ON AUGUST 22, 2016, news broke that Christopher Muneza had parted ways with one of the best music labels in Rwanda, Kina Music, with many highlighting that it was the end of his music career, given how strong the label was. The singer had joined the label in 2009 at the age of 15, and rose to stardom after releasing a number of hits such as ‘Iri Joro’, which he did with Danny Nanone and ensured his breakthrough, ‘Habona’, ‘Babyumva’, ‘Ndabyemeye’, ‘Agatima’, ‘Urubavu’, ‘Abasitari’, among others. After ending the contract with Kina Music, Christopher ensured that his name was not erased off the music scene by releasing more bangers like ‘Ijuru Rito’, but it was the only one that made it through among other tracks. The decision to part ways with the record rebel was based on mutual understanding and there was no disagreement between the artiste and his management, according to Christopher. After the saga, Christopher who had emerged second in the Primus Guma Guma music competition in 2016, fell from the limelight and his popularity in Rwanda declined, an act he explained to have caused by his studies. Many in the Rwandan music scene attributed his fall to the decision of parting ways with Kina, noting that it wasn’t the right time for him to be an independent musician. “Christopher was among the best musicians then, but it is hard to keep standing without management in Rwanda’s music scene. Parting ways with Kina was surely going to cause him a fall in one way or another. Kina music is Big!” Daniel Shema, a music lover, told this publication, explaining how it was hard for Christopher to stay at the top after parting ways with Kina. However, on Valentines of 2020, the singer bounced back with a single ‘Breathe,’ a tune that re-introduced him to the Rwandan music industry and gained him back his audience. The outbreak of covid-19 one month after premiering ‘Breathe’ declined his popularity again. His great comeback The return of Christopher didn’t come with ‘Mi casa’ or ‘Nibido’, it goes way back from tracks released mid-2020 like ‘Trainer’, which featured DJ Miller and Ibanga that he produced alongside Zizou El Paccino. They were both bangers. Within less than a year, Christopher who had disappeared from the limelight for over five years released two tracks and the rest became history. The making of ‘Mi Casa’, and ‘Nibido’, tracks which are still on replay in different pubs and clubs of Kigali, has made Christopher generate more noise than ever before in Rwanda’s music industry. In an interview with The New Times, Christopher described his comeback as just the beginning of what he’s going to bless the industry with, including a number of unreleased tracks that are premiering soon. The ‘Iri Joro’ hit maker also revealed that the decline of his fame in the past was not connected to Kina music, noting that it was caused by his absence and low participation in the industry. “2016 to 2020 was a long journey. Yeah, my name declined, but it was because I was not making music full time. I only used to release few songs,” he said. During the lockdown, Christopher said that he got enough time to practice and reflect on his music, something that made him produce hits after the pandemic. “There was nothing special in my recent projects. This is me! It’s my style. From ‘Iri Juru’ and ‘Ijuru Rito’ to ‘Nibido’, anyone who listened to my music from the beginning can easily tell that my chords and melodies are still exactly the same,” he said, explaining the inspiration behind making hits. With the help of Element, a young producer who is best known on making hits, and sound engineer, Bob Pro, Christopher did not only gain his admiration and respect back in the music scene, but also introduced to Rwandans Kompa, a genre that is taking over globally. This, he said, also played a big role in making his recently released songs trend due to how they have a touch of this genre in their making. The determined artiste who recently thrilled music lovers in Dubai is working on an album to be released in December, with a mega concert. “I have a song coming out very soon and its part of my album which will be released in December,” Christopher said, adding that, “My target now is to get international audience because we already have the Rwandan market”. The return of Christopher indicates that musicians like Urban Boys, Rafiki and many others can get back on top if they work hard.
