This month, music lovers are in for a treat, as the first Sounds of Summer Music Festival comes to town. Dubbed, “Sounds of Summer 2019”, the event is slated for June 28, at the Intare Conference and Events Arena in Rusororo. Nigerian singer Maleek Berry of the “Kontrol” hitmaker, and France-based Congolese musician Ya Levis will be the show’s headline acts. According to Entertainment Factory Ltd, the organisers, a third international act to grace the show will be disclosed early next week. Both Maleek Berry and Ya Levis will be staging their debut concerts in Kigali, and for Levis, it is his first time performing in East Africa. Organisers plan on developing Sounds of Summer into a fully fledged music festival that will occur annually around the Independence Day/Liberation Day weekend. Known for such songs as “Kontrol”, “Eko Miami”, “The matter”, and “Bend it”, Maleek Berry is currently one of the most sought-after African artists globally. He has staged sold out shows in North America, Europe, and all over Africa. He is due to release his debut album this year. “Each Summer, Entertainment Factory seeks to curate experiences centered around top artists from Africa and beyond. Music will be the core element of the festival, but we will use this as a foundation to celebrate both arts and culture more broadly. We want to bring the world to Rwanda and share Rwanda with the world,” said Mathew Rugamba, one of the partners in Entertainment Factory Ltd. “This festival will attract global talents on the rise and provide exposure to our local scene. We plan to work with key stakeholders in the entertainment, hospitality and tourism sector to develop Sounds of Summer into a festival that attracts concert goers from across the region and beyond,” Rugamba further explained. Organisers are looking to attract concert goers from the DRC and Burundi, where Katchua hitmaker Ya Levis commands a huge fan base. The Sounds of Summer 2019 concert is only the second event to be organised by Entertainment Factory Ltd, a new entrant on the local Events and Concert scene. Registered with the Rwanda Development Board as an Events company in January this year, Entertainment Factory’s first acid test was the Burna Boy Experience concert in Kigali in March this year, also held at the Intare Conference and Events Arena. It was the first music concert featuring a big international headline act to be staged at the Intare Arena, and its success inspired the idea for Sounds of Summer 2019. Organisers have also retained the previous headline sponsor, Heineken Beer from Bralirwa Breweries. “We would like to thank Heineken for their continued faith in our work. We need more support from companies, like Bralirwa to help grow our entertainment sector,” Rugamba appealed. Ticket information for the show will be released by close of this week. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
