Written by Louise Umutoni
As an artist, being the son of famous father is not always a blessing, as people will always compare the two. Being the offspring of a cultural icon such as Sentore makes it even harder to create an image of your own.
Intore Masamba: "I started singing when I was 5 years because of my father, who was in love with music".Yet at the age of 38, Massamba Intore can confidently say that he has stepped out of his prodigious father’s shadow, having become a major musician in his own right. Interview with the man who is no longer “the son of”.
Focus: Most people believe that you have been a musician from childhood; is that true?
Masamba: (laughing) Why, because Sentore is my father? Well, there might be truth in that; I started singing when I was 5 years because of my father, who was in love with music.
Focus: How would you describe your relationship with your father?
Masamba: My father is my mentor; I like to call him my professor. He taught me everything I know. He created me and most of Rwanda’s best traditional artists like Jean Paul Samputu. My father and I have always been close.
Focus: But you haven’t particularly taken on your father’s singing style, why?
Masamba: At first I used to try to sing like him, but I later decided to create my own style. Yes I’m still very traditional in the way I sing but I have picked up different aspects that I have added to the traditional style to improve on my music.
I went to a music school in Brussels and specialized in comédie musicale, but now I am more into afro-beat or afro-jazz. I particularly want to be open to all African cultures by singing in Swahili and South African languages. I relate with South Africans a lot, because they have suffered a lot just like my people here in Rwanda. But I still think my father is Rwanda’s best musician.
Focus: And have you always wanted to be a musician?
Masamba: No, I always wanted to be a journalist for a newspaper or radio. I still want to, even though I studied music and drama. I’m looking around for a radio station that would be willing to give me air for a talk show or something.
But I have to say Rwanda’s media are not really up to standard, and that’s very disappointing. Journalists are not respected, probably because they are not professional, some one comes from Biryogo and just because they are outspoken, they are given time on air.
Focus: When did you record your first album?
Masamba: I released my first album when I was 13 years old called Ndi Uwawe; it had six songs on it.
Focus: Are there any other musicians in your family?
Masamba: Actually yes, my sister Claire Uwera sings in a gospel group called Singiza. She’s really good.
Focus: Is there anything else you do besides singing?
Masamba: At the moment I also do theater, I’m an actor.
In Belgium I was in a member of the musician’s copyright organization Sabam, and there I earned a lot of money for 8 years. Yet I decided to come to Rwanda because of one man’s wise advice: Youssou N’Dour told me that I should go and study the Rwandan music and modernize it.
This is basically what I have been doing: I’m researching different styles, amongst others the inkwata singing and dancing style of the Twas, or imbyino z’imidiho which is typical for Ruhengeri.
Focus: What do you like about Rwanda’s music industry?
Masamba: (sighs) Nothing, nothing at all. Our music industry is still very backward; we are not half as good as our neighbors. Artists in Rwanda are disrespected. We have sponsors who think that they only hire artists to help them, yet it should be a give-and-take situation. Yet I have hope that this will change with Rwanda’s adherence to the East African Community; maybe we will learn from the other member states.
Focus: What do you think should be done to improve the situation?
Masamba: First of all, the private sector federation should make it its agenda to change the image of showbiz in Rwanda. Sponsors should also get rid of the ‘hand-out mentality’; it’s a two-way thing in which you help the artists and they make money for you.
Also, local artists should give these people a run for their money; no one wants to work with an artist whom they will not profit from. Let’s pick a leaf from artists like Ismail Lo and Youssou N’ Dour, who have created a name for themselves by being original.
Focus: Most of us were surprised that you were not nominated for the PAM awards.
Masamba: What Rwandans need to understand is that we cannot participate in such an event when we have poor organizers. I was not told about the PAM awards even when they were doing nominations. I hear it’s because I’m an international artist and would ask for a lot of money.
Focus: What is your opinion of the upcoming local artists?
Masamba: To be honest, they are headed in the wrong direction. Okay, maybe they are trying to modernize their music to meet modern demand, but I want to remind them that you cannot compete with Americans by singing their music. They invented it, so they will always be better. You have your own music, so stick to it. Rwanda has 15 different types of rhythms from different parts of Rwanda, use that.
As for those who sing in languages like English and French, I’m sorry to say they are wasting time.
