THE YEAR 2021 could be the year another band vanishes off the Rwandan music scene and never to be heard of again, after reports that the rock gospel band Beauty for Ashes could be no more. Following the launch of a solo career by Olivier Kavutse, the band’s leader and founder, reports suggest that the music outfit founded in 2010, like other Rwandan groups in recent years, could be headed to its last days. Kavutse, who is currently promoting his single Sawa Sawa featuring Rata Jah Naychah, insists that Beauty of Ashes is still intact but the group has taken a break for members to focus on individual responsibilities including family and others. Kavutse maintains that at an opportune time, the band would regroup for new projects including a concert when the new coronavirus subsides but in an interview with The New Times, he did not put a timeline as to when they would regroup. However, considering that he lives in Canada with his family where he runs different projects and, other band members too engaged in their personal projects elsewhere, could this be the end of the road for Beauty for Ashes? A look back at how different Rwandan bands or groups disintegrated, one has to say it follows a similar script, with no real admission of the break up. “We have taken a break” is a common excuse but eventually it comes to light that the group is no more in a matter of months. Below are some groups which have fallen apart in a similar manner without openly admitting. Dream Boys At the beginning of 2020, it became clear that the boy band Dream Boys was no more even though the duo of Platini Nemeye and Claude ‘TMC’ Mujyanama continued to deny that they were going separate ways. Former boy band Dream Boys Formed in 2009, Dream Boys had built itself a name over the years, churning out hit after hit but cracks started to appear in 2019 and in early 2020, Platini began releasing singles and collaborations and soon it became clear when the other half TMC relocated to the U.S. As it is, the group is no more. While TMC remains in North America, Platini is well on course with his solo career, with his first singles Veronica and the current hit, Atansiyo only confirming that Dream Boys is now a thing of the past. Urban Boys If there is any group that has battled break up rumours, it is the all-boy music group Urban Boys. Since the departure of Safi ‘Madiba’ Niyibibikora, the lead singer, in 2017, life had never been the same. The other members James Manzi, known as Humble Jizzo and Muhamed Nshyimiyimana, also known by his stage name Nizzo, tried to keep it together but by the end of 2019, it was clear for all to see that Urban Boys was no more. As a matter of fact, 2020 had nothing to show of the group still being together. Active They were known for their electric dance moves and style but the trio of Derek Sano, Olivis Mugabo and Tizzo failed the test of time as a music group. It is fair to say that they have been forgotten on the music scene. With no recent song, appearance or performance, the group which churned out tunes like, Final, Slow down and others is yet to fully admit that they parted ways but they don’t need to say it for it to be known. Boy band Active. Last year in October, Sano, who was more like the lead singer of the group, released a solo project -an extended EP, but he soon too fizzled out of the limelight. The group once touted and promoted by Bernard Bagenzi went defunct without saying it. Charly na Nina Until now, the girl duo has not admitted to parting ways, despite different reports suggesting that Charlotte Rulinda and Nina Umuhoza could no longer be into doing music together. Apart from their performance at Iwacu Muzika last year, there isn’t much to suggest that the girls are still together. After outing hit after hit, the girl duo was a no show in 2020, only releasing a couple of songs and did little to deny reports that they parted ways. 2021 will go to show if they are indeed still together or not.
