FRANCE-BASED Rwandan singer, MK Isacco’s music career has been a hustle from the very beginning that at one point he thought of quitting. Like many artistes doing music in the diaspora, the singer, real name Isaac Murwanashyaka, encountered several challenges while trying to promote his music but he kept his head up with hopes to become one of the most celebrated artistes raising the Rwandan flag high in the diaspora. The singer shared with The New Times his music journey in the diaspora, his challenging experience so far, and the future of his music. Excerpts: Who is MK Isacco? MK Isacco is a Rwandan music artist doing afro-beat, RnB and dancehall. I was born in Kigali but was raised in France. I started my music career in 2012 singing in IC-KS Band in France. But, a few years later, I decided to start a solo career in 2015. Starting from scratch was the hardest part of my career but I worked so hard to prove my worth and my patience paid off when I released my first single Nonaha, a song which became so popular and went on to win a prize for the ‘Best African Artist’ in the diaspora in 2017. It was that recognition that gave me the strength to carry on in music. How is it like doing music in the diaspora? Music in the diaspora is going really well. But for the moment everything is blocked because of Covid-19. But I continue to work on my projects and there are other music projects that I am working on that I will release as soon as France resumes to normal life. How can you describe your music journey so far? My first prize was a game changer for my career. And, when I was named ‘Best Male Diaspora Artist’, at the 2016 Nshuti Awards, I felt like I belong to music and it belongs to me. My second release ‘Cheza that I released in 2018 boosted my fan base in France and in Rwanda. So far, I have five songs to my name, including collaborations with talented artistes like Togolese Anna Beat and Guinean Lil Saako. On the stage, I premiered Dadju in Frankfurt, Serges Beynaud at the Elysée Montmartre, Soun Bill at the Dock Eiffel Paris during his 25-year career celebrations. I also attended Africa by Night at the Dock Pullman in Paris with artists such as Dj Arafat, A-Star, Bramsito, Passi and Djibril Cissé, a well-known football player now playing as a DJ. To sum it up, my career has so far been so good. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your career so far? Artistes here in the diaspora are rarely invited to perform at any events or concerts. So you have to stand firm and keep pushing until you get a platform for performance. Media, too, isn’t interested in helping you promote your music, for diaspora musicians. But I tried to build connections with few media outlets so I can let people know the music I do because it’s from there that you start to make a name for yourself. There are so many challenges, but when you like what you do, nothing can stop you from moving forward. Some people also discouraged me until I thought of quitting music so early but it is important to face challenges because they can instead make you even stronger and determined to be successful in your career. Im moving slowly but in the right direction and that’s when event promoters started to trust my work and invite me to their events for performances. What other plans do you have for your music? I opened my own production, MK Production, which distributes music in all platforms and streaming and, as I keep building my label step by step, I hope to soon become a producer who will help a lot of talented artists that do not have the support that they need.
