Coke Studio Africa to air in Rwanda

The much-anticipated Coke Studio Africa televised music show is here. Fans of the show from Rwanda, East and West Africa will start viewing its weekly episodes on select local TV stations, starting September. In South and Central Africa, the show started airing in August, this year. The TV episodes were shot while the participants were in the Coke Studio Africa house earlier the year. In Rwanda, the shows will debut on TV1 from Sunday September 10. From then, it will air every Sunday until the last Sunday of November. R&B singer, Bruce Melody, whose episodes were shot in Nairobi, Kenya, is representing Rwanda in the show. It is the first time that Rwanda is being represented at the show. Coke Studio Africa is a non-competitive music show that brings together different artistes from the continent to collaborate and learn from music gurus. “Some people have different perspectives about Coke Studio. They confuse it with a competition, which is wrong. But this is the right time to understand well what it means. “The first episode of Coke studio was wonderful. I met different people and I have learnt so many things. Expect many changes in my upcoming music projects. The first episode will air on September 10, on TV 1, at around 7:30pm. This will help the audience see how I performed in Coke Studio,” said Melody at a press conference held at the Bralirwa Marketing offices in Kicukiro, on Thursday morning. On Saturday August 26, an official launch of Coke Studio Africa will be launched at Beirut in Kibagabaga. The event will feature live performances by Bruce Melody and former Coke Studio ambassador Lillian Mbabazi. Entertainment will be provided by DJs Toxxyk and Infinity. “Bruce Melody is the first artiste to represent Rwanda in Coke Studio. It’s a big achievement not just for Coca Cola in Rwanda but also the music industry in Rwanda and the region,” revealed Mark Nkera, a brand manager at Bralirwa at a pre-launch press conference at the Bralirwa Marketing offices on Thursday. Another element of Coke Studio Africa is an under the crown promotion where consumers will have a chance to win instant digital prizes. All that consumers will need to do is buy one Coca Cola and check under the crown for a number code and SMS the code to *733#. Winning entries will win prizes ranging from songs to photos and videos of the musicians in Coke Studio Africa, including those of Bruce Melody. “Winners will be able to access different videos and music performances in the Coke Studio without using any Internet connection because you already bought a Coke,” explained Bruce Melody. Coke Studio Africa seeks to bring together and celebrate the diversity of African music and talent by giving a platform to upcoming artistes to work with some of the biggest local and international musicians and producers. This year’s edition merged Coke Studio Africa with Coke Studio South Africa, bringing the number of participating countries to 16, from the previous 11. This season will be broadcast in more than 30 countries across Africa. Participating artistes have been drawn from Rwanda, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Togo, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. The previous edition featured Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, DRC, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Cote d’ Ivoire and Togo, whilst South Africa had its own production. editorial@newtimes.co.rw