Rwandan diva, Diana Teta has hit back at Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz, over his infamous remarks that Rwandan musicians don’t know what they are doing.

"We shall not allow visiting musicians to come and belittle what has been done in recent years.

They do not know our history. It is unrealistic when people try to compare Rwanda’s music industry to that in other countries.

The country has just recovered from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and there is a lot of progress going on in all sectors of the country,” Teta who is currently in Sweden said.

The Tanzanian superstar, real name Nasibu Abdul Juma, said that Rwandan artistes don’t know what they are doing and that they are not doing enough to market their music beyond Rwandan borders.

The Ntampata Wapi star made the remarks at a press conference, ahead of his New Year’s performance in Remera, Kigali.

Rwanda has talented and creative musicians and they are appreciated by those who understand it, the Fata Fata singer said.

She explained that music is a language with no boundaries, citing examples like the South African song Khona by Mafikizolo featuring Uhuru, which is a hit in Kigali, the same as Zambian music.

But that does not mean we all understand those languages, she observed.

Teta noted that Kinyarwanda is not a barrier to promote Rwandan music outside the country.

"There are many musicians, for example, Ugandan musicians whose music is in Luganda but it sells across Africa and beyond,” she said.

Teta expressed worry that the music industry is currently experiencing a lot of challenges, such as, lack of modern music studios, recreation centres, standard venues for the shows and enough music schools, to mention a few.

"We don’t have the luxuries musicians in other countries have. The media is also not very supportive, as some DJs play songs for only the musicians who bribe them.”

Teta also said that investment in music cannot be taken for granted. Like the creativity of the artiste; it is something that needs to be supported and protected. The music industry plays a key role in the country’s economic development, so they request the government and corporate companies to support it.

Teta is a young Rwandan musician, who sings both traditional and mainstream music. She boasts of songs, such as Call Me, Kwifata, Ndaje and Fata Fata, among others, and is a member of the Gakondo music group.

Teta was among the few Rwandan musicians who performed at the 6th edition of Rwanda Day in Atlanta, United States of America (USA).

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