As Rwandans eagerly wait to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Liberation Day, traditional singer and dancer Jules Sentore is gearing up for his liberation concert slated on Friday, July 5, at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (former Camp Kigali).
The ‘Inganzo Yaratabaye’, concert was organised to not only celebrate the role musicians have played in the country’s liberation struggle but also create a platform to uphold Rwandan culture through music.
"The concert will take place a day after the liberation day and we want to use it as an opportunity to celebrate and pay tribute to musicians who played their part in liberating the country through music. Their music will be part of our performances to give the liberation day celebrations relevance at the concert. It will be like a liberation day after-party,” Sentore said.
The ‘Sine ya Mwiza’ star has for the past few years been seen as the Gakondo flagbearer and has promised to prove his worth at the concert.
The concert could arguably become the biggest summer concert headlined by a local artiste in 2019, given the time and effort that organisers invested in shows.
"It is a concert that we have been organising since December last year so we can deliver what our audience always expected from us, or even do better than expected. It took us that long because we want to give them an organised package” Sentore told the media on Tuesday.
The singer has tasked RG that is behind the successful Kigali Jazz Junction and Rwamwiza, his cultural events management company, to use their experience in making his concert a total success.
The singer is giving the concert a pure cultural theme and has lined up Gakondo Cultural Troupe, Ibihame Cultural Troupe, Belgium-based cultural music performers 'Ingangare' and traditional music icon Masamba Intore to spice up the concert.
The latter was influential in promoting the RPF-Inkotanyi during the liberation struggle alongside other music legends Mariya Yohana, Muyango and Suzane Nyiranyamibwa and the fallen Kamaliza, among others with their morale boosting songs.
"We want to let traditional music icons who worked hard to see traditional and cultural music reach the level it is now, to come, sit and observe the level at which the young generation have grown musically, under their mentorship, show them what they can deliver and prove to them that their efforts were did not go to waste,” said Marcel Ntazinda, the president of Gakondo Group and one of the concert organisers.
Entrance for the concert is Rwf10,000 for ordinary tickets and Rwf30,000 for VIP seats, while a table of eight will go for Rwf200, 000.
Tickets are already on sale online via rgtickets.com and are also up for grabs at Bem Bonita [Kigali Heights], Café Camellia , 250 Avenue (KBC) and at RG Consults offices, Kisimenti.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com