16-year-old Neneh is a star in the making

Soft-spoken, confident and intelligent are attributes Pamela Muzungu aka Neneh exudes on first sight. Her new track, Only you, is currently a hit on music charts across the East African region. The song features Kenya’s renowned rapper, Jay A, and was produced by RKay in Kenya. There’s nothing fancy about her; no makeup, no flashy bling, not even a phone. No one actually recognised the young diva when she walked into our offices. In the company of her sister, Neneh wasted no time telling me that she is a ‘bookworm’ when asked to say something people don’t know about her. Her response prompted a question about how she balances her studies and music. “I have always loved music but I do love my studies too. I just sat for my Cambridge Grade 10 exams at Greenhills Academy,” she responds with confidence. Her infectious smile completes a picture of a young girl who is happy about what she is doing. With the blessing of her parents, she managed to break into the music industry two years ago. She recorded her first song with Alpha Rwirangira in 2011 but it is her recent track that has ushered her into the lime light. Her preferred genre is Afro-beat although she says she likes a variety of songs. “I like doing Afro-beat music but I listen to different types of songs. I can’t really say that there’s a specific type of music that inspires me.” It is not common for a Rwandan artiste to breakout with a song that is recorded in English and Swahili and that’s what makes her unique. However, she looks forward to do collabos in Kinyarwanda with local artistes. “I don’t want to forget my roots. I will obviously record songs in my mother-tongue. I would want to record a song with gospel artiste Gabby Kamanzi. I like her music,” she says. The 16-year-old youngster is joining an industry that can sometimes be harsh but she has a plan to weather the stormy waters in the music industry. Neneh believes that the local music industry has grown although there is still some work to be done. “Compared to the last two years, the industry has grown. But if we really want to develop we should try to learn from other established artistes in the region or even beyond. I’m not saying that we should lose our identity but it would be good to start having high-standards and quality work. There’s still a lot of work to be done.” She also emphasises the need for music fans to start supporting local artistes to help the industry grow. Neneh plans to churn out more hits. “I have plans to record more songs but that will probably be in months to come or even a year.” Dressed in a black top, nice fitting pair of jeans, camouflage jacket and flat-shoes, Neneh says swimming, watching movies and hanging out with friends rank high on her list of hobbies and if she had to trade her music career, she would do it for a medical profession. Singer Beyonce is her idol on the international scene.

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16-year-old Neneh is a star in the making