Rwandan RNB star Benjamin Mugisha, popularly known as The Ben, is expected to perform for the first time in Burundi, where he has a huge fan base after his home-country Rwanda. The New Times has learnt that the much-anticipated show will take place on October 1, after being postponed following the artiste's father's loss. The Ben has been invited to perform in Burundi several times but has never made it due to disagreements over the money he was offered for the gig, which did not meet the requirements of the artiste's management. A reliable source close to the artiste's management told The New Times that the ‘Why’ hitmaker was given over $35,000, equivalent to over Rwf40,000,000 to headline the show which will take place in Bujumbura. The Ben has been invited many times to perform in Burundi but has never made it due to various reasons including his limited time and failure to agree on the performance fee. The musician is now in the region and the organisers of the event have agreed to pay the amount he requested which is $35,000. We are ready to show Burundi what we have,” a trusted source close to The Ben told The New Times. The U.S-based artiste is the only and first Rwandan artiste to be paid this amount for a gig in Burundi, according to the country's artiste payment structure. Burundi has become the second home for Rwandan musicians since the reopening of borders, judging by the number of local musicians who have performed in the country since the start of 2023.
