ABOUT A FORTNIGHT AGO, upcoming female singer Marie-France Gusenga, commonly known as France, dropped ‘Selfish Love’, her very first release since she parted ways with her music management, Future Records, early this year.
France had been doing music under Future Records’ management since winning the inaugural season of ‘I Am The Future’ music contest in 2018 until their contract expired in January this year.
On top of giving her a cash prize of Rwf 15 million, the music label pledged, as part of the prize package, to support her music development, through song recording and talent exposure as well as doing the promotion of her music to an even bigger audience for a period of two years.
The management kept their word and had been covering everything that the young music diva needed in her music as per the agreement. However, she struggled to carry on immediately when the management shifted its operations to Kenya.
France knew it would take her so much energy to cope with life without management and admits it took her time to settle for such a new music experience.
"Under their management, they gave me an opportunity and introduced me in the music industry and I thank them for everything because I’ve learned a lot from them,” she said.
"I hope their package will surely be very important to my career,” she added.
For France, 2021 has been a period of transition to a management-free musician, a career that marks a new challenge from which she is looking forward to learning a lot of lessons.
"I am now that artiste who is really focused on her music and ready to accept the challenges. It’s a new but tricky experience to do music without management but I took enough time to prepare for this and I am ready to face it,” she told The New Times.
"I have no management and it’s not going to be simple for me as a young woman to get to a successful career in this game but I trust the support from the people around me because they are willing to help me cross lines and put my music in good direction,” she said.
After months of settling in the new journey, "Selfish Love” marks the comeback of France to the music scene as an artiste who wants to step up and establish herself among Rwanda’s best musicians of her generation.
According to the singer, the idea to do the song came as a way of encouraging people who are in relationships to give each other room for balance in their relationships.
The audio of the song was produced by Producers Ayo Rush and Bob Pro who did the mastering part while Wacka Rocka directed the video.
Apart from the song, France revealed that she has projects pending and hopes 2022 will define the visionary musician she wants to become.