Rwandan rappers B-Threy, Icenova, and Angell Mutoni are in Montpellier, France, where they are expected to perform at the Euro-Africa Biennale, one of the continent’s most dynamic cultural festivals celebrating art, music, and creativity between Africa and Europe. The festival runs from October 6 through 12. The three hip-hop activists left Kigali on Monday, October 6, ahead of their scheduled performances at the festival. They will also use the occasion to promote their joint album titled “250.” According to the artistes, the album title, which represents Rwanda’s international dialing code, symbolizes homegrown creativity and unity within Rwanda’s fast-rising urban music. At the festival, they will perform Kinyatrap, a distinctive genre that fuses Kinyarwanda street slang with trap beats inspired by Atlanta’s hip-hop culture. This genre was pioneered by Rwanda’s new generation of rappers and has since turned into a cultural movement. ALSO READ: Why Rwandan music is attracting global artistes Before his departure, B-Threy, whose real name is Bertrand Muheto, said that the performance at Euro-Africa Biennale is both a celebration of how far Rwandan urban music has come and an opportunity to show its potential on a global stage. “This is my second time in Europe, especially in France. The first time was for observation; this time it’s about implementation. I’ve learned more about being Rwandan, about humanity, and how to perform on the international stage and I’m hungry for it. I really want to make the most of this opportunity,” he told the media. B-Threy said he doesn’t expect any challenges like he did during his first trip to France. “It might happen, but the most important thing is being an individual away from home and coming back with something tangible. That’s the only challenge I see,” he noted. “I’m going to earn some money, contribute to my country and to the team as well. And for KinyTrap, it’s being taken to its rightful place,” he said, commenting on the significance of the platform both personally and for the genre. ALSO READ: Kinyatrap goes to Paris: Bushali, B-Threy, Dr. Nganji set to perform While this will be Icenova’s first time at the French stage, Angell Mutoni’s upcoming performance is expected to mark her return to the international stage after taking time off to focus on personal projects including her recent album “The Delivery,” during which she celebrated 10 years in the game. Their performance is scheduled for Friday, October 10 at Tropisme Montpellier, a major creative hub where they will share the stage with fellow Rwandan artists and producers Nikita Heaven, Barick, and S4DM Pro, all contributors to the “250” album. The group is expected to perform several tracks from the forthcoming album, including the much-anticipated single “Barafinda”, which will officially drop on October 31.