Why do you think Pavarotti was so popular yet he sung mainly in Italian? It’s because it was his language. All artists who have traveled and have enough exposure, like Cécile Kayirebwa, will tell you that sticking to your culture is the way forward; language is part of culture.
Focus: So do you have anything new for the people?
Masamba: Actually I do, I’m releasing a new album at the end of December called Winyanduza. Also, I have a song with Chameleon and we are going to interchange languages with Chameleon singing in Kinyarwanda and me trying out Luganda.
posted by louise @ 1:10 AM 0 comments 
Modernizing music: a survival strategy?
Written by Louise Umutoni
While Rwanda has its own traditional music that has evolved over centuries, today’s musician are increasingly including modern elements in it or even completely abandoning it for western styles. What are their motives?
“We had to change according to the times; other artists out there we combining their cultural music with modern styles and it was really selling” explains Masamba Intore. “Of course our music is really good, but we have to be flexible and accept change. Our style can be made even better adding a few things here and there. It will be difficult today to find a song in Kinyarwanda without some foreign beats.”
Almost every Rwandan artist, even the few still surviving traditional ones, have either totally moved away from the folk songs or redefined them to suit what is marketable.
In Rwandan culture, music has always played a dominant role, with the ikinimbi being the most popular traditional folk dance, narrating the epic stories of Rwandan classical heroes. Several musical instruments were used while playing this dance music, which included the ingoma, a drum which provided the beat for the song.
Artists like Cecile Kayirebwa and Sentore are among the pioneers of Rwandan music still alive, and they specialized in traditional music like their predecessors. This is probably because as young artists they did not have a lot of contact with other artists with different singing styles.
However, after the genocide new artists came up, most of them having been exposed to different cultures and music styles. Most these new artists were young and had a big fan base as most people related to their music. These changes were so far-reaching that even the local artists like Masamba Intore had to adapt.
However, other artists such as Miss Jojo have adopted foreign styles simple for the love of them. She says it was not the desire for a bigger fan-base that made her leave the traditional way of singing, but rather the fact that she relates more with the foreign singing styles. “I always wanted to sing and dance like musicians such as Aaliyah and other R&B artists, and that’s what I am comfortable with,” Jojo explains. Yet she insists that although her music is R&B, she is still very traditional because she sings in Kinyarwanda like in her Mbgira song.
Some artists however went a step further in the modernization by discarding Kinyarwanda in favor of French or English. This is mainly done by young musicians, who subsequently have a big fan-base amongst the Rwandan youth.
Others have not only taken on the music style, but the whole culture associated with it. A good example is the hip-hop group Kigali Boys (KGB), whose members not only play hip-hop music but also style themselves after the likes of 50 Cent, whose singing style they also try to imitate. KGB’er Skizzy says that this is the new age of modernity, and that music has to change just as everything else has.
Singer and dancer Daddy Casanova also thinks this change in music is something very positive. “Rwandan music needs to compete with that of other countries, and we can only do this by becoming professional; that involves singing in the styles that are most marketable,” he argues. “You cannot expect to compete in the category of ‘best reggae artist’ when you do not sing in the reggae style.”
Yet Masamba, who has remained closer to tradition, strongly disagrees. “We need to set the pace for other local artists using our own music. We cannot compete with black Americans in hip hop, they invented it, we need to compete with what we are good at.”
In his view, it is okay to improve on your music by picking a leaf from the other styles, as long as you keep in mind that you are a local artist. “Hip hop is 50 Cent’s culture, we have our own; let’s stick to it, it’s the only chance we have.”
Written by Louise Umutoni
While Rwanda has its own traditional music that has evolved over centuries, today’s musician are increasingly including modern elements in it or even completely abandoning it for western styles. What are their motives?
“We had to change according to the times; other artists out there we combining their cultural music with modern styles and it was really selling” explains Masamba Intore. “Of course our music is really good, but we have to be flexible and accept change. Our style can be made even better adding a few things here and there. It will be difficult today to find a song in Kinyarwanda without some foreign beats.”
Almost every Rwandan artist, even the few still surviving traditional ones, have either totally moved away from the folk songs or redefined them to suit what is marketable.
In Rwandan culture, music has always played a dominant role, with the ikinimbi being the most popular traditional folk dance, narrating the epic stories of Rwandan classical heroes. Several musical instruments were used while playing this dance music, which included the ingoma, a drum which provided the beat for the song.
