A decision by a cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, to allow live performances and cultural shows to resume has been welcomed by players in the showbiz industry as a timely one and a relief to people who depend on performing arts for a living.
On November 27, the cabinet okayed the gradual resumption of live performances and cultural shows in observance of Covid-19 measures, nine months after music shows, concerts and other forms of gatherings were put on hold, following the new coronavirus outbreak.
The cabinet directed that concerned institutions, which are Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Ministry of Youth and Culture and the City of Kigali, provide detailed guidelines to follow, with the directive taking effect in 15 days.
With entertainment and showbiz being among the most affected sectors by the pandemic, players in the industry have welcomed the move to ease measures restricting performances, terming it as timely and a relief to many.
A resurrection
Traditional singer Intore Masamba said the cabinet decision is a welcome one and termed it as a ‘resurrection’ for him and many others who trade in arts.
"I’m resurrected, literally! I now feel like life is back to normal, because there is no life without entertainment,” the Gakondo maestro said.
"These past 8-9 months have been extremely tough for us as artists, as music is our main source of revenue. Some artistes tried to look for ways to keep their music alive and entertain their fans by hosting virtual performances,"
"This, however, wasn’t sustainable because you don’t make money, engage physically with the audience or create more fans…you only retain those you had,” Massamba added.
The veteran singer thanked the government, particularly the Ministry of Youth and Culture and other partners, for the support and putting in place platforms to help Rwandan entertainers to continue working during the pandemic.
"With this opportunity to resume live performances, as artistes we’re extremely grateful and we shall ensure that we respect and follow the restrictions to contain the new coronavirus from spreading, because it’s in our best interest, as the music industry was among the most hit sectors, and we wish to see business go back to normal,”
He further said that they are also happy that gym facilities are also allowed to resume because it’s important for artistes and everyone to be healthy.
Massamba added that he’s currently in the studio working on his father’s compositions, as a way to consolidate the late Athanase Sentore’s legacy.
"My father left behind over 150 songs that were not recorded and I want to make sure that they’re all recorded to keep his legacy alive. They are wonderful traditional compositions with great messages. Most of the songs are known by elderly people, but most of the young people don’t know about them, which is the reason I’m recording them.”
"I’m not planning any concert at any time soon, because I’m swamped by this project, but I’m always available to support whoever invites me to perform at their shows,” he added.
A long-awaited decision
Show organiser Remmygious Lubega, said that the cabinet decision had been a long time coming and it's timely too as the festive season draws by.
The Kigali Jazz Junction organiser, who has been a proponent of resuming live performances with preventive measures said that it would be difficult to imagine a festive season without music.
Lubega said that the coronavirus outbreak has put the lives of artistes and all people who depend on music such as DJs, in peril, with the majority struggling with depression.
"The situation has been bad many Artistes are under depression and I think there is need to also have some social workers who should engage with critical industries that have been under lockdown for a long period of time and rebuild some form of positivity and recapture mental stability,” Lubega suggested
"It's something that needs to be done for many young people who have faced hard times as their livelihoods have only been and remain in the arts,” he added.
He also anticipates a long road to recovery because full resumption is dependent on many other factors that it thrives on.
"Many live performances happen in bars and they remain closed. Others happen at events and we still have that events component not fully functional because of numbers versus space to make them viable,” he said.
The experienced event organiser also said that miscommunication between local governance entities has left some hotels in confusion and not able to resume live performances for fear of being closed, as it has been in some cases, where misunderstandings between hotel owners and local leaders led to closure.
"Our appeal is to have these directives communicated down to these executives and their teams such that there is a clear formidable fair treatment of these artistes and the premises where artistes are performing from,” Lubega further suggested.
He said that some artists have been practicing for the last 9 months with the hopes of reopening to no avail and it has been depressing, with their livelihoods affected. Lubega said that nevertheless artists and show organisers are happy with the cabinet decision and will ensure Covid-19 preventive measures are observed.
We are back to work
Singer Clarisse Karasira, who has already announced an album launch slated for December 26, also said that the cabinet decision is timely and will allow artistes to go back to work.
"I was really happy with the decision. Artistes have been grounded for 9 months; we haven’t been working. But we also understand that it was important for us to first play our part in fighting the pandemic,” Karasira, who recently released a song dubbed ‘Rutaremara’, said.
The singer is set to unveil her album ‘Inganzo y’Umutima’ on Boxing Day at Kigali Serena Hotel, which will be attended by only 70 people, who will pay Rwf100,000 to attend.
The 18-track album is already on the market. It has been buoyed by the release of ‘Rutaremara’, a tribute to retired Senator and veteran politician Tito Rutaremara, in which he features.
Fast-rising cultural singer Clarisse Karasira. / Courtesy
Remmygious Lubega, RG-Consult's founder and Managing Director. / Courtesy
Renowned traditional Rwandan musician Intore Masamba. / Courtesy