Among all campaign songs, her sharp, high-pitched voice stood out. It was distinct and clear. The words were even more reassuring. It ignited masses and caused a flag-waving frenzy as President-elect and Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF Inkotanyi) candidate, Paul Kagame, crisscrossed the country seeking reelection. ALSO READ: Kagame secures 99% in partial results, poised for landslide win The lyrics “Azabatsinda Kagame yarukuye kumuheto, naho ababunza amagambo byari byabananiye” literally became the campaign anthem, got the crowd excited and shaking. It would also be fair to say that even Kagame himself seemed to love it. While many artistes outdid themselves, producing songs mainly to back Kagame’s election campaign, it is Beatha Musengamana’s song that easily trounced all of them, regardless of limited sophistication in production. The song was written and composed by Musengamana who sang it with her troupe, ‘Indashyikirwa za Nyamiyaga’, who are based in Kidahwe Cell, Nyamiyaga sector, Kamonyi district, in Southern Province. No flashy productions or videos- just a drum and an outstanding voice simply delivered what became one of the most invigorating campaign songs, mostly played when Kagame arrived on campaign grounds, greeting hundreds of thousands of people. “For me it was easy to piece it together. The achievements were there, whatever he did is there for all to see,” Musengamana said in a recent appearance on Radio Rwanda, revealing that the song has been around since 2017. Musengamana, who is a self-confessed lover of President Kagame and an ardent supporter of RPF-Inkotanyi says that, when she composed the song, it came from the heart and it is a dream she always had. “I composed the song in 2017 when Chairman Kagame was going to campaign and, since the local leaders knew our troupe, we would go to events and sing it at the village level or cell and that was it,” “That time, we didn’t record it. The campaigns ended and the election passed and we didn’t sing it again. It is only this year that we recorded it,” she says. The song went viral after a video of herself, troupe members, citizens and local leaders singing it while on the road, with hoes and other work tools. “We were coming from doing ‘Umuganda’ at the location where campaigns were going to be held at the district level, and so the executive secretary of our sector, Jean Damascene Mudahemuka, came to our village to join us,” “When he saw me, he said please sing the other song. He had come to our village and heard us sing the song. We started singing it on the road, he is actually in that video,” Musengamana says. Initially, they formed the troupe as an income generation project, getting booked for weddings and other events but eventually they realised they can use their voice to highlight the achievements of the country. “What I sung, anybody can sing it because the achievements under our chairman are there for all to see,” she says, adding that everything she mentioned is based on reality or situations Rwandans have gone through. “When I talk of schools, they are there, the hospitals are there, we have roads. This was more about him, what he has done for us. It was not about me getting famous or anything,” Musengamana says. Until now, the song, whose audio was produced by Producer Nexus, doesn’t have an official video but she was lucky to sing it before President Kagame, especially on the last rally in Gahanga, Kicukiro District, where she was joined by all the artistes who participated in the campaign. Not distracted by fame She had never imagined that one day she would collaborate or stand with the best artistes in the country including Bruce Melodie and Bwiza, who also produced one of the best campaign songs in the name of ‘Ogera’. Other artistes who jumped on her song include Knowless Butera, Riderman, Chris Eazzy and many others but even then, she is not fazed. Her only mission was to do something that would in a way reward Kagame for his work and she has done that. The fame that came with the song, the newfound love and attention, are all not distracting her. Musengamana composed more songs for RPF Inkotanyi but ‘Azabatsinda Kagame’ eclipsed all of them and others produced by other artistes. She also credits her entire troupe for the success. “I am the one who composes and teaches them but we do it together,” she says, adding that in total they are at least 60 people, including some children,” our plan is to grow as an organisation and we have everything in place. “My dream was to compose something Rwandans would relate to and something that will send the message far and beyond and that happened. I am satisfied,” Musengamana says “I am more like a prophet, I prophesied something and it happened,” she says of President Kagame’s win, adding that she is now at peace not that her wish came true and now it is time to work. The song was reproduced featured most of artistes who performed during the RPF-led coalition presidential campaigns.
