A TOTAL OF 20 POEMS, including 10 brand new compositions, are what make up Junior Rumaga’s debut tracklist that he is set to release on Friday, July 8.
The renowned poet has been in a studio recording the poems, singles and collaborations, for the past two years and is finally coming up with an album which, he says means a lot to his life journey, especially his poetry career.
The poems on the album are boldly inspired by the poet’s life journey that embodies the hustles through which he went through from his birth place until he opened a new chapter on his arrival in Kigali.
Rumaga and his mother whom he dedicated the album to. Courtey photos.
It’s from the capital city that poetry won most of his time, especially after he participated in the first edition of Art Rwanda-Ubuhanzi whose platform saw him rise quickly to stardom and is now regarded as one of the best poets of his generation that the country has.
Rumaga said the album is a true definition of the person he is as a poet and a person, and that each poem has its own message.
The cover poem "Mawe”, for instance, tells 80 per cent of his life, how he came to Kigali, his journey in poetry and a special gratitude and dedication to his mother for all the battles she fought to raise him until he became a popular poet. The poem itself sums up the fact that whole album is dedicated to her mother.
"She raised me in hardship, even in father’s absence, she was always there for me and my siblings. She was the one who covered all my expenses. She means everything to me,” Rumaga told The New Times in an interview.
Most of the poems on the album are collaborations with top local artistes, who he believes can help him taking his poetry to another level.
The poet has found a good and beneficial experience working with musicians on 10 poems that he already dropped, which inspired him to feature them in seven of the 10 brand new poems that he will release on Friday.
For instance, he recorded ‘Narakubabariye’ with Bruce Melodie as they combined verses to preach that people should express mercy towards their ex-lovers if they admit their mistakes.
He also teamed up with Juno Kizigenza in ‘Kibobo’ a poem that takes us through the life of street children.
Other collaborations include ‘Umwana Araryoha’ which features Riderman and Peace Jolis, while Alyn Sano was involved in the composition of ’Mazi ya Nyanja’, whose story resembles the romance story of Romeo and Juliet.
Others include ‘Ivanjiri II’ with Alpha Rwirangira and Intambara Y’Ibinyoma which feature comedian Patrick Rusie and Aloys Shami Rukizangabo while he also involved Yvan Buravan, Bulldogg and Mr Kagame in ‘Intango y’Ubumwe’.
The only three poems that don’t feature artists are cover poem ‘Mawe’, ‘Komera Mukobwa’ and 'Inyana y'Inyange Imaragahinda'. The latter recites ‘Amazina y’Inka’ and explains the place cows have in poetry and how the poems about cows are told, based on the rhythm.
He builds the poem around the cows from his birthplace, neighborhood.
Rumaga said he chose to involve artists in most of his poems because he believes they have a big platform that can help his poetry grow and reach a bigger audience.
His album will be released via www.sigarwanda.com , a new online platform he created to bring all poems together for people to easily access while also creating a platform for rising poets to showcase their works digitally.
"It’s a platform we want to turn into a go-to poetry digital site where so many poems, mine or of other poets, will be archived. We wish to create a platform where a person can find all kinds of poems,” he explained.
"There are popular poems that are find to find and this is what the platform came to address. We want people in Rwanda and abroad to know where they can get poems just like they do for music and I hope this can help us promote poetry in this growing digital age,” he added.
The platform is part of the Rumaga’s recently-created concept Siga Rwanda through which he looks to develop a poetry hub for rising poets to not only store their works but also raise their poetry talent.