When renowned producer Lick Lick was announced as the best producer in this year’s ‘Salax Awards’ the utterance, ‘arashushura’, was heard from the crowd.

"Gushishura” is a local word that literally means, stealing beats of songs of famous artists and using them for personal productions.

An endless list of top local artists like Tom Close, Meddy, Diplomate, Tuff Gang… have most of their song instrumentals downloaded and adjusted into their own records.

"It is surprising how someone can be crowned ‘best producer of the year’, yet he barely has an own made instrumental,” comments DJ Adams, a local radio presenter.
Adams warns that promoting faked songs corrupts budding producers and artists into following the bad example and kills creativity.

One local artist who prefers anonymity said that he uses others’ beats because of poor productions in Rwanda.
"We desperately use the downloaded ones because we want quality records which the local producers cannot deliver.”

Producers also blame artists who bring with them tracks for their songs.

"I cannot use an instrumental from an artiste because it may be a stolen one,” says upcoming producer Didier.
If vices like auto tune, were eliminated by the willpower of producers and artists, why not ‘gushushura’?

Ends