Those who know him describe him as hardworking, focused and determined, and so far, his media and music exploits in the region and beyond confirm that. This week, R&B and Afrobeat singer Bruce Melodie announced that he was amicably ending his management contract with Jean de Dieu Kabanda, who has been managing his music affairs for the last five years. The ‘Saa Moya’ singer announced that his music will now be managed by Lee Ndayisaba, Managing Director of Cloud9 Entertainment, a renowned personality in the media and music industry in the East African region. R&B artiste Bruce Melodie’s music will now be managed by Ndayisaba (left). Photos/ Net Before venturing into his current engagement with Tanzania-based Clouds Media Group which owns the popular Clouds TV and Clouds FM, Ndayisaba was a media personality in Rwanda, having worked with different radio stations, including Flash FM. Ndayisaba can be best described as a ‘top hustler and strategist’ who has worked his way up the media and entertainment echelons not just in East Africa but also in the Middle East where Clouds Media Group has its footprint. Ndayisaba has his name firmly established in the African music industry, rubbing shoulders with Africa’s very best such as Wizkid, Burna Boy, Patoranking and Koffi Olomide, thanks to his influence and reach in the media and music industry. Ndayisaba was also behind the 2017 Fiesta Annual Music Festival that brought together Jamaican stars Morgan Heritage, Tanzanian Bongo flava star Diamond Platnumz, Vanessa Mdee and many other artistes on one stage. Similar festivals were organised in Tanzania. He was also involved in the 2016 Mutzig Beerfest organised by Bralirwa, which saw Nigerian superstar Wizkid perform in Rwanda for the first time. He says Cloud9 Entertainment is not affiliated to Clouds Media Group. “Cloud9 Entertainment LTD is a Rwandan company, with no affiliation to Clouds Media Group. Cloud9 has been my long-time plan, putting a team together around a purpose. To focus on the business of media and entertainment in Rwanda,” Ndayisaba says. Ndayisaba has had his foot in the entertainment and media industries in the region for many years, which gives him the edge, thanks to his senior role in the Clouds Media Group, which set up Clouds TV Rwanda, though it has not been able to fully establish itself on the Rwandan market. However, Ndayisaba’s influence and reach in East Africa and the Middle East remains, which is why his engagement with Bruce Melodie could be a major breakthrough for Rwandan music. Though there has been progress in the past couple of years, with Rwandan music making it to regional TVs like Trace Mziki and on popular shows like NTV Dance Party and NBS Saturday Night Live, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Ndayisaba believes Rwandan music has been on an upward trajectory. “Rwandan Music has crossed borders already. Look at Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and now Kenya. You will notice more consistent and increasing airplay for Rwandan music and music videos. We need to do more without fear of rejection and keep our heads high,” he says. Both Ndayisaba and Bruce Melodie believe their partnership will take Rwandan music to the next level. He believes the partnership will lead to additional future engagements. “Well, Bruce is one of those rare minds that is clear in thought about what he wants and how he wants it. We had a chat at one point and our interests started to converge. He later on asked to work with my team and we aligned our vision,” Ndayisaba says. “As to what we hope to achieve, we are not going to spare any effort to guide his career forward and to make his work easier. We hope to build his brand and its value upward, while focusing on both local and international markets in equal measure,” he affirms. But who is Ndayisaba? Lee Ndayisaba is a 35-year-old Rwandan media and entertainment personality, a husband and father to three boys. “I am a creative entrepreneur, with a special interest in music and entertainment as well as content development. I started my career as a radio personality in 2005 as a breakfast show host, and later to radio programming and management, in Rwanda and Tanzania,” Ndayisaba says about his career. “I have also had an opportunity to work with young talents across Africa on television and OTT content management and distribution. My previous engagement was working with a special team on East Africa’s Got Talent as the executive producer,” he adds. He joined Clouds Media Group back in 2009 as Head of Imaging and Production of Choice FM, one of the group’s radio stations. Soon after he headed the programming of the same station until he was moved to television as the programs manager of Clouds TV Tanzania in 2013. “I have worked in many management capacities in the group, mostly on business development, programming stations both in Tanzania and UAE until I resigned in 2015 and started working as a private consultant to the Group CEO on special projects,” Ndayisaba adds. Looking to the future Ndayisaba says that his journey to push Rwandan music to the world just started but he hopes the results will be reaped soon. “For now, it is hard to tell where this engagement will take us but we will learn along the journey and we are fully dedicated to giving our all, listening to criticism and making the right amends until we get it right. We are clear about the vision and strategy,” Ndayisaba says, adding that it will not be without challenges. “One of the challenges has always been capital investment in the right talent. What lies ahead is a few challenges as well as immense opportunities. It will take combined effort from stakeholders but a few who can, should not wait for the right time. There is no right time. There is the now,” he adds. Once the partnership with Bruce Melodie yields fruit, Ndayisaba hopes to build on it and add more artistes to the fold. Asked whether Rwandan artistes are monetising their music, he says they are, regardless of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “They already are via streaming platforms, and virtual events, for now. Perhaps we should talk about adding more value to their craft so they can earn more. “Rwandan music will stay on an upward trend. Corporates will see more value. Artistes will keep learning from the rest of the world and the world will take notice. There will be new names, of course, but the sound shall remain constant with a few tweaks. I am optimistic,” he says when asked about where he sees the industry in the next 10 years. On the impact of the new Coronavirus, Ndayisaba says it has been tough, ‘probably unbearable for the majority of people in the creative industry’, which has been weighed down by the lack of structure to withstand financial shock. “The recovery plan is individual as opposed to industry wide. There is no functional representation nor policy-focused approach. With a year-long ban on gatherings, the avenues of revenue generation have been reduced close to zero. “The pandemic has been a test between survival and throwing in the towel for many artistes,” Ndayisaba says.
