Stromae to rock Kigali on his first tour of Africa

The biggest entertainment show in years is coming to town. Sensational Belgian music star of Rwandan origin, Paul Van Haver aka Stromae, will perform in Rwanda for the first time in June. As the countdown to the D-day, June 20, begins, Stromae is putting final touches on preparations for his African tour which will see him wind up in Kigali with a mega concert at Amahoro National Stadium. His fans across the country received the news with excitement. Stella Uwase, one of the star’s fans, said that this will be a joyous moment because for those attending, it will be ‘the best performance that they will remember in a lifetime. Stromae - Papaoutai. Source: StromaeVEVO/YouTube Another fan, Jean-Claude Hitimana, said: “June 20 is really very far. I can’t wait to witness Stromae perform on stage. I have a collection of his music and it’s a miracle that I’ll be able to watch him perform. He is a great artiste and I love all his music, and my favourite is Papaoutai. I must attend his show.” According to Judo Kanobana, the Director of Positive Production, the company helping to arrange the concert, the singer will come from DR Congo with his entourage of 25 people, who will then rehearse for the mega concert. “We would like to announce that Stromae is coming. The final leg of his African tour will be in Kigali where he is expected to sing for the ‘home’ crowd,” Kanobana told The New Times. “We’re particularly keen about this concert and we have pulled all the stops to make it unforgettable. The sound system and the stage lighting will be perfect too.” Kanobana urges people to attend and witness ‘our own brother and son’ doing what he knows best — music. According to Kanobana, entrance fee ranges from Rwf1000 to Rwf10,000 because they want to give everyone an opportunity to attend. On his first tour of Africa, The Papaoutai star will perform in eight African countries. He is scheduled to perform in Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Gabon, DRC Congo, and then Rwanda. Stromae is currently on a tour in North America, and this will be the first time he organises a series of concerts in Sub Saharan Africa. He is famous for songs such as Papaoutai, Tous les mêmes, Formidable, among others. Who is Stromae? Stromae was born in Belgium to a Rwandan father and a Flemish mother. His father, an architect, was mostly absent during his childhood and was killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. His mother raised him and his four siblings in Brussels, and later in a nearby suburb. She encouraged each of her children to play a sport and an instrument, and Stromae studied percussion. His early influences included Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. Stromae did not always feel that he was from Belgium, even though he was raised as a Belgian. This “outsider” image became part of his appeal: the chorus of one of his songs runs, “I am, I was, and will remain, myself: neither one nor the other.” editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Entertainment

Stromae to rock Kigali on his first tour of Africa