When a snippet of the viral hit Fou de toi, featuring a trio, two already well-known household names: Producer Element and Bruce Melodie, the third member also immediately piqued Rwandans' interest. By the time the official video of Element Eleeh's single was released, Ross Kana was no longer a foreign figure to the public, rather people instantly loved and welcomed the young artiste with open arms. The 24-year-old talent is contracted to 1:55AM Entertainment, a renowned record label owned by Coach Gael, one of the biggest investors in Rwanda’s music industry. ALSO READ: 1:55AM entertainment hints on signing new artiste From gospel to secular Real name David Rubangura, Ross Kana was in the music business long before his talent was publicly recognised. He had been writing songs for other artistes and singing on the worship team of his former church until he decided to switch to secular music and concentrate on his own production. Growing up, the seventh born of his family was always complimented on his voice. It only made sense that it would be used to worship God, having been raised in a family with strong Christian values. However, he had bigger dreams, and when he decided to take the plunge, his family was still supportive. Before collaborating with producer Element on his single and occasionally coming into the spotlight, Ross Kana had worked on a number of songs independently. Those include Inana, Selection, Contigo and others. ALSO READ: Twaje Cultural Academy: Honoring Yvan Buravan legacy Of ‘Fou de Toi’ and the spotlight When I saw Fou de Toi being liked by everyone, I could not believe it. People called me, congratulated me, and witnessing all the enthusiasm firsthand was really amazing. I felt like my dreams were getting closer and closer, Ross Kana said. The script of Fou de Toi, which was obviously inspired by the notorious British Bridgerton series, was written by Ruth Bahati, whose work Ross Kana referred to as genius. “The script had me playing a peasant who wanted to see the princess but was forbidden entry to the palace. Ultimately, neither I nor any of my rivals managed to win the girl's heart, but it was very interesting,” Ross Kana remarked with an amused grin. ALSO READ: Working with people with disability is normal, not a miracle- video vixen Mukarusine More about Ross Kana Ross Kana, it seems, has a natural talent for music. His inspiration doesn't take long to kick in, and on any given quiet day at home, in pleasant company, or in the invigorating light of the studio, he will just find himself humming to notes that flow easily. “I always dreamt of becoming a musician, but I only decided to act on it by the age of 20. And ever since, I haven’t looked back,” he said. He says he is inspired by life in general. I can write about anything, as long as it's real; from gospel, to love or anything in between, he said, explaining how his style is simply a fusion. I strive to remain open to the broad concept of art. I may not suddenly switch to something as daring as rap, but you never know where inspiration might take you,'' he noted. When asked for three words that could describe him, he said, humble, a people-person, and a happy guy. ALSO READ: At the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, everything was worth discussing Future goals In Ross Kana's own words, there's still a lot to achieve and Rwandans should expect more from him. My ambitions are enormous, he said. I dream of taking my music very far that I don't even know how far myself, adding, when you put a limit to where your dream can reach, when you reach there, that's as far as you would go. All upcoming artistes hope to get support and love from their audiences; I don't expect anything else from Rwandans, Ross Kana said.
