Entertainment: Even the best players have a ready substitute

I am travelling back home in a taxi playing loud music. The driver replays a local RnB song, which actually is new to my ears. The artist, Olivis has these sweet vocals that anyone would confuse him with the cerebrated singer Meddy. Olivis is just one of the many artists who emerged after the departure of Meddy and his close competitor The Ben to America. The music of newcomers and formerly suppressed stars, has closed the gap left behind by the ‘great pair’. That perhaps explains why songs of King James, Nason and Mann Martin are the most played in most of Rwanda’s radio request shows. King James, specially, broke onto the local music scene in around the same time as Meddy. He released his first hit single “Intinyi” as Meddy did ‘Amayobera’. But the latter gained an upper hand in local music and registered a number of memorable hits plus winning several awards. With Meddy’s stay in America though, James has emerged as the new king of R’nB. He finally released his debut album “Umugisha” and appears on almost all big shows as the awaited performer. Who knew that new comer Nason would ever fall in the class of fans’ favourites too? How many even knew that name anyway? The “Nfite Amatsiko” star did not let the fans miss The Ben’s music after his departure. He came in as a ready substitute with almost similar vocals and song.One of The Ben’s fans once told me about how he never differentiated the two in their collabo single, ‘Kibonumwe’. Mann Martin of the ‘Urukumbuzi’ fame was another RnB singer favoured by The Ben’s flight. His sweet vocals did not guarantee him popularity in the first place, but the absence of Meddy and The Ben can now do. The ‘Yari wowe’ singer has released a number of local top chart hits plus his 2010 album, ‘Icyo Dufpa…. Hip-hop music also lost rapper K8 Kavuyo when he went to the US to pursue his studies. The 21-old rapper was regarded as one of the best in the game even narrowly missing a ‘Salax Award’ (local music awards) for the hip-hop categories.The absence of K8 was undeniably felt but many new artists emerged immediately to bridge that gap. Today, names like Jay Polly, Green P, Bably…run hip-hop music on the local scene. Even Danny who raised beef with K8 owing to the similarity of their voices and styles can now sound as unique.Just like singers, music Producers come and go, and their places are taken by ready substitutes.The days of veteran producer Mozey of ‘One Way studios’ saw quality music being done in Rwanda. His departure to Uganda was seen as a blow to local showbiz, but it didn’t stop music from being produced. The new era of talented producers like Lick Lick, DJ B and Junior has even doubled the music quality. Producer Pastor P’s flight to Europe is the latest event but his Narrow Road home studio was quick to bring in Benjamin as his replacement. Hopefully, he will deliver even more than his predecessor. So next time keep your cheer on even when your dear idol is destined to go, and expect new as you wait for the better music to come to your ears. Ends