RWANDA’S MUSIC INDUSTRY has, over the years, metamorphosed into vitality. It has attracted more refined artistes, diversified genres, a growing fan base and a booming appreciation from music consumers.
Wondering how local artistes like Kenny sol, Ish Kevin, Juno Kizigenza, Ariel ways, Mike Kayihura, and many others are using their talents to make the world listen?
Here is what you have to know about the growth of Rwandan music.
The birth of music in Rwanda
Rwanda’s music dates way back to the early 1880’s when Rwandans distinctively created music instruments like ‘Inanga,’ a harp-like instrument with eight strings, that was played by Rwanda's best-known performers like, Athanase Sentore.
‘Ingoma,’ traditional drum made in pelts, ‘Umuduli’ (a single-stringed traditional bow), ‘Iningiri’ (a violin-like instrument played with a bow) and ‘Icyembe’ (a box with acoustic strings on it), all used to create sounds.
Miss Shanel and Ish Kevin are one of R&B music andDrill genres in Rwanda. Courtesy photos.
The sound produced by the instruments was used to assist ‘Intore,’ a group of young boys who used to dance for the king, and during other traditional gatherings like ‘Igitaramo,’ and also providing a melody to singers that mainly narrated the beauty and strength of Rwanda through songs.
During post-colonial period, Rwanda produced popular local bands like ‘Imena,’ ‘Nyampinga,’ ‘Les 8 Anges,’ ‘Les Fellows,’ ‘Impala,’ and many others that took influences from across Africa, especially Congo, as well as Caribbean Zouk and Reggae.
When the Genocide against the Tutsi took place in 1994, the music industry was brought into total disarray. Many traditional musicians were killed in 1994 alongside stars at the time like Andre Sebanani, Siprian Rugamba, Orchestre Impala and several others.
The making of R&B and hip-hop in Rwanda
After the Genocide, music slowly returned and new stars emerged. In due course, other contemporary genres of music cropped up, specifically R&B, hip-hop and contemporary gospel.
The likes of Mc Mahoniboni jumped on hip hop beats which were taking over especially in the black community of USA, and introduced it to his country. In 1999, he blessed the industry with new hip-hop releases like ‘Kubaka Izina’ which took over local airwaves and made Hip Hop the new face of Rwandan music.
Inspired by Mahoniboni and the likes of 50 Cent, Snoop, Eminem, Diddy and many others, different rap groups like Tuff gang were eventually formed, which accelerated the rise of rap culture in Rwanda.
In the same era, Tuff Gang Crew consisting of top rappers like the late Jay Polly, Fireman, Bull Dog, Green P and P Fla, with the help of producer Lick Lick, pioneered street hip-hop that narrated the street and gang lifestyle of Kigali.
A number of tracks like ‘Amaganya,’ ‘Kwicumu,’ and ‘Gereza’ followed and pushed the genre from Kigali to other corners of the country. By then, the R&B genre had also gained more profound appeal and reign in Rwanda’s music industry.
R&B’s journey in Rwanda started in the 2000s when a majority of its pioneers came on the scene. Its pioneers include, Martin Maniraruta, known as Mani Martin, who recorded his first single "Urukumbuzi” in 2005.
After a few months, the famous Dr Claude, Miss Jojo, Miss Shanel, and many others released hits like ‘Tukabyine,’ ‘Contre Success,’ that can undoubtedly be credited among the forerunners of the genre in Rwanda.
By then, people had already started jamming to the new genre. It was hard to hit a club, pub or a house party and leave without hearing songs like ‘Ndarota,’ ‘Siwezi,’ ‘Enda,’ among many others playing in the background.
To speak of R&B music in Rwanda is to speak of the Primus Guma Guma Super Star contest. The first of its kind, in 2011, was won by Tom Close, marking R&B music as the most popular genre in that early stage of the contest.
The making of RNB accelerated the inauguration of other genres including Afro beat, Trap, Amapiano, EDM and many others.
