SINCE THE OUTBREAK of Covid-19, the music industry has experienced a boost and increase in players. Some of the old-school musicians returned to the scene, while others are still missing in the game.

The New Times traces some of the artistes who have spent a long time without releasing music. 

 Active Again

They were one of the most entertaining groups to come out of Rwanda. The three-member band, made up of Dereck, Tizzo and Elvis, came to the limelight in 2013 with their first release ‘Urimwiza’. 

Despite their success, they quietly disappeared from the limelight leaving many of their fans asking questions. One of the members decided to join a music school which was seen as one main reason behind the decline of this group. According to different media houses in Rwanda, the group members have issues which they are solving privately.

Their last release was "Kigali Nibyayo”, dropped a year ago.

M-Izzo

 The former member of Ibisumizi Record Label was one of the iconic rappers in the streets of Kigali together with Rider Man. His song 'Inkweto Zanjye' took over radio stations, night clubs and other entertainment events in the country. M-Izzo later had a beef with Riderman which led to the end of his era in the Ibisumizi Record Label. The beef is also known to be the main cause of his decline in the music industry.

He was last seen in the industry three years ago.

Pacson 

Edison Ngoga Lwanga was one of the most famous celebrities in Rwanda, from being a big player in the rap game, to hosting the best TV and radio shows. Pacson was known to be a connection between Rwandan artistes by making big collabos like ‘same hood’ which put together the best hip hop artistes in Rwanda. He was reported to use drugs like cocaine, crack and marijuana on several occasions. His addiction ended his career both in media and music. 

Jay Polly

Former Tuff Gang member Jay Polly, is one of the founding fathers of the hip-hop scene in Rwanda, later he went solo which boosted his career in and outside the country. He has shared stages with big artistes like Davido. He has however been in and out of jail the past few years, and was put behind the bars on April 23, for drug use and violating Covid-19 rules. It has been two years since he released a song.

His last song was released in 2019 when he was still part of The Mane Record label.

Ziggy 55

 Fikiri Nshimiyimana also known as Ziggy 55, was a top TV presenter and music artiste in Rwanda. He was introduced to the industry by The Brothers which was one of the leading music groups in the country. Ziggy 55 later continued his music career as a solo artiste and introduced the Rumba genre on the streets of Kigali. Songs like ‘Cherie Nangai’, ‘lentement’ and ‘Ntibyambaho’ accelerated his fame thus making him a big player in the industry.

He told The New Times why he is no longer on the frontline of the industry.

"To me music is like sports. I can't live without it. However, it's not easy for me to dedicate much time to music since I have other priorities. That's why I don’t do many releases and drop songs on a regular basis.  But the truth is that I never left” he said.

His last release ‘Lentement’ was two years ago.

Janvier Kayitana

Former gospel star, Janvier Kayitana, was known for his praise and worship songs in the gospel industry. In 2015 he won the attention and admiration of all music lovers after releasing ‘Jehova’, a song which is still played in churches and other places of worship. The song was awarded as the best gospel song at the Groove Awards in 2015. His fame however, didn’t last long.

 He told local media that his disappearance was due to his studies and promised his fans to get back to the industry as soon as he finishes university.

Oda Paccy

 Oda Paccy was one of the top female rappers in the game who managed to push the industry and inspired fellow females to join the music sector. Two year ago, her song ‘Ibyatsi’ drew mixed reactions, and inspired the Ikoma challenge, one of the most trending challenges in country. She also founded Empire records alongside Junior Multisystem as her producer.

A year later, she dropped several other songs, only to disappear again.

According to different media sources, she is set to return to the industry soon.    

Diplomate

 He is known for songs like ‘Umucakara Wibihe’ and ‘Ikaramu’. He was one of the few rappers who used to rap battle with the famous Tuff Gang crew that ruled this genre in the country. However, he was nowhere to be found in the last few years.

 His name has come up on some of the recent collaborations which is a promising sign that he might return.

Danny Nanone

Danny Nanone, born Danny Ntakirutimana, was a popular local rapper. He became a household name as HipHop music gained momentum in the country. Hits like ‘Forever’, ‘Irijoro’ and 'Ntagukoza Isoni' made him a famous rapper on the streets of Kigali.

He later joined Muhanga-based Nyundo School of Music, which was one of the main reasons he disappeared.

"I’ve just graduated and I’m back in the game. I have an album on the way which I hope will help me introduce myself again in the music scene” he told The New Times.

Just family

Just Family was a group of four young males that was formed in 2004. The group was composed of Croidja, Bahati, M-Green and Kim. They performed at various shows around the country and abroad including two major shows in Bujumbura. Songs like 'Rimwe Gusa' and 'Bindimo' were bangers back in the day. However, the group is nowhere to be found in the entertainment industry at the moment.

Former member of the group Bahati, explained to The New Times the reasons why they stopped playing music.

"We started music when we were kids, we never thought of how things could turn out when we grow up. Later everyone took their own responsibilities in life and ended up doing something else” said Bahati.

"Just family will never be back in the music industry” he added.   

Charly Na Nina

Girl duo Charly and Nina were the leading girl band in the Rwandan music industry, from their rise, eight years ago, to March 2020 after releasing ‘Ibirenze Ibi’. Hits like 'Indoro', 'Umuti', 'Face to Face' and Nibyo won the attention and admiration of many music lovers in Africa thus making them the most famous ladies in Rwanda. In 2018 the group parted ways with their manager Alex Muyoboke. Following the break up, Charly na Nina started declining and many questioned their choice of management.

They were last seen in March 2020 collaborating with Buravan on a song dubbed ‘Oroha’.

Although the duo have since denied their breakup, Nina performed solo last weekend, at the "Citizens Mobilization by Music performance," organised by the Office of the Ombudsman of Rwanda and Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda, which raised several questions.