All is set for the Hill Festival, which is coming to Rwanda for the first-time next week August 4-5. Bringing together communities from all corners of the world, this eagerly anticipated festival will be officially launched in Kigali with a pool of performances by artistes from different parts of the world. The festival will be headlined by artistes from different countries including Rwanda, Nigeria, France, Jamaica, USA, and Burundi. Each country will be represented by an artiste at the Hill Festival. Here is what you should know about top headliners of the festival; Inner Circle Inner Circle, also known as The Inner Circle Band or The Bad Boys of Reggae, are a Jamaican reggae band formed in Kingston in 1968. The band first backed The Chosen Few in the early 1970s before joining with successful solo artist Jacob Miller and releasing a string of records. This era of the band ended with Miller's death in a car crash in 1980. The group reformed in 1986. During this period, they released several international hit singles, including Sweat (A La La La La Long) and Bad Boys, the theme from the American television show COPS. The group continued to record and tour thereafter. Brothers Ian and Roger Lewis have remained the group's consistent members, playing bass and guitar, respectively. Other long-term members include keyboardist Bernard Touter Harvey, a member since 1973, and drummer Lancelot Hall, who joined during their 1986 reformation. The band's lineup is completed by singer Trevor Skatta Bonnick and lead guitarist Andre Philips. DJ Willy Williams French DJ, producer, and singer Willy William got his start in the chart-topping group Collectif Métissé before launching a solo career. Eclipsing the European charts with his massive 2015 single Ego and going on to global recognition through a 2017 collaboration with reggaeton star J Balvin, Mi Gente, he successfully combined self-aware, socially conscious lyrics with hard-partying music. Following the success of a Mi Gente remix featuring Beyoncé, William collaborated with additional stars such as Jason Derulo, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, and Sean Paul. In 2017, William had his first major global hit with Mi Gente, a collaboration with Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin that topped charts in several countries. William released the solo single La La La in 2018, and additionally appeared on the Jason Derulo and David Guetta single Goodbye, also featuring Nicki Minaj. Alta Ouses Alta Ouses is a soul singer and soul writer who was born and raised in Windhoek, Namibia. Her passion for music started when she was just eight. She was inspired into music by various talented musicians, singers, and songwriters like Zahara, Beyonce, Lil Wayne and Christina Aguilera. Her career as an artist began in 2014 when she performed at an event called SongNight where she sang two singles titled 'Halo' by Beyoncé and 'Another Day in Paradise' by Phil Collins. This was followed by the release of her single titled 'Believe In Love'. Alta recorded her single this year 2015. This year she released two singles titled ‘Who Was I’ and a hit single titled How ‘Deep Is Your Love’ featuring a South African rapper, ShabZi Madallion from her upcoming album. She is also one of the headliners of Hill Festival coming to Kigali for the first-time next week. Michaela Rabitsch & Robert Pawlik Quartet Michaela Rabitsch, singer, composer and Austria’s only female top jazz trumpet player is called a modern-day female Chet Baker by the US magazine Jazzscene. Michaela and her ingenious partner, composer and incredible fluid guitarist Robert Pawlik present a program, inspired by their numerous tours of the last years through Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. They pick off the most interesting elements and inspirations from different musical cultures and contrast them with their own musical background and create a refreshing new musical style. Truth Hurts Born October 10, 1971, Shari Watson, known as Truth Hurts, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. In 2000, Watson signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label. She first appeared on Busta Rhymes' 2001 hit single, Break Ya Neck, as a backing vocalist. In 2001, she played a small role in The Wash starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, as well as a cameo in the film Ali starring Will Smith. For her first solo LP, Truthfully Speaking, issued on Aftermath in 2002, Truth Hurts enlisted the production talents of Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Hi-Tek, and DJ Quik. Her debut single, Addictive, was a Top 10 hit in the United States, and featured a verse from hip hop artiste Rakim. Truth Hurts returned in 2004 with her second album, ‘Ready Now,’ on Raphael Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment label. Its first single, ‘Ready Now’, was released in the summer of 2004. She is also on the long line-up of headliners of Hill Festival slated for next week, August 4.
