People: Celebrity watch; Murenzi

He is one of the most popular radio presenters in Rwanda, with the reputation of promoting local artists. The Sunday Magazine hooked up with the Contact FM presenter to let his fans know more about him, excerpts below:Tell us about you. I am Murenzi, also called Salim Kamatari. I am 24 years old, still single and so much into sports as a hobby. I work with Contact FM, as a radio presenter and also an Audio-Visual technician at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. How do you spend your weekends?I enjoy spending my weekends with my family and friends. On Fridays I go for dinner with friends and have lots of fun moments. Saturday finds me busy with my job and Sunday is for visiting and partying with friends and family. Tell us about you work as a radio presenter I have been working with Contact FM since 2007. I do three entertainment shows, ‘XXL Rwanda’, ‘BAD Saturday’ and ‘Contact Artist’ Who is your dream wife? She should be presentable, intelligent and around 25 years old. I like good height too. Comment on Rwanda’s showbiz.Rwandan showbiz is no longer sick, though it still has some way to go. Our producers still have less creativity, and local artists who also seem to have run out of what to sing. The cinema is not good either, because of less acting skills and funds plus material necessary for the production work. It is whispered that every Rwanda radio presenter has special favourites he or she promotes. Who are your favourites?Rep: I didn’t know about that! But Murenzi has no bias on the genre of music or the artist to promote; I only look for the talent and music. Would you take it if you were given wads of cash to promote an artist, irrespective of their message or quality of music?Nothing can prompt me to do something wrong, not even those big monies. And personally, I have never demanded anything from any artist throughout my whole career. I understand that most radio presenters hardly play songs with ‘rude’ messages, like P-fla’s late single ‘Naguhaye Imbaraga’. How do you treat such songs?I play any song as long as it is not controversial in the ears of my listeners. Remember we have to protect our cultural values also. Why don’t you do the same to any foreign songs with vulgar language or crazy lyrics, especially hip-hop?Again it depends on what you call vulgar. I prefer the good music, not the controversial stuff. I believe that feuds and beef between artists make music more interesting and the artist more famous. What is your comment on that?Yeah, beef promotes the artiste especially the good beef. What is ‘good beef’ if the word ‘beef’ itself grammatically means ‘deep hatred’?Sometimes that word may mean a complaint or simple arguments, not 2Pac-Notorious kind. I don’t hate the simple ones. What is your proud achievement so far, in as far as constructing a better Rwandan music industry?I did promote the songs of local artists like Meddy, The Ben, Tom Close, Kitoko, King James and Rafiki. I have advised many youngsters on their songs when they have the talent but lack the composition. What are your near plans, concerning your career and entertainment? I will promote more young talents and do anything within my capability to promote this industry. Would you nurture your babies to inherit your profession as a radio presenter or deejay? Oh that would be so sweet of them, doing my kind of job. I would put their choices first, though. Whenever I take time to listen to local presenters on air, almost 90 percent either must include the songs of fellow radio presenters or their own. Is it the best thing for a presenter to do?Playing a fellow radio presenter’s song wouldn’t be a problem if at all the song was nice. What I also hate is playing the song because you are colleagues or workmates. Personally, I am not into such unprofessionalism. Say one last word to the budding talents. The budding artists should keep pressing hard, as they wait for their lucky time to arrive. If one has talent and their releases are good, definitely they achieve their goal. Ends