Kodama is a businessman by day, musician at night

WHEN life offers you lemons, you make lemonade. So they say. One of the firmest believers of this adage is Jean de la Croix Havugimana, an aspiring rapper. Born in Nyaruguru District, Southern Province; 24-year-old Kodama had a humble beginning. Being orphaned at an early age and left to take care of his younger siblings, Havugimana turned to his passion, and other sources of income, to see his siblings (and himself) through school. It was at school that he took on rapping, emulating international stars like, Busta Rhymes and Eminem. By 2010, he had started making his own music. His latest jam, Twihanganirane, is hitting Rwandan airwaves and also playing in night clubs around Kigali. Other notable songs of his are, Byena, Umutoni Wase and Terintambwe. Havugimana is currently working on another song called, Iwacu, to be released later this year. He has been one of the musicians on Tigo Road shows, has had opening acts for fellow Rwandan musicians like the Dream Boyz and has had small gigs in night clubs that he says keep him afloat in the industry. He has also done a show with artistes like Bonny Buranga and Man Parksaint in his hometown to raise funds for orphans and street children in the area. “I want to use music to transform our society positively,” Havugimana says. He looks forward to working with Tuff Gangs and Jay Polly; some of the renowned hip-hop artistes in Rwanda today. But because of financial constraints, Havugimana did not join university in the bid to have his younger siblings reach a good level of education. He will join when he accumulates enough funds to see him get back into school. Being a business man, his line of trade is timber, charcoal and blankets from which he is able to provide for his family and boost his career. One of the daunting challenges he faces is that there are a lot of opportunists who take advantage of fresh talent. Havugimana says that balancing business and music has not been easy, because both need quite a lot of personal attention. The rapper advises the youth not to despise jobs. “Don’t look down upon any job, it might take you places. Even when I feel I am struggling to make it, it is way better than wasting my time lazying around,” he says.

Leisure

Kodama is a businessman by day, musician at night