2017 was a big break for her, as it was the year she chose to exploit her talent. It was the year she released two of her songs 'Nyemerera' and 'Hold me', which have received considerable airplay on the local airwaves.
2017 was a big break for her, as it was the year she chose to exploit her talent. It was the year she released two of her songs ‘Nyemerera’ and ‘Hold me’, which have received considerable airplay on the local airwaves.
Regardless of the tight competition in the RnB music genre, she is now poised to break out as a successful artiste in her own right.
Born, Magaly Ingabire, the US based Rwandan artiste is fairly new to the music industry, but has received the recognition that so eludes music upstarts.
Her song ‘Hold me’ produced by Nigerian music video director Patrick Elis, who works with Wizkid, Tekno Miles and Mr. Flavour, among others, is barely two weeks but it has already received more than 5,000 views.
In May last year, she was also lucky to share a stage with Nigerian singers Tekno, and with Wizkid in Augustin Dallas, where she resides.
The 23 year- old’s love for music began at a very young age.
"I started listening to music at a very young age.That’s probably how I even learned how to speak English in the first place.
My family lived in Congo for several years before returning to Rwanda after the genocide and that is why I learnt English when I went to the US. All of my family love music and we like to have fun.
I was around music a lot, listened to all kinds of songs from Congolese music to Western music and of course our traditional music. I used to listen to Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Destiny’s child, and Cecile Kayirebwa,” she says.
Essentially a precocious child, Ingabire the second born of three children, was raised by her grandmother, who unknowingly, was grooming her to be a singer.
"When we had visitors at home my grandma would ask me to sing. I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, but I was never shy, I would just sing and make everyone happy,” she says.
Her first song was produced in 2010 by Jay P of the then Hope street studio.
Shortly after, before she could take her music to another level, she moved to the US and ended up losing the song.
No turning back
Even though she currently works and lives in the US, Ingabire’s target audience is her fellow Rwandans back home, a reason, she says her first song ‘Nyemerera’, an electronic song, produced by Nigerian producer Demsa, was done in Kinyarwanda. Plans to shoot the video for the song are underway.
But for an upcoming artiste not signed to any label, selling her music back her home is "a challenging, but definitely a learning experience.”
Despite being a herculean task,the singer is determined not to turn back. Her voice will continue hitting the airwaves for as long as she can.
"I want to prove that I am still talented and that I am ready to take my music to another level. Despite my busy schedule, I want to keep working hard to release more songs for my fans back home and definitely be in a better position than I am right now, although first, I do want to make music for everyone. No limitations,” she reveals.
She writes her own songs inspired by "life experiences and people around me,” and is also currently trying to feature with other artistes to elevate her music to another level.
A makeup artiste too
Ingabire grew up in Kigali, Kicukiro, but left to the United States after her High School, where she has been living for five years to further her studies in aBeauty School in New York.
She eventually graduated with a Diploma in Esthetics & Advance Makeup, and is currently a licensed esthetician anda Makeup Artist, who began practicing in 2015. This is what pays her bills for now.
In this era of "beauty economy”, Magaly joined the lineup of makeup artistes tutoring people on their make-up skills.
Using Magaly Pearl, she gives all kinds of make-up tips on YouTube to teach people how to apply the right make up, a thing that she also began last year. Her tips include everything from choosing the right color and maintaining your pencils to where, exactly, you should line to enhance your eye.
"It’s the pressure from many followers on Instagram who loved my makeup and always ask me to do tutorials. Being a makeup artist is a very nurturing job, you’re trying to make someone beautiful, make them feel comfortable and safe with the work that you’re doing. So I guess a lot of the qualities that make me a good makeup artist also enable me connect with other women,” she says.
About her personality, she reveals; "I enjoy making people happy, I love cooking, I’m not hard to please, I’m very simple. I am always happy, I love working out, love music and dancing but I also like to spend time alone.”