Artists like Cecile Kayirebwa and Sentore are among the pioneers of Rwandan music still alive, and they specialized in traditional music like their predecessors. This is probably because as young artists they did not have a lot of contact with other artists with different singing styles.
However, after the genocide new artists came up, most of them having been exposed to different cultures and music styles. Most these new artists were young and had a big fan base as most people related to their music. These changes were so far-reaching that even the local artists like Masamba Intore had to adapt.
However, other artists such as Miss Jojo have adopted foreign styles simple for the love of them. She says it was not the desire for a bigger fan-base that made her leave the traditional way of singing, but rather the fact that she relates more with the foreign singing styles. “I always wanted to sing and dance like musicians such as Aaliyah and other R&B artists, and that’s what I am comfortable with,” Jojo explains. Yet she insists that although her music is R&B, she is still very traditional because she sings in Kinyarwanda like in her Mbgira song.
Some artists however went a step further in the modernization by discarding Kinyarwanda in favor of French or English. This is mainly done by young musicians, who subsequently have a big fan-base amongst the Rwandan youth.
Others have not only taken on the music style, but the whole culture associated with it. A good example is the hip-hop group Kigali Boys (KGB), whose members not only play hip-hop music but also style themselves after the likes of 50 Cent, whose singing style they also try to imitate. KGB’er Skizzy says that this is the new age of modernity, and that music has to change just as everything else has.
Singer and dancer Daddy Casanova also thinks this change in music is something very positive. “Rwandan music needs to compete with that of other countries, and we can only do this by becoming professional; that involves singing in the styles that are most marketable,” he argues. “You cannot expect to compete in the category of ‘best reggae artist’ when you do not sing in the reggae style.”
Yet Masamba, who has remained closer to tradition, strongly disagrees. “We need to set the pace for other local artists using our own music. We cannot compete with black Americans in hip hop, they invented it, we need to compete with what we are good at.”
In his view, it is okay to improve on your music by picking a leaf from the other styles, as long as you keep in mind that you are a local artist. “Hip hop is 50 Cent’s culture, we have our own; let’s stick to it, it’s the only chance we have.”
posted by louise @ 1:08 AM 0 comments
How much longer should 100 Days continue?
Written by Louise Umutoni
The 1994 genocide has had a major impact on Rwandan society for over a decade. In a context of catharsis and social reconciliation, it has affected every single sector of the economy. Yet for the film industry, it seems the time has come to turn to new themes.
The film industry, known now as Hillywood, has been profoundly marked by the genocide. In every single Rwandan movie that has gained some popularity, the massacres have played a predominant role.
The Rwanda Cinema Center is the most noticeable example. It started as a one-man project, set up by Eric Kabera, who was the first Rwandan to co-produce a movie with the genocide as its central theme.
He was approached by Nick Hughes, a British camera man who was one of the few, if not the only one, staying behind in Rwanda during the killings. His were the images that gave the world a glimpse of the horror, which inspired him to make a film on the genocide. Hughes and Kabera produced 100 Days, the first film about the genocide. It would not be the last.
A film about the genocide, Kabera thought, would remind people across the world of what happened in three terrible months in 1994. Yet 100 Days spawned a number of successors, the most notable and controversial of which, Hotel Rwanda, was based on what had taken place at hotel Mille Collines. Starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, the film was nominated for three Oscars.
Although these films earned the country a lot of notoriety, they became a millstone to the film industry in the sense that Rwanda’s film industry is now based on genocide-related movies. Kabera himself has become a victim of the potent profile he helped to create for the country. He now wants to make a comedy.
“It has nothing to do with genocide,” he says. “It’s a comedy about a beautiful girl. But I talk to investors and they say: ‘A comedy in Rwanda? I don’t get it.’ That’s the problem we have now.
These genocide-based films give a message about Rwanda, so that at least people know where we’re from; but it means that everybody who sees it sees the genocide and nothing else. It is a good introduction, but now we want to go beyond the genocide. We want to present a new face of Rwanda,” Kabera said
Soap opera
Natasha Muziramakenga is an actress who played in one of those films, Un dimanche à Kigali. “Rwanda’s film industry is not yet developed. Lots of people, when they the popularity of our movies, think our industry is really developed. That is not the case. Most of these movies are done by foreign directors, not our own,” Muziramakenga points out.
“Un Dimanche a Kigali, for example, was made by a Canadian film director; it became quite popular, as it was nominated for a number of awards,” she says.
