Music stars to headline KigaliUp festival

Music enthusiasts and fans should prepare for a big treat during the 6th edition of the KigaliUp festival. Music stars including Canada-based Rwandan musician Ninette Nyiringango, better known as Empress will headline the festival. The festival will take place at Amahoro Stadium grounds and Kigali Car-Free Zone in downtown – from July 30 - 31. The festival will feature local and international musicians such as Micho band, Peace Jolis, Eric Mucyo, Eju Marshall, Danny Vumbi as well as Sandy Soul from Uganda. Others are Grammy Award winner Skyler Jett (USA), Soleil Laurent and Quantum Split (USA), Kareyce Fotso (Cameroon), Joey Blake (USA), and One People Band (SA). Lead singer of the Commodores, Skyler Jett performs during Jazz All-Stars 2016 Grammy, New York. / Getty Images. QuantumSplit. / Internet photo. Nyiringango who is based in Ottawa, will be performing in her native land for the first time in four years since she left for Canada. She last performed in Rwanda in 2012. “I am excited and I believe this is an opportunity to meet my fans who have taken long without seeing me. I have been busy working on my music career in Canada, and I have a lot in store for Rwandans who recognize the value of music in general,” Empress told The New Times in a phone interview. Cameroonian songbird Kareyce Fotso will perform at KigaliUp festival. / Internet photo KigaliUp festival aims at not only entertaining locals and tourists, but also to give a perspective of what the city of Kigali has to offer, from traditional food to African arts. The event brings together musicians from all over the world on the same stage with their fans. Nyiringango recently released her much talked about full length CD titled, Resilience (Ubwiyumanganye). Some of the singles on the CD include Mama, Wanalia, Agahinda, Umurage, Heartbeat, Africa My Home, Footsteps and Freedom Songs, among others. In 2004, her song, Agahinda won the 3rd prize in a countrywide competition that was organised by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in Rwanda. Empress has graced several festivals like African festival fundraiser, Cultural Explosion at Bronson Centre, Ottawa Reggae festival, The World Stage at L’Ange, Afro Antillean Festival and Mosaic Concert for Peace. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Music stars to headline KigaliUp festival