Singer and songwriter, Danny Vumbi, is gearing up to launch his third album "Inkuru Nziza”, slated for July 17.
The "Ni danger” singer, born Daniel Semivumbi, on Tuesday, July 7, announced that a copy of the album will cost Rwf100, 000 (just over $100), a price valid for 10 days till the launch.
The price tag, however, sparked mixed reactions among music lovers on social media, with the majority saying that the singer’s album was overpriced.
"It is expensive,” commented Emmy Rugamba on Instagram, while Jackson Uwizeye reacted to the price on Twitter:
"Is it Rwf100, 000 or 10, 000? Please check if the mouse hasn’t written the wrong number by mistake!”, while others like Pacific Nshimiyimana said that it is worth it because of the quality of the songs.
Another Twitter user, identified as Bosnic, said "What are you asking the Rwf100, 000 for? You better upload the songs on YouTube so we download,” he said, disregarding the singer’s efforts.
Murenzi Gakwaya came to the singer’s defence, saying that supporting an artiste is something people should normalise because of the efforts they put in.
"It’s normal that during album launches, an activity to raise funds to support an artiste by buying copies of his/her album at a high price is organised to push them.
"You can call it fundraising or a present to honour his contribution to the (development of) Rwandan music. To those who don’t have that money, kindly leave it,” he wrote on Twitter.
Speaking to The New Times, Vumbi said that he was not surprised by people’s reactions about the price and explained that he wanted to do pre-sales for his album, through which his ‘dearest’ fans can support his music.
"Everyone is talking about the price of my new album but only those who love my music can buy it as a gesture of support, which is what some have already done since I announced the pre-sale price for the album,” Vumbi said in an interview.
He revealed that five people bought the album on the first day, and he hopes to sell more copies before the album launch day.
In Vumbi’s opinion, buying an album at Rwf100, 000 is not a must, but a choice, before revealing that one of his music fans pledged to pay Rwf500, 000 for one copy.
"It is, therefore, not a big deal to see those who love my music buying it at such a price. There are people out there who love my music and wish to support it, and I don’t think they will hesitate to buy my album at such a price or even more,” he said.
Upon launching the album via a virtual concert, Vumbi said the CD copy will be costing Rwf10,000 while the album will also be available on different online music platforms.
Vumbi is one of the most respected songwriters and singers since he launched his solo career, after what was then ‘The Brothers’, of which he was a member, parted ways.