When asked about the trend of making genocide-related movies, Muziramakenga said that since it’s foreigners who make these movies, it is likely that they will use genocide as a theme. “Look around, Rwanda is really not known for anything else apart from the genocide, so that is what anyone would center on,” she explains.
Faith Butera, who played in Shooting Dogs and Sometimes In April, thinks that the movie industry in Rwanda is quite developed. “Looking at my own experience, I feel the industry is quite a success, because these movies were a hit and I had a lot of fun acting in both of them,” she says. She adds that she learnt a lot from the acting, and she would do it all over again if she had the chance.
Actress Charity Keza has a different experience, as she acted in a film that had a completely different theme. “The film was in Kinyarwanda and was basically about Aids and how young people can protect themselves against it.”
Keza thinks the film industry should evolve in this sense, as at least this film talks about the day-to-day life of Rwandans.
“There is this one guy in the film industry who told me that he wants to make a kind of soap opera like Isindigo of South Africa. Now that will make our film industry popular.”
Written by Louise Umutoni
The 1994 genocide has had a major impact on Rwandan society for over a decade. In a context of catharsis and social reconciliation, it has affected every single sector of the economy. Yet for the film industry, it seems the time has come to turn to new themes.
The film industry, known now as Hillywood, has been profoundly marked by the genocide. In every single Rwandan movie that has gained some popularity, the massacres have played a predominant role.
The Rwanda Cinema Center is the most noticeable example. It started as a one-man project, set up by Eric Kabera, who was the first Rwandan to co-produce a movie with the genocide as its central theme.
He was approached by Nick Hughes, a British camera man who was one of the few, if not the only one, staying behind in Rwanda during the killings. His were the images that gave the world a glimpse of the horror, which inspired him to make a film on the genocide. Hughes and Kabera produced 100 Days, the first film about the genocide. It would not be the last.
A film about the genocide, Kabera thought, would remind people across the world of what happened in three terrible months in 1994. Yet 100 Days spawned a number of successors, the most notable and controversial of which, Hotel Rwanda, was based on what had taken place at hotel Mille Collines. Starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, the film was nominated for three Oscars.
Although these films earned the country a lot of notoriety, they became a millstone to the film industry in the sense that Rwanda’s film industry is now based on genocide-related movies. Kabera himself has become a victim of the potent profile he helped to create for the country. He now wants to make a comedy.
“It has nothing to do with genocide,” he says. “It’s a comedy about a beautiful girl. But I talk to investors and they say: ‘A comedy in Rwanda? I don’t get it.’ That’s the problem we have now.
These genocide-based films give a message about Rwanda, so that at least people know where we’re from; but it means that everybody who sees it sees the genocide and nothing else. It is a good introduction, but now we want to go beyond the genocide. We want to present a new face of Rwanda,” Kabera said
Soap opera
Natasha Muziramakenga is an actress who played in one of those films, Un dimanche à Kigali. “Rwanda’s film industry is not yet developed. Lots of people, when they the popularity of our movies, think our industry is really developed. That is not the case. Most of these movies are done by foreign directors, not our own,” Muziramakenga points out.
“Un Dimanche a Kigali, for example, was made by a Canadian film director; it became quite popular, as it was nominated for a number of awards,” she says.
When asked about the trend of making genocide-related movies, Muziramakenga said that since it’s foreigners who make these movies, it is likely that they will use genocide as a theme. “Look around, Rwanda is really not known for anything else apart from the genocide, so that is what anyone would center on,” she explains.
Faith Butera, who played in Shooting Dogs and Sometimes In April, thinks that the movie industry in Rwanda is quite developed. “Looking at my own experience, I feel the industry is quite a success, because these movies were a hit and I had a lot of fun acting in both of them,” she says. She adds that she learnt a lot from the acting, and she would do it all over again if she had the chance.
Actress Charity Keza has a different experience, as she acted in a film that had a completely different theme. “The film was in Kinyarwanda and was basically about Aids and how young people can protect themselves against it.”
Keza thinks the film industry should evolve in this sense, as at least this film talks about the day-to-day life of Rwandans.
