RWANDA’S MUSIC INDUSTRY has over the last two years metamorphosed into vitality, attracted more refined artistes, and experienced some of the greatest comebacks that will go down in the history of Rwandan music. From Zouk sensation Christopher who disappeared from the limelight after parting ways with Kina Music Label, to Fireman, one of the founders of Tuff Gang, a music group that pioneered street rap and hip hop in Rwanda, The New Times brings to you some of the greatest comebacks that happened in the music industry of Rwanda. Christopher In 2016, news broke that Christopher Muneza had parted ways with Kina Music, one of the best music labels in Rwanda with many saying 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’, that featured Danny Nanone and ensured his breakthrough, ‘Habona’, ‘Babyumva’, ‘Ndabyemeye’, ‘Agatima’, ‘Urubavu’, ‘Abasitari’, among others. After ending his contract with Kina Music in 2016, Christopher who was once a hit maker disappeared from the limelight and stopped making rounds in Rwanda’s music industry until 2021. In what many say is the greatest comeback in Rwanda’s music industry, Christopher recorded a zouk-kompa banger ‘Mi casa’ with producer Element and the rest was history. The hit song was followed by ‘Nibido’, another track that made Christopher garner more fans He is currently one of the most streamed Rwandan based artiste with over 10 million streams on different platforms within less than a year, and is also among the most booked musicians who are headlining at local concerts. His latest song ‘Hashtag’ is number one trending in Kigali with over two million views within only three months. Fireman Rwandan rapper Francis Uwimana popularly known as Fireman was among the best lyricists and rappers in Rwanda before Tuff Gang, a music group he co-founded, separated. The end of Tuff Gang did not only end Fireman’s career, but also saw him become a drug addict until he returned from Iwawa Rehabilitation and Vocational Skills Development Centre, in 2019. The rapper, who became a household name in Rwanda after appearing on hit songs like ‘Itanga Ishaka’, “Umuhungu wa Muzika”, “Nyamijosi” and “Ntarirarenga”, started plotting his comeback in 2020 when he signed with Tacona Media & Entertainment label, where he recorded his first release from rehab, ‘Ibanga ry’Ubuzima’. Firman struggled to get back at the top of the game until he started featuring some upcoming artistes including Nel Ngabo, Chris Eazy, Igor Mabano among others. His appearance on ‘Muzadukumbura’ a track on Nel Ngabo’s recent album and ‘Bafana Bafana’ which featured Kina Music stars is what brought him back at the top of the rap game in Rwanda. Today, the rapper who had disappeared from the limelight for a long time, is among the most trending rappers with some of the best bars including his verse on ‘Bafana Bafana’ and ‘Kabiri’. Different reports attribute Fireman’s successful comeback to joining Kina Music and collaborating with the label’s in-house artistes. Bulldog After a long break from the music scene, rapper Malik Ndayishimiye aka Bulldog recently returned to the music industry with a drill banger dubbed ‘Mood’ which was followed by 'Kemo Therapy 1', Bulldog's recent Album. July 7, 2021 is when Bulldog made his comeback with the release of ‘Mood’, a drill track produced by Kina Beat in the drill genre and featured one of the best upcoming rappers, B-Threy. The success of Mood is what ensured Bulldog’s comeback in Rwanda’s music industry before the release of 'Kemo Therophy 1' which is among the best rap albums released in the history of Rwandan music. The album attracted thousands of music lovers as it was produced in the old-school hip hop genre, the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop that does not adhere to contemporary styles. Produced by one of the iconic Hip Hop producers in Rwanda, Piano the Groove, the 12 track project featured Bulldog’s longtime collaborators and former members of the Tuff Gang crew such as Fire Man, P Fla and Green P. The highlight of the album is ‘Supa Kemo,’ a track on the album that won attention of music lovers and sparked TikTok challenges that earned it thousands of streams, all which brought him to stardom.
