It is safe to say that 2023 has been good for Rwanda’s music industry and will go down in history as a breakthrough year to most youngsters who are having as much success as the industries’ older generation.
As big artistes like Tom Close saw their viral moments through new releases this year, youngsters like Juno Kizigenza, Ish Kevin and Bruce the 1st among others enjoyed the same take over.
The success isn’t only reserved for the men in the industry, the likes of Bwiza and Alyn Sano are more than deserving of their place in the spotlight.
ALSO READ: Challenges affecting the growth of Rwanda’s music industry
Wondering what the biggest albums of 2023 are? The New Times' got you covered.
Yaraje – Juno Kizigenza
On June 15, Rwandan music star, Juno Kizigenza, dropped his debut album, ‘Yaraje’ which featured most of Rwanda’s modern music legends like Riderman, King James, BullDogg, Knowless Butera and Bruce Melodie, a move that pushed it to greater heights and made it one of the most trending music projects of 2023 in Rwanda.
The 17-track album, produced and mastered by the biggest music producers including Element Eleéeh, Clement Ishimwe, Prince Kiiiz, X oN tHe BeAt, and many others, was ranked among the top five new albums of the week on Audiomack.
Audiomack announced that the new album trended on the streaming platform from June 13 -20, alongside other big projects like Asake’s second album 'Work Of Art', a ‘Gift & a Curse’ by American rapper Gunna, "See Ya” by Wiz Khalifa and "Deus” by Sean Tizzle among others, which makes it one of the biggest exports in Rwanda’s music industry this year.
ALSO READ: Juno Kizigenza releases debut album ‘Yaraje’
It featured hit tracks like Yaraje’, ‘Champion’, ‘Roke’, ‘Abracadabra’, ‘Isengesho’, ‘Mama’, ‘Biraryoha’, ‘Tonight’, ‘La Vie’, and ‘Zezenge among others.
Musomandera – Ruti Joel
2023 started in style with the release of Musomandera, Ruti Joel’s first album, regarded by many as the best traditional music project produced this year.
The masterpiece debuted on January 18, and immediately won hearts of many music lovers which is one of the reasons that contributed to its takeover on different streaming platforms.
The 10-track album had no features apart from Yvan Buravan’s contribution in composing some of the tracks on the album like Cunda, Nyambo, Rwagasabo, Amaliza, Akadege and many others.
Musomandera followed most of Ruti’s successful tracks from ‘Igikobwa’ to ‘Rusana’ that featured Mike ‘Kayihura’ and ‘Cyane’, all which made him a household name in Rwanda’s music industry.
ALSO READ: Ruti Joel drops maiden album ‘Musomandera’
BST – Ish Kevin
Another big highlight in the rap scene of Rwanda this year was Ish Kevin’s debut album Blood, Sweat and Tears (BST), which featured influential musicians on the continent and ranked among the best on big platforms like Spotify.
The 10-track album featured Nigeria's AV and Singah, and also young Rwandan talents such as Shemi, best known for her debut single 'Peace of Mind', and Bobby Bangs, among others.
ALSO READ: Ish Kevin drops debut album ‘BST’
Some of the tracks on the album like Big Shaq, Bad Boy, Addictions and Kell Em have been dominating charts ever since the project premiered.
Rumuri – Alyn Sano
Rwandan vocalist, singer, and songwriter Alyn Sano made her mark on Rwanda’s music scene this year with the release of her well-crafted debut album titled 'Rumuri.'
The album, which she said defines her as 'The Light,' showcased her talent to a global audience., and has been creating a buzz on digital music platforms for a while.
Comprising 13 songs, including 'Inshuti,' 'Lioness,' 'Mama,' 'Positive,' 'Mwiza,' 'Mariya,' 'Umwihariko,' 'Sakwe Sakwe,' 'Kuki,' 'Why,' 'Rumuri,' 'Warakoze,' and 'Bohoka,' the album was produced by some of the best producers like Kenny Vibes, Micheal Makembe and many others.
My Dream - Bwiza
Just after three years in the industry, Bwiza, one of a few female stars in Rwanda, released her maiden album My Dream and the rest was history.
The album, produced by various producers like Bobpro, Madebeat, and Santana Sauce, among other, has hit songs like ‘Call me’, ‘Mutima’, ‘Monitor’ ft Niyo Bosco, ‘Nobody’ ft Double Jay and Allan Toniks, ‘Amahitamo’, ‘Niko Tamu’ ft Ray Signature, and ‘Sexytoy’, among others.
The project gave the female artiste a spotlight in the country and earned her big gigs like Trace Awards Festival among others.
Essence – Tom Close
After over two years without releasing music, Tom Close came back this year with a new album titled 'Essence', which recently bagged the Album of The Year at Isango Na Muzika awards.
The 13-track album, according to Tom Close, celebrated the making of Afrobeats and is a dedication to African music giants, especially Fela Kuti, who pioneered the Afrobeats genre in the 1970s.
The 13-track album featured big names from Rwanda and across the continent, such as Wezi from Zambia, Apass from Uganda, Sat-B from Burundi, Riderman, Nel Ngabo, Bull Dog, and B-Trey, all of whom ensured that the album gets a blend of African and Black American music styles with a compelling hybrid of culture and sound.