“There is this one guy in the film industry who told me that he wants to make a kind of soap opera like Isindigo of South Africa. Now that will make our film industry popular.”
posted by louise @ 1:05 AM 0 comments
Borrowing someone's life, and enjoying it
Written by Louise Umutoni
Natasha Muziramakenga is a lady of many trades: having dreamt as a young girl of being an architect or a psychiatrist, she went on to become a movie actress, a radio presenter and a free-lance journalist. Yet it seems she recently discovered her true love: theater.
Focus: When and where were you born?
To be honest, I have loved acting and I wanted to be an actress.Natasha: (sighs) Do I have to? I don’t mind the where, but I sure mind the when. But anyway, I was born on 28th February 1984 in Lubumbashi in the DRC. I lived there until 1996, when my family came to Rwanda.
Focus: Have you always loved acting, or is it something you just took on?
Natasha: To be honest, I have loved acting and I wanted to be an actress, but then again I have wanted to be so many things (grins) – I wanted to be an architect, a journalist and a psychiatrist.
However, it was not until 2005 that I started acting professionally, when I starred in Un Dimanche à Kigali. As a child I acted in silly plays for pleasure, though I honestly loved every minute of it.
Focus: Why did you decide to start acting professionally?
Natasha: Funnily, it started as a joke. I was just passing by the place where they were doing the casting, and I thought, ‘this is fun, why not just join in’. So I did, and to my surprise the director picked me. I don’t know why, but maybe he fell in love with my smile. (laughs out loud) Only kidding.
Focus: And what part exactly did you play?
Natasha: I acted as Aimerita, a taxi driver and friend to the main actor. I should also add that this movie was based on a true story – most of the characters actually existed. It is about a Canadian journalist doing a documentary on Aids in Rwanda at the time of the genocide, who falls in love with a Rwandan girl, a waitress. He is distressed because he tries to tell the world what’s happening but no one listens, so he decides to concentrate on saving the woman he loves.
Focus: What was the experience like?
Natasha: I really enjoyed it! Acting professionally was a completely new thing for me, and I fell in love with it. I felt like I was borrowing someone’s life for just a day, and just enjoying it for that time.
Focus: Do you think the film industry in Rwanda is going anywhere?
Natasha: Well, I’ll try to be optimistic and say that with time our movie industry will stand out. However, this will depend on the parties involved, that is the actors, actresses, and directors. I think it depends most on the directors, because the actors are readily available and they are very good, but most of the people directing Rwandan movies are foreigners.
I believe everything needs a lot of time and dedication to make it perfect. Acting is like giving birth, you put so much time into preparation and then you just let it unfold.
Focus: Aside from acting, is there any thing else you do?
Natasha: I like to refer to myself as a free spirit because I do different things. I’m a radio presenter on Contact FM, I do theater and I’m a free lance writer for Ikaze (the magazine of Rwandair Express, ed.).
Focus: So do you intend to continue acting on a professional level?
Natasha: Yes and no. I want to continue acting, but then I also want to do many other things. Acting in Rwanda is a one-time thing; you cannot expect to keep acting because they are not that many movies being made, the film industry is not yet big. In fact, I recently discovered theater and it’s much more enticing than the film industry.
Recently, I played a knight in a piece called Littoral in Butare, and it was so much more than anything I have ever done. I felt like for once, I was actually being myself out there. This might sound weird, but right when I left the stage I screamed out loud because I felt so good! I think theater is the thing for me, but then again I have so many things to do out there, I cannot stick to one...
Written by Louise Umutoni
Natasha Muziramakenga is a lady of many trades: having dreamt as a young girl of being an architect or a psychiatrist, she went on to become a movie actress, a radio presenter and a free-lance journalist. Yet it seems she recently discovered her true love: theater.
Focus: When and where were you born?
To be honest, I have loved acting and I wanted to be an actress.Natasha: (sighs) Do I have to? I don’t mind the where, but I sure mind the when. But anyway, I was born on 28th February 1984 in Lubumbashi in the DRC. I lived there until 1996, when my family came to Rwanda.
Focus: Have you always loved acting, or is it something you just took on?
Natasha: To be honest, I have loved acting and I wanted to be an actress, but then again I have wanted to be so many things (grins) – I wanted to be an architect, a journalist and a psychiatrist.
However, it was not until 2005 that I started acting professionally, when I starred in Un Dimanche à Kigali. As a child I acted in silly plays for pleasure, though I honestly loved every minute of it.
Focus: Why did you decide to start acting professionally?
