HIS NAME IS YVES RWEGO, but to his fans, he’s known as DJ RY, the most famous radio disc jockey in Rwanda after Muturage of Kiss FM. If there’s one thing he is known for the most, it’s his impressive music taste and catalogue of back-to-back mixes that are played everywhere in the country, but he is not just an FM DJ, the young boy is among the young generation of musicians who are making Kigali a city of good vibes and music. Who is RY? Born and raised in Huye District located in the southern part of Rwanda, the 26-year old DJ grew up at a time when all kinds of music genres were burgeoning in the country. The young boy began experimenting music in high school after his cousin DJ ESGGY introduced him to Virtual DJ, the most widely used professional DJ software on the planet, and started playing with it. “My cousin was a famous DJ back in 2010. He introduced me to Virtual DJ and that’s when my musical journey started. I spent most of my days jamming on the software and developed my skills,” RY told The New Times adding, “I didn’t learn how to spin the decks in any school, I taught myself and started recording and making mixes”. By then, RY was already exposed to different genres of music and started listening to the likes of Jay Z, one of the best rappers alive and founder of rock nation, and other genres like Caribbean Dancehall, RNB, Afrobeat and many others. Through his cousin DJ ESGGY, RY got his first gig at magic FM in 2018, and started playing in Magic Drive, one of the most loved radio shows in Rwanda. “Magic FM gave me a platform which introduced me to most music lovers of Kigali. The two-hour session I spent on the radio, I was receiving crazy feedbacks and I knew it was my time to shine,” said RY. In the same year, the young disc jockey graduated from the College of Science and Technology (former KIST) with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. How Covid-19 pushed RY’s music to greater heights After only two years spinning decks at Magic FM and performing in small pubs of Kigali, RY’s music career almost came to an end due to the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, everything closed but radio stations and televisions kept working. This gave me an opportunity to work at a time when all disc jockeys in town were sleeping. I used the short time to deliver good music to Rwandans who were stuck in lockdown and it pushed my music career to another level”. “Covid-19 did not end my career as I thought, it gave me a platform to shine,” he added. During the pandemic, RY developed his creativity and decided to go beyond disc jockeying and went on to produce and post mixes on streaming platforms. This, he said, increased his audience and made him a household name in Rwanda’s music industry, a move that earned him a place on the line up of big shows like the Oldies Fest among other big concerts. Today, RY is always booked back to back in top pubs and cafes of Kigali, and has managed to bridge the gap between generations when it comes to pushing soulful and good music. “After the pandemic, many people wanted to see who RY is and they started inviting me for sessions and big gigs. That’s how I rose to stardom!” he said. The young DJ was the main disc jockey of the president’s citizen outreach that took place in August, this year in Southern and Western provinces of Rwanda. He also plays every Friday at Molato Bar, Marriott Hotel, Kigali on Saturdays and Iwacu 250 on Sundays. With his experience in the industry for over a decade, his advice to young musicians is to always try to learn new things and stay updated as well as listening to good music.