The new wave
Following the rise of West African musicians such as Wizkid and Davido, Rwandan artistes started making Afro beat which involves the combination of West African musical styles like Fuji music and highlife with American jazz.
The rise of Afro in Rwanda can be traced back in early 2010s when artistes like Elion Victory, Queen Cha, Urban boys, Christopher and Bruce Melody rose to stardom with hits produced in the same genre.
In his recent interview with The New Times, Danny beats who is among the best Afro producers in Rwanda said that Afrobeat was the new face of Rwandan music.
He was referring to the increase in streams, times played on airwaves and televisions, as well as the rise of artistes and producers making the genre.
He said that in 2017 the genre experienced a huge boost when songs like ‘Kungola,’ ‘Nipe,’ ‘Ikinya,’ and many others dropped, introducing partygoers and deejays of Kigali to the genre.
After the outbreak of covid-19, dozens of artistes and producers made Afro bangers that have never been produced in Rwanda’s music history before. For instance, the making of ‘Katerina’ by Bruce Melody, which has over 12 million streams on YouTube, indicated the takeover of the music style in Rwanda.
The rise of young producers like Madebeats, Danny Beats, Hollybeat, Niz beat, Ayo Rush and Element also facilitated home grown artistes to work with Rwandan producers fairly than traveling to meet the likes of Washington, Krizbeatz and Nessim pan for making a hit song.
The addition of producer Element popularly known on his tag "Eleeeh” to the Rwandan music industry changed the Afrobeat game with hits like ‘Amashu,’ ‘Inana,’ ‘Ndarura,’ ‘Saa Moya,’ ‘Katapilla,’ among many others he produced which are still on trend in the region.
The boosting of Afro Beat inspired a great pool of more talents in the country to jump on different styles of music like Trap.
In 2017, a handful of young boys, mainly high school graduates located in Kicukiro and Nyamirambo, came together and created sounds that resulted in the Kinyatrap genre, a maverick musical wave.
The young boys whom the world later came to know as Bushali or Bushido, B-Threy, Slum Drip, Producer Dr. Nganji and Dizo Last, produced the sound with an inspiration from Trap music, a genre characterised by complex hi-hat patterns, tuned kick drums with a long decay and lyrical content that often focuses on street life which was pioneered by the likes of Young Jeezy, T.I, Gucci Mane, DJ Screw to mention a few.
With hits like 'Tsikizo', ‘250’, 'Ipafu', 'Kugasima', 'Sindi Mubi' and many others, the sub-genre won the attention and admiration of many music lovers in a short time, a move that made it gain momentum.
Dr Nganji, pioneer of KinyaTrap described it as a necessary addition to Rwanda’s music industry, which gave a platform to young Rwandan musicians to thrive.
"We wanted it to be a genre that one could hear and trace our origins. We made a fusion of Rwandan traditional and modern sounds. It is the sound of the future!” Nganji told The New Times, explaining the birth of the sub-genre.
The sound is played everywhere in the country and gave a platform to many young musicians who also started making different genres including UK Drill.
Drill in Rwanda can be traced back in 2020 when home grown rappers and producers put their own spin on the world-conquering sound and made it blow in Kigali. It is produced by the fast-rising generation in Rwandan music signed under drill movements such as Loud Sound music and Trappish Gang music.
According to Ish Kevin, founder of ‘Trappish’ and one of the pioneers of Drill in Rwanda, the new genre is already at the top, considering how it captures everyone’s attention using its heavy vibes and emotional bars.
The artiste also cites drill as the future of the industry, given how Rwanda is ranked among the best countries making the genre, globally. The genre also attracted international musicians like Ycee, to work with upcoming Rwandan musician Ish Kevin, on his track dubbed ‘Clout,’ which is topping charts and online streaming platforms in Africa.
With the drill genre, Ish Kevin was ranked among the best 12 African rappers with his single, No Cap, ranked as the fourth hard drill song globally by GRM daily, a move that shows how Rwandan music is going places and making the world listen.
The growth of Rwandan music is playing a significant role in portraying the culture of Rwanda in a way that makes a difference on the globe.