UP AND COMING FEMALE ARTISTE Rita Ange Kagaju has announced that she is releasing her debut album ‘Sweet Thunder’ on July 2. The 16-song album was recorded at Ida Records, a record label under which the singer is signed to. The 20-year-old launched her music career in 2018 and is currently now pursuing her studies in the United States. She shared with The New Times her insights about the album, what it means to her career and her aspirations for her music. Excerpts: How long have you been working on the album? I started working on it during the pandemic. I left for the United States after recording them, then my management did the rest including mixing and mastering. What inspired the album? It was inspired by my wanting to discover who I am as an artist, how far my creativity can go, and I simply wanted to attempt doing what artists are supposed to do, which is to give their audience the kind of art through which they can find comfort, pleasure, or whatever else they seek when they switch on their radio or open their Spotify. Rita Ange Kagaju is set to release her debut album on July 2. Courtesy photos. Youve been doing music for about half a decade. What does the album mean to your music journey? I would not say I have been professionally doing music for half a decade. I am a beginner and quite new at this, but none of that makes this album any less of what it has meant to me as an artist. It has been my opportunity to grow as a person and as a musician. I explored depths of me I never knew existed, I worked with different creatives that left a mark or two on me, and all of that was quite a ride to remember. It was all possible because of this album. This album is also my way of connecting with people that might already know me as a starter artist, or those who may discover me through how far this album might travel, God-willing. I hope to reach and invoke emotions in my audience as it grows. How can you describe your journey in music so far? It’s been a ride. I have no words. What do the songs of the album reflect? These are 16 different stories. They embody love, trust, heartbreak and the rest of the simplest day to day human emotions that we experience. It’s all in there. How can people access your album? It will be distributed on different platforms like Spotify, Sound Cloud, Deezer, etc. As you release your album, what can you say about it in a few words? And what will you be celebrating with the release of the album? I celebrate different levels of knowledge and experiences I traversed through the process of making this album. They all left me with something… I grew through the process. I celebrate being able to put my art out there and knowing that though it may not hit billboards and all that, it is out there and someone will stumble on it and find my stories relatable and worth listening to. I find pride in knowing that a song I created could possess the power to make someone feel good. I will say that this album represents a tiny little bit of who I am as an artist, I have a lot more to give, but this album is a start and I think that the more I explore and continuously work on my music, the better I will be able to present to my audience in the future. Key album contributors Artists: Jali (Rwandan artist based in Belgium), Andy Bumuntu, Mike Kayihura, K1vumbi, Angell Mutoni, Kenny Sol, B-Threy, KevinSkaa, Jumper Keellu and Prime Mazimpaka. Producers: Flyest Music, Eloi El, Motif, Madebeats, Pastor P, Dany Beats, Kevin Klein, Nilan, Jumper Keellu and Babu. Video directors: Eazycuts and Oscados Executive producer: Preciandre Ufitumukiza aka Director P
