Talent: 11-year-old Upadhyay on her passion for music

Divyanshi Upadhyay is a primary six pupil of Excella School in Kimironko, Gasabo District who has made a name for herself thanks to her passion for music. The 11-year-old started writing songs from the age of five. However, the turning point came in 2016 when she started watching a children’s TV channel known as Nickelodeon that airs a programme called School of Rock, where a musician teaches children songs. The show inspired Upadhyay to record her songs in a book and rehearse whenever she was free. Some of her songs include Invisible, Live it perfectly, Holiday, Break, and Rock the Stage. She has so far recorded two songs - All Along and Haunted. Upadhyay records her songs from Touch Entertainment Studio in Nyamirambo. “I only sing in my free time. Each time I get an idea I write it down,” she says, adding that her songs are based on her emotions at the time of writing. Much as Upadhyay wants to be a journalist, she says her music career will not be affected since she wants to continue inspiring people through her songs. She also hopes to do a course in music to improve on her vocals and to learn how to play music instruments like the guitar and piano. Upadhyay relaxing at home in Kimironko. She says music has improved her self confidence. Parents supportive “Two years back, as I was checking out some audios on my phone, I came across a very beautiful song and when I asked my daughters whose voice it was, they told me it was Upadhyay’s. I was so amazed. From that time, her dad and I started encouraging her to continue singing. That is why, recently we took her to a recording studio,” says her mother, Shweta Upadhyay. Shweta calls upon other parents to support their children to grow their talents. Upadhyay encourages her fellow children to be proud of their talents because that is the only way their parents and well-wishers will support them. She hopes to do music collabo with her best friend, Nancy Ishimwe, since she also has a passion for singing. The young musician also testifies that before she started singing she was shy, but through singing and rehearsing, the shyness is no more. Her other dream is to sing on the X-Factor stage. Upadhyay says her role models are Breanna Nicole Yde, an American child actress and Ricardo Hurtado who acts in Nickelodeon’s School of Rock. The young musician hopes to start shooting videos for her songs in the next holiday. We wish her good luck in her career.

Children

Talent: 11-year-old Upadhyay on her passion for music