Good music has become a dominant sound of Rwanda’s youth culture and deejaying is producing some of the most prominent figures in the sector, considering their hype on the decks which has been getting the party community rolling.
The number of DJs in Rwanda, particularly Kigali, is steadily on the rise and more young talents are joining the game day in day out to, among other reasons, lend a hand in transforming Kigali’s growing pop culture.
Among the new disc spinners keeping Kigali partygoers in the air is DJ Brian who recently told The New Times that he is "ready to deliver timeless vibes and music."
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Born, Brian Bagorozi, DJ Brian grew up in Kicukiro, Kigali, with common hobbies like playing street football and reading novels, little did he know he could be among Kigali’s next favorite DJs that can perform at events that can attract tens of thousands of partygoers.
Studying at schools with buzzing entertainment activities like SOS Kagugu and University of Rwanda, which is well known for nurturing some of the biggest names in local pop culture, is what drew Brian’s attention to use turntables in mixing music and entertaining masses.
"While doing my Bachelor’s degree at University of Rwanda (Huye Campus), that&039;s when I really fell in love with the art of music,” Brian recalls in a recent interview with The New Times.
"I started learning and practicing in 2012, with the help of the two amazing and professional DJs, Dj Cox and Dj Essgy,” added the 32-year-old deejay who started playing in pubs like Melo twist in 2012.
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Just like most of the DJs or artistes, Brian’s early days of music were not smooth as he expected, mainly due to lack of enough equipment to practice on besides shortage of entertainment events and pubs to hire DJs.
He, however, did not surrender on his music dream and kept pushing until he secured a gig to play during Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) rallies, which offered him an opportunity to tour the country with fellow renowned DJs and artistes.
The platform, he says, brought his vision to life and secured him gigs at some of the biggest pubs and clubs in town that host the best city parties.
Brian is the man behind the decks every Friday at Ikigai and Cadillac, Saturday at Green Park and Suka Bar, as well as Plazzo Bar on Sundays.
He was among selected musicians to entertain attendees at Kwibohora 30 when Rwanda was celebrated 30 years of liberation. He also played at the Presidential Inauguration.
The dream now, the DJ says, is to excel to the highest level of the music profession and generate revenues from the job that can sustain his family and Rwanda's music industry to greater heights.
Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Technology and he is one of the IT professionals at BPR bank.