EVER SINCE SINGER AND SONGWRITER Mike Kayihura dropped his latest song ‘Anytime’ last week, the song has become viral on local broadcast airwaves and social media, especially on Twitter. Produced by Madebeats, and Serge Girishya for the video, the song is part of his latest Extended Play (EP) ‘Zuba’, which he has been working on since October last year. ‘Anytime’, whose lyric video was released together with the ‘behind the scenes’ is inspired by the singer’s sympathy for his ‘dearest’, vowing to be around her during the good or bad. “It’s basically a slang that I came up with. It’s like finding myself in a situation where I like being around a person and no matter, as long as I am around, that person can, anytime successfully come through it,” the singer explained. Kayihura has been receiving positive feedback about the song since it was released, from which he has been feeling the sense of pride for his music development so far. “When I released my first song on the EP called ‘Jaribu’ the feedback was really nice, but I really have a strong feeling about people’s feedback this time round on ‘Anytime’. When I dropped it, people simply liked it and showed me that they are enjoying it,” he said. “Of course it’s an uplift to my EP and I can’t wait for them to listen to the rest of the songs on it. They are really nice as well and of course all I want is to give my people good music,” he added. ‘Anytime’ is one of the seven or eight songs that will comprise his upcoming EP that the singer is expecting the release ‘sometime’ in May. Apart from the EP, Kayihura is also working on his debut album ‘Rhythm of the Rising Spear’ that could be releasedlater this year. “The spear is an African symbol. So, as an African, I want a ‘spear’ and the ‘spear I am talking about is ‘music’. The ‘Rhythm of the Rising Spear’ is so much about the music I am trying to create, where I’ve moved my music and the patch I am basically taking,” he explained about the album. The Prix Decouverte experience Even though he missed out on the Prix Decouverte RFI 2020, Mike Kayihura has consistently been working hard to deliver good music vibes like ‘Sabrina’ which earned him a nomination for the prize. To the singer, not winning the prize was not a loss but an accomplishment afterall he was able to use the platform to increase his audience. “Obviously, you go into it [Prix Découverte RFI] expecting competition and you always want to win. But not winning doesn’t mean it’s the end. I felt like being among the top ten was really special even if I didn’t win it but, at the end of the day, I am supposed to be creating and that’s what I am doing,” the singer said. “The competition gave me a platform for people from different parts of the continent to listen to my music and those who liked it voted for me. That was an amazing experience,” he added. Mike Kayihura, 28, is considered as one of Rwanda’s most talented artistes who has stuck to his script, shunning general pop music which is mainly studio made, instead preferring to take his time and produce real music. Fans have hailed for his creativity, lyricism and melody from which he keeps establishing his name among the best. The singer feels his music in good shape as he vows to push it beyond borders through different platforms like he did through the Prix Decouverte RFI. “I think my music is beautiful and as long as people are liking it, that is the most important thing for me at the moment,” he said.
