One of the few rising female artistes in Rwanda , Kaya Byinshi, has been nominated for the Prix Découvertes RFI 2021, singing competition organised by Radio France Internationale (RFI), one of the most listened to international radio stations in the world. The competition was created in 1981 to highlight new musical talents from Africa each year. The show has featured different Rwandan artistes such as The Ben, Mani Martin and Buravan who won the 2018 edition, together with big top musicians like, Mav Cacharel, Rokia Traoré, Didier Awad, Amadou and Mariam, among many others. Since she introduced herself to the music scene in Rwanda, Kaya Byinshi has delivered the best through her projects like “We Don’t Know Love”, an acoustic Ep that generated more fans for her music. For the singer, the competition is a huge opportunity for the Rwandan music industry, especially the young generation. “This shows how upcoming artistes are evolving in this sector, and we hope that it will open gates for many other young talents,” she said. Kaya noted that she is going to make sure that the Rwandan is properly represented at the competition. She was nominated alongside Alesh from Democratic Republic of Congo, Ashs The Best of Senegal, Blakkayo from Mauritius, Mansour Room of Morocco, Keb from Haiti, Mariaa Siga of Senegal, Maxim BK from Guinea, and many others. This year’s awards will be determined by a panel of music experts including Claudy Siar, Juliette Fievet, Laurence Alloir, Valérie Passelègue, Guylaine Clery, Soro Solo, Eric Bellamy, Dudu Saar, Styck, Erick Siar and Florelle Manda. About Kaya Byinshi Kaya Byinshii was born and raised in Rwanda and strongly believes in the spiritual power of music. Her music is a fusion of urban and folk that results into unique sounds, and her sultry voice does not only bring connection with her audience, but also brings many topics avoided by the society to the table. Growing up as a singer in church, she later on joined a band at her University, Viva Musica Band. She later won a grant from Goethe Institute to produce a short video, addressing the perception of differences that normalises bias, stigma and racism. The piece is a combination of poetry, music and contemporary dance through video. On October 8, 2020, she released her first debut EP, ‘Nyabyinshi’ which loosely translates to “one who owns many”, under Green Ferry Music record label. Nyabyinshi is a diverse musical style, the songs themes call for self-consciousness and self-love. Last year, the singer also participated in the Hamwe Festival, where she composed and performed a piece about Decolonization of Mental Health, calling on people to have mental self-awareness and when to seek help, if needed.
