Fresh from Senegal, songstress Teta heads to the US

A week ago, Rwanda’s traditional and urban music artiste Diana Teta performed at the opening ceremony of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) in Dakar, Senegal. NEF is a forum for science and the event was taking place for the first time in Africa, attracting more than 500 thinkers and stakeholders from around the world. From Senegal, the songstress headed to the US where she’ll be performing at a Rwandan Diaspora women’s event in Washington D.C. scheduled today. In Senegal, Teta shared the stage with several top African artistes like Senegalese pair of Ismaël Lô and Didier Awadi. The singer chats with Senegalese artiste Ismael Lo. (Courtesy) According to Teta, opportunities vary depending on what an artiste wants, but above all, there’s a great networking experience and exposure that comes with such shows. “It’s a great experience and an amazing opportunity because it gives you exposure; you create connections that open more doors and opportunities as your career grows,” she said. The Tanga Agatego hit maker added, “I’m not in position to tell fellow artistes what to do or how to do it. We all do music because we love it and I believe we all work hard. Everyone has their path and their own destiny.” The singer is well known for songs like Velo, Tanga Agatego, Ndaje, and Canga Ikarita, to name a few. She’s performed at Rwanda Day event in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and at the Rwanda Youth Forum in Texas, United States, and has also performed in Sweden and Belgium. After her Ndaje live acoustic performance during the NEF event in Senegal, the 24-year-old singer noted that the musical journey goes on and on. Teta recently signed a contract with an online distribution company based in the UK, Afrocori, and said she’s looking forward to doing more music. “I think in a few years to come, people will learn to buy our (local artistes) music and that will help us grow bigger,” she said. The musician is working on her debut album, which she says will be comprised of 10 songs. Speaking ahead of her performance at the Rwanda Diaspora women event in Washington D.C. today, she said, “It’s a great privilege for me to be associated with such an event. It’s a great cause”. “I’ll be very happy to be there, not only as a musician but as a woman first, and I hope my performance helps inspire young girls to step out boldly and showcase their talent,” she said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Fresh from Senegal, songstress Teta heads to the US