Natasha: Funnily, it started as a joke. I was just passing by the place where they were doing the casting, and I thought, ‘this is fun, why not just join in’. So I did, and to my surprise the director picked me. I don’t know why, but maybe he fell in love with my smile. (laughs out loud) Only kidding.
Focus: And what part exactly did you play?
Natasha: I acted as Aimerita, a taxi driver and friend to the main actor. I should also add that this movie was based on a true story – most of the characters actually existed. It is about a Canadian journalist doing a documentary on Aids in Rwanda at the time of the genocide, who falls in love with a Rwandan girl, a waitress. He is distressed because he tries to tell the world what’s happening but no one listens, so he decides to concentrate on saving the woman he loves.
Focus: What was the experience like?
Natasha: I really enjoyed it! Acting professionally was a completely new thing for me, and I fell in love with it. I felt like I was borrowing someone’s life for just a day, and just enjoying it for that time.
Focus: Do you think the film industry in Rwanda is going anywhere?
Natasha: Well, I’ll try to be optimistic and say that with time our movie industry will stand out. However, this will depend on the parties involved, that is the actors, actresses, and directors. I think it depends most on the directors, because the actors are readily available and they are very good, but most of the people directing Rwandan movies are foreigners.
I believe everything needs a lot of time and dedication to make it perfect. Acting is like giving birth, you put so much time into preparation and then you just let it unfold.
Focus: Aside from acting, is there any thing else you do?
Natasha: I like to refer to myself as a free spirit because I do different things. I’m a radio presenter on Contact FM, I do theater and I’m a free lance writer for Ikaze (the magazine of Rwandair Express, ed.).
Focus: So do you intend to continue acting on a professional level?
Natasha: Yes and no. I want to continue acting, but then I also want to do many other things. Acting in Rwanda is a one-time thing; you cannot expect to keep acting because they are not that many movies being made, the film industry is not yet big. In fact, I recently discovered theater and it’s much more enticing than the film industry.
Recently, I played a knight in a piece called Littoral in Butare, and it was so much more than anything I have ever done. I felt like for once, I was actually being myself out there. This might sound weird, but right when I left the stage I screamed out loud because I felt so good! I think theater is the thing for me, but then again I have so many things to do out there, I cannot stick to one...
posted by louise @ 1:03 AM 0 comments
“Artists should stop being beggars”
Written by Louise Umutoni
Being also a youth program coordinator with PSI, Mc Monday is an artist with a message. Yet not only about Aids, but also about Rwanda’s music industry. “It is not yet time to sell music, first we have to create the market.”
And musicians should stop complaining that government doesn’t help them: “You should have something to offer; personally, I’m still trying to make myself worth helping.”
Focus: Why exactly do you call your self MC Monday?
Mc Monday: First of all, I’m an MC, and the ‘Monday’ name was given to me my parents because I was born on Monday. But this is just a nickname, my real name is Sibbo Gashumba Assumani.
Focus: Where and when were you born?
Mc Monday: The ‘when’ part I can answer, and that is in February 1976. But the ‘where’ part, I choose not to reply to it; I consider myself a Rwandan from the Great Lake’s region, I do not want to segregate. Rwanda today is so divided because people lived in different countries before the genocide, and thus have different cultures, but I choose not to segregate.
Focus: When did you decide to join the music industry?
Mc Monday: I have not always been into singing. My first love was dancing, and I always thought I would be choreographer as I was referred to as the young Michael Jackson by my peers. It was not until 1995, when I did karaoke, that I felt music was my passion. By 1997 I had released my first song, Nseko nziza.
Focus: You have taken on a new kind music, “crank”; do you think this will affect your fan as “tonto w'abana”?
Mc Monday: No, I did a lot of research about it before I actually decided to take up this style. I believe everything has to be up-dated, and this is my way of modernizing my music. I play music for people, not for myself, and today crank is the most popular kind of music because it has a simple sound, and this gives you a chance to speak out and explain you self.
This is what I want to do, to explain my self and let everyone out there understand the message I am trying to preach. Also, I think that it is only wise to concentrate on the youth because they are the most interested in music. And as for the children, I’ll still do some songs for them, so I am still “tonto waabana”; I’m even organizing free concerts for children, especially the disadvantaged, to make them feel special.
Focus: But do you think this is in line with our cultural way of singing?
