Focus: Kigali to host East African Artists, Rwandan artists eyeing dividends

Rwanda is set to host an East African music show from December 31 to 1st January at Expo Gikondo grounds to mark the new year. The show that will attract many big artists from the region is expected to be one of the greatest ever in Kigali. The New Times contacted some of the local artists in Kigali in order to get their views with respect to this planned event. Most admit the returns of hosting such a show are indeed high. When contacted, Miss Jojo, one of the famous lady artists in the country, said that it’s an advantage to both the music industry and to Rwanda at large. “As musicians, we have an opportunity of utilising the show in discovering and improving our music,” she said. She also explained that being a musician, she does not aim at only being a local musician but is aiming higher in order to capture the international market. Miss Jojo sees this event as an opportunity not only for her but for all Rwandan musicians to create critical linkages with the visiting artists. The event according to her could be used as an opportunity for them to further enable them attain regional or international status in the near future. Miss Jojo advised up-coming artists to always strive for the best by utilizing opportunities which knock on their doors. Dr. Claude, another top artist looks at this event as a chance to bring out his best while learning from the rest. “As we perform to our best, it’s also important to take note of how guest artists perform in order to become more effective and better future artists,” he observed. He then explained that regardless of the difficulty in making it to the international scene in the music profession, out of determination and commitment and considering the rate at which Rwanda is developing, Rwandan artists stand a chance of advancing to greater heights. He called upon government to further boost the fortunes within the music industry by mainstreaming it within its larger development plans. “Through music, Rwandans are able to pass their culture to other countries,” he noted. Mike Karanja, a businessman in Kigali said that he will not miss the show for anything else since it will mark the end of the year. He urged local artists to polish up their acts while closely comparing their music with counter-part artists from other countries in order to discover their weaknesses as a way of having a proper head start as the year comes to an end. “Our artists are good but this is one of the means through which they can get to another level since they are meant to learn more at whatever step they take forward in order to avoid sliding back and losing what has already been achieved,” he said. The Minister of Sports and Culture, Joseph Habineza in a phone interview said that Rwandan artists should adopt the culture of playing their own music which will help in up-lifting the music industry in the country. He also urged musicians to be creative so as to be more competitive in the regional music industry saying that “seriousness at work is a determinant of success in every venture”. The minister advised the up-coming artists to also utilise their seniors as consultants so that they can achieve their expectations. Ends