Three local artistes are representing Rwanda at the Eastern Africa Music Summit, also known as ONGEA, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Rwanda is represented by Deo Munyakazi, a professional inanga player, female rapper Angel Umutoni, and cultural advocate Eric Karengera, aka DJ Eric Soul.

The five-day music event, that commenced on Tuesday, has attracted several industry players from Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Mozambique, Djibouti, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Uganda and Kenya.

Munyakazi said that being part of such a big music summit will expose them to different opportunities and give them a platform to showcase Rwanda’s cultural beauty.

"It’s a great opportunity to meet and share ideas with other talents in Africa. I’m really grateful to represent Rwanda during the ONGEA 2017 summit; I will make it through inanga music. We shall give them a taste of Rwanda’s traditional music,” he said.

He added that, along with Umutoni, they will both have performances at different sessions throughout the event. Karengera will participate in expert panel discussions, exploring the impact of technology in promoting regional music industry, among other topics.

"We want to raise awareness about Rwandan music through our own perspectives, secure more international shows and network amongst top industry players....optimising opportunities is our main focus,” he said.

The event will also feature music performances, debate about music, an art exhibition and an award ceremony.

According to the organisers, the summit brings together sector professionals including artistes, bands, booking agents, management organisations, digital distributors, educational institutions, media houses, record labels, regulators and technical suppliers, among others.

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