Singer Amani Bizimana, commonly known as Amalon, will soon be finding new management or do music on his own after 1K Entertainment announced that he’s no longer part of them. Weekender has learned that the singer and his management held a meeting on Thursday, April 15, and reached an agreement to part ways on mutual consent to end their three-year journey working together.
Amalon has been doing music under 1K Entertainment’s management since 2018 but both sides decided against extending the contract which was supposed to end in September this year.
"1K Ent. Ltd would like to let you [Amalon] know that the ongoing contract is coming to an end and we wish not to renew it,” reads part of a letter addressed to Amalon that this publication saw a copy of.
It is under 1K Entertainment that Amalon saw his music breakthrough when his debut song ‘Byakubaho’ made headlines on local radio and TV stations and earned him astonishing power play while also dominating the top charts in the process.
Just months after being introduced to the local music scene, only a few doubted the singer’s talent and potential to establish himself among the best artistes in Rwanda.
He was in good hands at 1K Ent. which, to the singer’s surprise, pushed him to share the same stage with international artiste, Burna Boy, as the only curtain raiser.
For Amalon, the journey was just beginning and his management had confidence in him that he would only do better in his journey. Over the past two-and-a-half years under 1K Ent, the singer was able to release 10 songs including ‘Yambi’, ‘Derila’, ‘Amabara’, and ‘Ngirente’ among others.
However, he hasn’t dropped a song since the beginning of September last year. A source close to 1K Entertainment told Weekender that Amalon has been ‘too reliant' on his management during the Covid-19 period when the music business is on its knees without any concerts or events to perform.
However, 1K Entertainment founder Pius Rukabuza, commonly known as DJ Pius, said that they didn’t just want to renew the contract because they believe the singer has grown enough to thrive in music on his own.
"We just don’t wish to renew the contract because we feel like what we have achieved with him in the past three years is what we can do for him as 1K Entertainment and he is now mature. He can now stand on his own, he knows the industry,” DJ Pius told this paper in an exclusive interview.
"We owe him nothing and he doesn’t owe us anything. We can keep helping him as a musician with whom we had a good relationship with. We introduced him to Rwandans and he has shown what a talent he is and so we have confidence in him that he can hit the top with the music pack he has at the moment,” DJ Pius said.
At the age of 25, Amalon has proved to possess the talent and confidence to shine on the big stages whenever he gets an opportunity.
His management says they showed him the way to becoming a good musician and assured that they will keep supporting him wherever he needs them.
"We believe, even if we now let him go, we have given him enough package that any artist would need to survive in the industry which is why we feel it is time he needs to test himself with the industry. We are ready to help him because we want to see him become a successful musician,” said Conrad Gisagara, the manager of 1K Entertainment.
Though he didn’t want to comment much about it, Amalon told this publication that he is happy with 1K Entertainment’s decision and vowed to keep doing good music as he embarks on a new life without them..
"Everything is fine and I am only looking forward to giving my supporters good music vibes,” the singer said.
Amalon was born in 1996 in Rubavu District. He went to Camp Kigali for his primary education, before joining ETO Kicukiro and completing his high school studies at Kagarama High School in 2013.