"I tend to be very emotional when I’m crafting an EDM. So, the emotion translates to a beat and the beat frequently incites the same emotions that the listeners get,” says Placide Munyaneza Iradukunda, also known as Placid Irad.

The 23-year-old Electronic Music Dance (EDM) artist says that he can tell stories by just making beats, adding that the collaboration with other artists takes it to a greater level.

When he was still a high school student, he acquired music theories he needed to start making beats after joining a choir and learning how to play guitar.

In 2016, he was fascinated by EDM and began learning how to produce its tracks with YouTube tutorials, and practice being his learning curve.

He realised that EDM has an appealing sound that could easily allow him to express his emotions through its melodic synths.

He reveals that music has contributed to his character arc since it has an ability to heal, adding that whenever he went through bad stuff, he could turn to music.

Iradukunda has since released IDME (I Disappoint Myself Everyday), an album that comprises 11 songs made in 2019, and can be found on streaming platforms like YouTube, Apple Music, Deezer and Spotify. His songs include ‘Always & Forever’ with Naomi Syfy, ‘Ndi Sana’ and ‘Na Avoka’, a remix that he made for Derek YMG’s song called ‘Feel My Pain’, to mention a few.

He shares that the unique aspect about his music is that it was made by him, adding that one can listen to it and relate.

One of his notable beats was his contribution to ‘Ururabo Challenge’ curated by Sogokuru.

Iradukunda is also a poet. He says that both music and poetry, as forms of art, have connection, adding that poetry helps him to write beautiful lyrics and that he can blend it with music to tell a concise story.

He has been able to make connections with different musicians in the industry, which to him is important because collaborations are easy and essential for growth.

He still faces many challenges, however, including the fact that there are insufficient tangible ways to make revenue through music and that people don’t stream vastly.

However, he plans to grow through more collaborations, shows and single releases. You can find him on Instagram and Twitter as @IradPlacide.