Mc Monday: Actually yes, it is; I believe mixing cultures will give us a nice future. Also, my style is not exactly American crank; it is a mixture of the Rwandan Ikinimba and crank, which I call Kinyacrank.
Focus: Recently a group musicians came together to sell their music for the first time in Rwanda, what made you hold back?
Mc Monday: (hesitates) Well, I think it was some kind of mistake, because how many people have CD players in Rwanda? People like music, but their means are still low. This is not the right moment to sell music in Rwanda, it is not yet time. This is our time create the market – phase A as I like to call it – for promoting ourselves before we can properly sell the music.
Also, although working together as musicians is good, I feel it was very unprofessional for them to combine their songs on one album. A person may fancy Miss Jojo, but won’t necessarily like Family squad.
Focus: Is music the only thing you do?
Mc Monday: No, I work for PSI as the “Abajeune” brand coordinator for youth programs. I love the youth, and I want them to understand that the future belongs to them; I want them to believe in a future without HIV. I do a show on Contact Fm for PSI that talks about the youth, and we have debates various topics like Aids and parent and child communication.
In addition to this I host three other shows on radio 10, one on Saturday about mixing cultures, especially in terms of music; another on Thursday, which I call Ladies’ Night where we talk about women in an effort to teach them how to be open. On Sunday I have another show strictly for Rwandan music to promote our local artists.
Focus: Do you think Rwanda’s music industry is developing?
Mc Monday: Yes, I do think so, but it is rather at a slow rate. This can only be blamed on the artists themselves. Artists should get rid of the beggar syndrome that is eating them up; all those artists who go around saying that the government does not support them should stop complaining.
The government will only support you when you have something to offer; for example I do not need help now, I’m still trying to make myself worth helping.
Focus: What should the public expect from you soon?
Mc Monday: My first crank album is coming out with a number of nice songs like Byabindi, a song talking about people’s reaction to Inyoni giving it a negative image. Also, my new name is “Double M” – as I said I’m up dating my self.
Focus: What advice would you give fellow artists?
Mc Monday: I would like to tell them to stop going from door to door asking for money; knock on the door of God because He gives so much more along with inspiration. Also, artists should love one another and not go around talking about each other negatively. For example, I’m doing it, I now have a studio called “Impano y’Imana” with modern equipment and I can produce my own music.
I have even produced music for some artists like Lamek Murekani aka LMAR and his song was a hit.
Written by Louise Umutoni
Being also a youth program coordinator with PSI, Mc Monday is an artist with a message. Yet not only about Aids, but also about Rwanda’s music industry. “It is not yet time to sell music, first we have to create the market.”
And musicians should stop complaining that government doesn’t help them: “You should have something to offer; personally, I’m still trying to make myself worth helping.”
Focus: Why exactly do you call your self MC Monday?
Mc Monday: First of all, I’m an MC, and the ‘Monday’ name was given to me my parents because I was born on Monday. But this is just a nickname, my real name is Sibbo Gashumba Assumani.
Focus: Where and when were you born?
Mc Monday: The ‘when’ part I can answer, and that is in February 1976. But the ‘where’ part, I choose not to reply to it; I consider myself a Rwandan from the Great Lake’s region, I do not want to segregate. Rwanda today is so divided because people lived in different countries before the genocide, and thus have different cultures, but I choose not to segregate.
Focus: When did you decide to join the music industry?
Mc Monday: I have not always been into singing. My first love was dancing, and I always thought I would be choreographer as I was referred to as the young Michael Jackson by my peers. It was not until 1995, when I did karaoke, that I felt music was my passion. By 1997 I had released my first song, Nseko nziza.
Focus: You have taken on a new kind music, “crank”; do you think this will affect your fan as “tonto w'abana”?
Mc Monday: No, I did a lot of research about it before I actually decided to take up this style. I believe everything has to be up-dated, and this is my way of modernizing my music. I play music for people, not for myself, and today crank is the most popular kind of music because it has a simple sound, and this gives you a chance to speak out and explain you self.
This is what I want to do, to explain my self and let everyone out there understand the message I am trying to preach. Also, I think that it is only wise to concentrate on the youth because they are the most interested in music. And as for the children, I’ll still do some songs for them, so I am still “tonto waabana”; I’m even organizing free concerts for children, especially the disadvantaged, to make them feel special.
Focus: But do you think this is in line with our cultural way of singing?
