When Victor Rukotana released his debut album Imararungu in 2025, he was not simply putting out a collection of songs but making a statement about the place he believed traditional Rwandan music should occupy in the country’s rapidly evolving entertainment industry. The 10-track album, which Rukotana describes as his “first born child”, became a turning point in his career and strengthened his conviction that Gakondo music can attract a new generation of listeners while also finding an audience beyond Rwanda. It is this momentum that has now given birth to “Dutarame u Rwanda”, a monthly concert series through which the singer wants to give traditional music a more permanent place on Rwanda’s entertainment calendar. The initiative that is held on the last Friday of every month, brings together Gakondo musicians, cultural enthusiasts and audiences seeking to connect through Rwandan culture. But Rukotana's ambition goes beyond organising concerts. He wants “Dutarame u Rwanda” to become a platform for developing the Gakondo music economy, nurturing young artists and using culture as a vehicle through which Rwanda can tell its story to the world to which most of them have been evidenced in first and second edition that took place on August 28 at Onomo Hotel. Imararungu was the foundation The album, he says, was a deliberate effort to preserve and elevate Gakondo rather than simply another music release. Its reception gave him the confidence to pursue the genre more aggressively and inspired him to think about what could come after an album. His answer was to create an ecosystem around the music. “Dutarame u Rwanda” is intended to help establish a culture of regular traditional music concerts, similar to the established concert circuits supporting other popular genres. The “Warumagaye” singer also sees the initiative as a way of reconnecting young people with their heritage. He believes traditional music should not be restricted to occasional cultural celebrations or formal events but should be accessible in entertainment spaces where young people and visitors can experience it naturally. From Kigali to the world The next stage of Rukotana’s ambition is international. This is because he sees Gakondo as one of Rwanda’s strongest cultural identifiers and believes its globalisation should not require abandoning its original sound. “Going global means carrying the identity which is our Gakondo,” he said. “Music’s universal language can introduce Rwanda to audiences who may know little about the country.” That vision is beginning to attract international interest. Among those supporting Rukotana is Darrell Kofkin, the Rwanda Lead and Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Westminster, who became interested in his work after the success of a UK-Rwanda fashion exchange programme involving nine Rwandan designers. Darrell says Rukotana’s passion, humility and commitment to young artists convinced him that Gakondo deserved similar attention. “He’s a great advocate for Rwanda,” he said, describing Rukotana as someone who can represent not only his music but also his country internationally. The relationship has already produced a creative collaboration. Joining Darrell in Rwanda recently was Elijah MicDonnell, a film graduate at the university and now an award-winning British filmmaker, Darrell connected them and the result was Elijah filming the first edition of “Duturam U Rwanda” as a short promotional video and for educational purposes. Elijah then offered to direct Rukotana’s next music video. The resulting “Malaika”, a pending project brought together a British filmmaker, a Rwandan film company and a Rwandan musician, an exchange Darrell believes could generate new creative approaches to Rwandan music. The “U Rwanda” singer says such collaborations are important because they can help Gakondo travel through channels beyond conventional music promotion. Gakondo meets Visit Rwanda The musician’s vision also fits into a broader conversation about how Rwanda presents itself internationally. The “Umunyana” singer believes music can complement the country’s tourism and cultural diplomacy efforts by giving visitors and international audiences another way to experience Rwanda. Rather than promoting Rwanda only through its landscapes, wildlife or investment opportunities, he sees Gakondo as part of the country’s identity that can be exported through music, performance and creative collaborations. Darrell's point of view He says Rwanda’s growing creative output from music and fashion to film and visual arts can change international perceptions of the country. A film experience being developed at the University of Westminster, for example, will showcase Rwanda’s landscapes, people and creative talent while allowing audiences to hear the sounds of Rwandan music. He also believes Gakondo artists such as Rukotana deserve opportunities to perform at world music festivals in the UK and across Europe. A two-way cultural exchange The partnership is not designed to benefit Rwandan artists alone. Darrell sees “Dutarame u Rwanda” as a potential learning platform for students at Westminster, allowing them to engage directly with Rwandan artists and culture. A recent Rwanda-focused fashion programme involved about 200 university students working on projects ranging from podcasts to creative enterprise ideas. Darell believes a similar approach can be developed around music, enabling UK students to collaborate with Gakondo musicians and explore what happens when different creative traditions meet. However, the exchange should be based on mutual learning, with both sides bringing value and learning from one another. And, for Rwandan artists, that means gaining exposure to international creative networks and learning the business side of the industry, not simply improving their artistic skills. Darrell says success in the creative economy also requires collaboration, teamwork, emotional intelligence, humility and the ability to understand the business of the industry, something he credits the Ministry of Youth and Arts for being in a position of understanding it and having policies in place for implementation. That, he argues, is where Rwanda’s opportunity lies. Beyond making Gakondo “viral” Rukotana points out that the ultimate goal is bigger than making a traditional song trend online. He wants Gakondo to become an economically viable creative industry, capable of creating opportunities for young artists while strengthening Rwanda’s cultural identity. Dutarame u Rwanda, international collaborations, student exchanges, music videos and potential access to global festivals are therefore pieces of the same puzzle. “My next album, expected in 2027, will continue that journey,” he said. The ambition is to take Rwandan traditional music to new audiences without stripping away what makes it Rwandan. If successful, Rukotana believes a song can do more than entertain. “It can carry a country’s identity, invite the world to discover its culture and, in the process, make Gakondo another powerful voice in telling Rwanda’s story to the world,” he added.
