Christiane Uwase Bukuru, is the artiste in the music arena. Bukuru, as is her stage name, says she began singing when she was old enough to make up sentences. But it was just mid last year that she decided to take her music talent professionally, after years of singing in the choir, and volunteering to sing at her friends’ functions. The ArtRwanda - Ubuhanzi talent competition in 2018, in which she took part, opened up her eyes to the realisation that she could monetize her talent to earn a living. “Naturally, I’m very competitive and I do not let any opportunity pass me by. The thrill of winning and exposure inspired me to join the competition. The competition was more like a wake up because not only did we compete, but we also went for incubation where we were taught that we could sustain ourselves through our talent,” she said. Her first song, Indamu released early this week, encourages people to not betray their brothers and sisters for their selfish motives. Even her parents, she says, were surprised by how deep the song and the Kinyarwanda dialect were. Twenty-three-year-old singer believes she was meant to deliver a message to the masses for her purpose, hence the song. “For me, I feel any song that is ethical I can sing but my type leans mostly towards the gospel. I don’t however limit myself towards a specific genre because I believe whatever I can do, I will do. As such, I accept acceptance from people that are loving my song but also they should be flexible with their expectations. They should not set limits because as an artiste people expect you to be a certain way. The world is vast and artists have a vast mind that we want to share with the world. I want people to be involved in my work and I guarantee I will not be mediocre,” she added. She is currently working on the next song that she hopes will be released in a couple of weeks, in addition to a couple of other songs “full of significant messages that people can relate to.” “I’m working on myself as an artiste but I am also promoting my recent song because I want people to consider the message and apply it in their daily lives. It’s an advantage to gain money from my music, but it’s not my main priority. My goal is to deliver a message in my heart so if people get the message and be changed by it that will be satisfactory.” In the next five years, as a starting artiste, she sees herself having two albums ready and performed at several shows, and as an artiste who will be known.
