Music icon turns Ambassador of hope

Burundian music maestro Kidum is set to break his four year ‘silence’ with the release of a new album. The first single of this album entitled “Ubuhamya” has already been released. The track is a testimony of the evolution in the music career, political terrain and socio-economic dynamism in the great lakes region-from religion, wars, politics, ethnicity and land conflicts. His previous album ‘Ishano’ was released in 2005. His album will be holding dearly an element that cracks into souls of Kidum’s fan base which is ‘Love’. He says love is a natural ingredient in him and so, sharing it pays him in comfort with a thought that at least a mission of restoring bondage in humanity has been accomplished. “People need to love each other. Sometimes when I sing about love, people think I am the best lover yet actually I’m telling the story of how they love,” says Kidum, a father of two and a loving husband, according to his wife, Mrs Franscine Nimbona. A blend of his soul trenchant lyrics curved out of real life experiences in romance has also earned him the place of a perfect comforter by his fans, the youth in particular. Ubuhamya, and Mingi love production, is due March this year with its first launch in Nairobi, then in Rwanda during the upcoming mega music festival in Butare later this year. He promises that this time, the album will be a fine blend of Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi songs. Of his previous political activities, Kidum said, “I am no longer in politics and I don’t intend to become a politician again. I have an ordinary parliament in music and I’m playing my role very well. I still speak for the people through music and I’m comfortable representing them that way.” He was however quick to add that “it is time for all of us join together as brothers and sisters and end these instabilities not by guns, but by the tongue”. Kidumu, 35, was born in Kinama, Bujumbura in Burundi. He started his music career at a tender age of 10. The short and vigorous Afrobeat star has released five videos: Iwacu (Nzokujana), Kichuna, Karibia - with Nameless, Number Moja and the famous Urugendo. Ends

Leisure

Music icon turns Ambassador of hope