not about me. Undi Mumamaraso, a new song coming out soon, is also a true story about me.

How many albums do you have?

None so far but, I’m launching the first one in November. The album will include twelve songs—some of them are yet to be released.

Which artistes will perform at your album launch?

Radio and Weasel of Good Life, Cindy, Toniks, Riderman, Jay Polly, Dream Boys and Urban Boys.

Any fellow artistes who have helped you develop your music talent?

Radio and Weasel of Uganda come first. They are more than friends, but mentors. Others are Riderman and manager Alex Muyoboke.

What more is cooking in your kitchen?

I will shoot a video clip of Undi Mumaraso in South Africa next month; just to ensure I give quality to my fans. Hopefully I will also be landing a collabo with a big name in Nigeria as talks have already started.

Your good moment in music

Recording Mama Bebe while standing with Riderman, a star whose songs I used to mime. I felt humbled by that moment.

Any bad memories?

Reading an article, last month, that alleged that I had parted ways with Alex Muyoboke over drunkenness.