Meet Kennedy: The teenage rap sensation

Kennedy a.k.a, Kamana Richard is a 15-year-old upcoming hip-hop artiste, in primary five, based in Kabarole, Gatsibo district; some of his songs are already receiving a lot of air play on local radio stations, Ivan Ngoboka, interviewed him. When was your first attempt at music?I started writing lyrics, singing them out, and miming songs of established artists at the age of seven. However my first breakthrough came at the age of 12 , when I participated in a music competition organised by the ministry of health to promote sanitation and cleanliness in the district and emerged best with a prize of Rwf 70,000.So how did you get some of the radio stations to start playing your music?While curtain raising for a local singer known as Dani Nanone, in Kabarole, I was spotted by a local entrepreneur called Senga, who linked me to some of the local radio stations and conventional artists later. This is how some songs like; Ahagaragara, umutesi mwiza and A.P.R, got on the airwaves.Any challenges along the way in your career? Lack of a promoter is what is hindering my progress, since I can’t stage a launch or concert myself because of in adequate funds .The other obstacle is that my parents are against my choice of music as a career, claiming it’s a profession of “vagabonds”. So how do you strike a balance between school and music?I visit recording studios and music concerts on weekends.Weekdays are dedicated to school. Balancing the two is not a challenge.So what is your last word to fellow teenagers out there?I urge them to concentrate on their calling, to start paying attention to careers they are most passionate about, other than relying on public expectations and demands.