Gakondo music lovers, have been blessed with a new single “Rwagasabo” by Jacques Muligande, known by stage name Mighty Popo, produced by Kina Music. According to Mighty Popo, the song calls on all Rwandans to be humble and practice gratitude while helping each other and contributing to the country’s development, and avoid useless and unnecessary criticism. The song is complete of fusion of “inanga”, the Rwandan traditional harp, and a reggae beat all blended into the song which compels one dance “Ikinimba” traditional dance. The artist told The NewTimes that such a fusion can be a good way to wrap and present the Rwandan culture to the world –from Rwanda to the world with love. “Im interested in the music of the world, and this is my contribution to show the world what Rwanda can offer. Its like showing a contemporary side of our Gakondo music showcasing our culture from which I draw my inspiration,” he said. On the other hand, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Popo, like other artistes, will also be conducting shows online and continue to give his fans singles and video clips to entertain them as they go through the measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus. “Because of the New Coronavirus, there will be no shows in 2020, but expect some online performances every now and then as well as singles and music video clips,” Popo said. He added that he will get back into releasing albums in 2022, but he hopes to embark on tours in Europe and America in 2021if all goes well. Mighty Popo is an educator and a musician whose music is steeped in African tradition paying tribute to ancient, diverse traditions by lacing Rwandan and African poetry, rhythms, and vocals. He has also been the organizer of “Kigali Up”, a music festival that has been bringing together world-famous musicians for a weekend of live musical performances and other fun activities in Kigali. This year seems to be off the cards for the festival organisers. --
