Former Active member Derek Sano has turned his attention to music entrepreneurship and artiste development, with rising singer Red Iyizire becoming the first artiste he is backing through his company, Virtuosi. Sano rose to prominence as a member of Active, a Rwandan boy band he formed alongside Tizzo, real name Thierry Mugiraneza, and Olivis, real name Olivier Mugabo, in 2013. Known for combining music with energetic choreography, the trio built a strong following through songs including Uri Mwiza, Udukoryo, Ayaiya and Uzansaza. Active also competed in the fourth edition of Primus Guma Guma Super Star, finishing fifth, and won Best New Artist at the 2013 Salax Awards. In 2018, Sano enrolled at Nyundo School of Music to deepen his knowledge of music and develop skills that could help him grow beyond performing. That experience, he says, eventually broadened his ambitions from being primarily a singer to investing in and developing other artistes. Red Iyizire, who performs under the stage name Red, is preparing to release her debut eight-track project, IYIZIRE, on Friday, October 9, with Sano serving as executive producer. For Sano, the project represents another chapter in a career that has evolved from performing to understanding the business behind music and helping other artistes build sustainable careers. “I took some time away to study music business and music science because I realised there were areas I needed to understand better if I wanted to take my career further,” Sano told The New Times. “I wanted to acquire the skills not only to improve my own career, but also to be in a position to help other artistes reach greater levels and offer professional services within the music industry.” Sano first came across Red online after she participated in a social media challenge featuring one of Active’s older songs. “I first saw her online doing a challenge using one of our old songs. I thought she was very talented, and we later connected,” he said. About a year later, Red sent Sano one of her original songs, convincing him that she had the potential to develop into a serious artiste. “When she sent me her first song, I was impressed. We decided to find her a producer and connected her with Kenny Vibes, whom we already had a working partnership with. From there, we decided to formally work with her.” According to Sano, Red’s ability to create several songs within a relatively short period convinced the team to develop a full project rather than focus on a single release. “We realised she had the potential to record several strong songs in a short period, so we decided to work on a complete project. We have also already shot two music videos from the project,” he said. For Sano, his current ambitions in the industry extend beyond performing. “The contribution I want to make to the music industry goes beyond singing. I was already a singer before I went back to study, but what I have learnt about the music business has made me feel that I should also help other artistes develop their music and careers,” he said. “Red is the first artiste I am working with on this journey, where I want to collaborate with fellow artistes and help them develop both their music and their careers.” Why Red? Sano says Red’s work ethic was one of the biggest factors behind his decision to invest in her career. “The first thing that attracted me to working with Red was her work ethic. A lot of what we have achieved has not come from me constantly pushing her. She takes initiative and is very committed to her work,” he said. “The second thing is her talent. She has a strong, natural talent that can be developed into something special.” Although Sano says he has explored the possibility of working with other emerging musicians, he plans to concentrate on Red for the time being. “I have tried working with different talents, but developing artistes requires a lot of focus. For now, I want to concentrate on her, and perhaps in the future I will be able to work with more upcoming artistes,” he said. Through Virtuosi, Sano says he is building a structure similar to the support system traditionally offered by a record label. “What I am doing is close to what a label would do. I see myself as an entrepreneur investing in artistes,” he said. Red has her own manager, while Sano’s role largely revolves around investment, creative development and executive production. Virtuosi brings together a team that includes musicians, producers, videographers, photographers, management professionals and graphic designers, all working to develop the artiste’s music and overall brand. “Virtuosi is built around supporting the right talent to make the right music,” Sano said. “We have put together a team of professionals who can support an artiste from the music itself to visuals, management and branding.” With IYIZIRE, Sano hopes his partnership with Red will demonstrate the value of structured investment and professional career development for emerging artistes. The eight-track project is set for release on October 9.
