Last week, Rwanda’s entertainment industry was filled with both bad and good news.
One of the best music producers in Rwanda Junior Multisystem passed away on July 27, while Rwandan lyricist and rapper Kivumbi was on a media tour in Kampala, Uganda to promote his music in the country.
Here is more that you might have missed last week.
Bien-Aime delivers epic first solo show in Rwanda
Kenyan singer and former Sauti Sol member, Bien-Aimé Baraza, is the highlight of the weekend after delivering an epic show during the second edition of MMT (Marnaud Music Therapy) on Friday July 28.
The first of this kind event was headlined by South African Amapiano star Costa Titch who died on March 11.
It was Bien-Aime’s first solo performance in Rwanda since Sauti Sol announced their disbandment.
The show also saw some of the best musicians like Ruti Joel, DJ Marnaud and Mike Kayihura perform alongside the Target Band.
The New Times learnt that Bien-Aime is recording new music with top Rwandan artistes including Bruce Melodie and Mike Kayihura.
Producer Junior Multisystem dies at 30
Rwanda's music fraternity is still mourning the death of Jean-Luc Karamuka, better known as Junior Multisystem, who passed on July 27.
The deceased producer made his mark on Rwanda’s music scene through his collaborations with artistes such as Urban Boyz, Knowless, The Ben and King James to mention but a few.
The 30-year-old suffered an accident in March 2018 that led to his arm being amputated, which completely changed his life.
When he last spoke to The New Times, the renowned music producer expressed that he had been enduring pain since the accident, and he was looking forward to getting treatment from abroad.
It is one of the biggest losses that Rwanda’s music industry faced this year.
Kivumbi King in Uganda to promote his music, work with artistes
One of the best rappers in Rwanda, Kivumbi King, was last week in Uganda to promote some of his new projects and create more ties with musicians based in the country.
Speaking to The New Times, the ‘Salute’ hitmaker said that he was in Uganda to finalize his upcoming song that features A Pass as well as to tour different media houses of the country to promote his sound.
Kivumbi King is one of the leading acts in the rap scene of Rwanda best known for producing smash hits and performing in big cities around the world.
Shemi back at the top of charts
Another big highlight of last week is the return of Shemi, one of the youngest musicians in the country, who dropped another hit alongside DJ Pyfo dubbed Solo. It is another big project to come out of DJ Pyfo’s hands after ‘Kantona.’
Produced by Joeca$$h, ‘Solo’ became number one trending in the country on its first day, making it one of the biggest smash hits to come out this summer.
Shemi rose to stardom after releasing ‘Peace of Mind’ and he is not looking back. ‘Solo’ is already regarded by many as the summer anthem.
Ariel Wayz reconciles with ex-boyfriend Juno Kizigenza
After announcing that their relationship had come to an end in December 2021, Rwandan female musician Ariel Wayz last week posted a picture with her ex-boyfriend Juno Kizigenza who is also a big name in Rwanda’s music industry.
"Home Away From Home,” Ariel Wayz captioned a picture of the two holding each other on Instagram. Different reports indicate that the two are back together and that they will soon release another joint project.