Born in Kenya to an Indian father and Rwandan mother, Sonia Singh Mwumvaneza has been singing since her childhood. Having been raised in more than two different cultures, the German-based Rwandan artiste began singing at the age of 10, first as a hobby, and later a profession. “Singing is my passion and the best way to express my emotions, experiences and opinions,” she says. In 2001, she collaborated with various artists and formed a charity project against racism and discrimination in Germany, recorded and released the songs “Liebe und Verstand” which both reached the top 40 on the German single charts. Later on, she was part of various projects; singing in bands and making song covers, among others. According to her, that is mainly how she actually trained as an entertainer and vocalist. Singh writes all her songs and solely depends on her music that is a blend of as Afro, Rnb, and Pop. She has since recorded various songs in bands, and covers and recently released two singles, as a solo artist; Malaika and Mine, and hopes to release a couple more lined up, before the end of January, 2020. Her new song Mine, was inspired by how lovers nick name each other. She used Kiswahili and some bit of Yoruba languages as the nicknames in the song. Singh, unlike other artists, didn’t face challenges, but rather some surprises, at the start of her career. “Fortunately, I had a very good start in the music industry and didn’t face too many challenges in the beginning. The challenges started later on in my career.” “The surprises were learning simple things such as holding a microphone, to properly singing harmonies. Well, I guess these things were a challenge as well as surprising as I thought that I already was very capable of doing them, only to find out that I had a lot to learn.” She says her songs are meant to entertain her audience and give one something to think about, that majority can relate to. Singh would love for her music to be heard internationally, especially in Africa and particularly East Africa, and says her audience should expect a song soon. As such, she plans to travel to East Africa early next year, mainly to promote her music and will be coming to Rwanda in February, “God willing.”
