THE LAST TWO YEARS have seen the growth of the Rwandan music industry, thanks to local artistes who put together their talents to produce sounds that represent ownership, which earned them more fans.
Riderman, a top hip hop singer who recently released a song ‘Icupa Ryimiti’ that promotes patriotism, believes that the government has played a big role in the rise of the music industry, through campaigns that encouraged people to use Rwandan made products.
"Made-in-Rwanda campaigns didn’t only work for manufacturing industries but also music. Rwandans started believing in homemade music with lyrics and melodies that promote patriotism. Music lovers increased in numbers because of this mentality of making Made-in-Rwanda their first priority thus boosting the music and entertainment sector” he said.
Up-and-coming artiste Ruti Joel is one of the few young musicians who took the route of traditional music in Rwanda. He explains how patriotism enhanced his career.
"Different artistes in Rwanda are making music that represent where they came from, we have been making modern music of other countries for a long time, and it’s time to make sounds that trace our origins” Ruti told The New Times.
"Joining music, I wanted to bring culture to everything I do. I wanted to alert music lovers that traditional music is not only for weddings and other traditional celebrations. I received criticisms but later people started enjoying this style of music, they started falling in love with the language thus gaining us more fans. The reason behind the blow up is the way Rwandans are adopting the culture of ownership,” he added.
One of the trending videos on local televisions ‘No Cap’, has a scene of a male traditional dancer (Intore) dancing to drill style which many people admired. Ish Kevin explains this as a sign of solidarity and patriotism.
"The reason why I choose to wear a patriot jersey with a traditional dancer behind me, is no other than the love of my origin. Our music is getting to an international level, which is why we should endeavor to represent our culture to let our fans taste the flavor of our culture” he said.
Music expert and managing director of Ishusho Ltd, Alex Muyoboke describes the revolution of music in Rwanda and the main reasons that have brought about high participation in this industry.
"After the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, artistes were few and they couldn’t manage to stay active for five years. From the generation of Miss Jojo and Rafiki to the era of Tom Close, The Ben and Riderman, the industry was headed by the same people. This changed after the internet took over following the outbreak of Covid-19. Many young artistes emerged in the industry and started changing the game" said Muyoboke.
"Fast-rising musicians came in with a lot of creativity from modern sounds to traditional sounds which convinced different generations that Rwandan music is worth it. Patriotism is the back bone of the industry at the moment, which is easily seen on radio stations where Rwandan songs are the most played. The issue is still in investment, Rwandans should consider music as a safe sector for investment, basing on its boost in recent years,” he added.