What boys can do, we can do: Meet Rwanda's only female pop group, Charly and Nina

Genesis of Charly and Nina The duo met in 2010 when they were asked to do background vocals for Kitoko, a local musician, during a concert he headlined at the Hôtel des Mille Collines. The chance meeting was the start of their journey because that was when they realized that their vocals were compatible. “Charly and I thought we could do something together but we never took it serious because she was still in school and busy with her studies while I was busy developing my music career. Destiny however brought us back together after three years”, said Nina. Both born in Uganda, Charly and Nina came back home country shortly after the Genocide and settled with their families in the Eastern Province. They have both had their formal education in Rwanda although Nina pursued her Primary and O-Level education in Uganda. Their passion for singing started when they were still young girls and while Charly, who is from a Christian, grew up singing in the church choir, Nina’s, who is Muslim, simply loved singing. Nina knew from an early age that that her passion for singing would be something she would end up pursuing. “I used to listen to folk and Dolly Parton’s music and sing along. I just loved the music so much. At the age of 12, I gave my life to Christ. My parents being Muslims however, surprisingly allowed me follow my ambitions and that is when I started singing in church” Nina said. Primus Guma Guma and Tusker Project Fame Charly’s love for singing and church led to her active participation in the church choir until she joined university. During that time, Bralirwa’s Primus beer brand created a singing competition, coined Guma Guma Super Star (PGGSS). Taking the plunge and trusting in her abilities, Charly signed up for the contest. Charly and Nina in concert. (Courtesy) “I heard about the competition and I signed up for it, without giving it a second thought. I just felt the urge to exploit the talent that I was carrying, all of a sudden. I knew that I would impress many,” says Charly. Nina’s journey to music stardom was not quite as simple. She had to tolerate her family’s displeasure because they were against her singing career. Her first jig, performing with a band at the Kigali Serena Hotel in 2009, allowed her to get some breathing space financially. She later on went to represent Rwanda during the Tusker Project Fame 4 (TPF4) competition in 2012. It was then that her family finally supported her musical dreams after realizing that her talent was going to take her places. Participating in TPF4 was a huge stride in her musical journey in terms of career development. “TPF4 shaped me. There are lots of things we don’t know and it’s a good thing when you learn from someone who knows. TPF just gave me the lessons I needed and the whole package about music.” Nina explains. Among the lessons she learnt was that music wasn’t simply about going to a recording studio and singing. “There’s more to it like pushing your career further, discipline and work ethic. I’m so blessed to have been a part of it because I did learn a lot from it”, she reiterates. The duo during the interview. (Moses Opobo) A dynamic duo is born With the all events that surrounded them at that time, destiny brought the talented girls back together after three years. “We met again during the Primus Guma Guma season 2 competition and that was when we decided to put an end to the procrastination and do something great together. We just knew that it was time to nail it. There is a way God tends to put things together and make them happen for our good”, Charly recalls. “We immediately hit the studio and recorded our first song Ngwino. Before long, it was enjoying massive airplays and we so were overwhelmed by the love and support we got from fans, family and friends. We have never looked back since then.” Nina reaffirms. Being the only female duo in Rwanda, the artists believe that they are doing something unique and setting a trend. “We are the only female duo because we are special. We aren’t challenged in any way because we feel that what boys can do, we can also do. All we need is support from our fans and we will unveil our capabilities.” Nina says. The songbirds, signed to Decent Entertainment, have since done made collaborations with fellow artists Social Mula from Rwanda and Big Furious from Burundi. Given their Christian faith, one would wonder why they have opted to sing love songs instead of gospel music. They explain that it was purely a financial decision for the time being. “I still love church and the choir. But music is a business.” Charly says. Nina added on that, saying, “Love is everything. Who doesn’t need it? I can sing love and inspire people and I can still sing gospel and preach. We just have to be diverse as we look forward to singing gospel songs.” Live the life you choose Although the decision to form a duo was a good career move, the road for them hasn’t always been a smooth one. They have had some challenges have taught them lessons. They see the challenges as stepping-stones on their way to success in the music industry. “Every venture undertaken requires commitment. Music is not an easy one but we are devoted to continue moving forward. We feel that we haven’t reached the summit of our profession but we are still growing and we hope for the best”, Nina explains. “We have quite a lot in store and big plans ahead. We plan on collaborating with different East African artistes as well as doing many concerts. We hope to extend our music beyond the borders. The future is smiling at us already.” The talented women believe that young girls need to be brave and live the life that they dream of and not let the world tell them otherwise. “I want young girls to look up to us and say yes I can do it if they can. They just have to work hard and not coil up in their comfort. They just have to do what they love and pursue their dreams”, Nina ends.