Mc Monday: Actually yes, it is; I believe mixing cultures will give us a nice future. Also, my style is not exactly American crank; it is a mixture of the Rwandan Ikinimba and crank, which I call Kinyacrank.
Focus: Recently a group musicians came together to sell their music for the first time in Rwanda, what made you hold back?
Mc Monday: (hesitates) Well, I think it was some kind of mistake, because how many people have CD players in Rwanda? People like music, but their means are still low. This is not the right moment to sell music in Rwanda, it is not yet time. This is our time create the market – phase A as I like to call it – for promoting ourselves before we can properly sell the music.
Also, although working together as musicians is good, I feel it was very unprofessional for them to combine their songs on one album. A person may fancy Miss Jojo, but won’t necessarily like Family squad.
Focus: Is music the only thing you do?
Mc Monday: No, I work for PSI as the “Abajeune” brand coordinator for youth programs. I love the youth, and I want them to understand that the future belongs to them; I want them to believe in a future without HIV. I do a show on Contact Fm for PSI that talks about the youth, and we have debates various topics like Aids and parent and child communication.
In addition to this I host three other shows on radio 10, one on Saturday about mixing cultures, especially in terms of music; another on Thursday, which I call Ladies’ Night where we talk about women in an effort to teach them how to be open. On Sunday I have another show strictly for Rwandan music to promote our local artists.
Focus: Do you think Rwanda’s music industry is developing?
Mc Monday: Yes, I do think so, but it is rather at a slow rate. This can only be blamed on the artists themselves. Artists should get rid of the beggar syndrome that is eating them up; all those artists who go around saying that the government does not support them should stop complaining.
The government will only support you when you have something to offer; for example I do not need help now, I’m still trying to make myself worth helping.
Focus: What should the public expect from you soon?
Mc Monday: My first crank album is coming out with a number of nice songs like Byabindi, a song talking about people’s reaction to Inyoni giving it a negative image. Also, my new name is “Double M” – as I said I’m up dating my self.
Focus: What advice would you give fellow artists?
Mc Monday: I would like to tell them to stop going from door to door asking for money; knock on the door of God because He gives so much more along with inspiration. Also, artists should love one another and not go around talking about each other negatively. For example, I’m doing it, I now have a studio called “Impano y’Imana” with modern equipment and I can produce my own music.
I have even produced music for some artists like Lamek Murekani aka LMAR and his song was a hit.
posted by louise @ 12:53 AM 0 comments
Written by Louise Umutoni
The fashion industry in Rwanda still has a long way to go. With interesting initiatives being taken to develop the music and film industry, fashion should follow suite. According to fashion designers and models alike, it is question of becoming more professional, and making people understand the fashion industry.
When you compare the fashion industry in Rwanda to that of its neighbors, it is clear that a lot leaves to be desired. Katia, a Rwandan model based in Canada, has regularly been in the country to do some shoots, and she thinks that there is no real fashion industry in Rwanda.
“The only real fashion agency I know is Dadmax of Dadi Demaximo; the others are really not yet up to professional standards,” Katia says. However she is optimistic, because the industry is has improved a lot compared to its state when she left it meaning, so it is developing.
People don’t understand
“The Miss Kigali pageant is a step forward in the fashion industry, we have never held an event like this that is supported by the Government,” says Rosalie Gicanda, fashion designer and owner of fashion company Promode Services, who designed those lovely dresses used in the Miss Kigali contest.
Gicanda thinks that, although it has been really slow to develop, the fashion industry is on its way to becoming like those of our neighbors. “People need to be enlightened a little more about this industry, because in Rwanda people just do not understand it” Gicanda added.
Rosalie Gicanda is a Rwandan who was born and went to school in Congo, where she studied design until1976. She later went to France and furthered her education in design for six years, and then taught in Congo and Burkina Faso.
She returned to Rwanda in 1998, and started her fashion shop called La Grace. In 2002 she opened Promode Services and started teaching some girls how to behave on the catwalk and be models.
“I couldn’t sit back and wait for people to come and buy my designs, so I started with shows using these girls to showcase my outfits,” Gicanda explains.
Dressy people
Gicanda says that fashion was not exactly her first love, as she wanted to a lawyer. “I did not like designing in school, but I liked the way the teacher taught because he thought of the ideas himself. Just imagine thinking up a design, and then dressing someone in that outfit, and they look good and appreciate it.
It’s very inspirational and this is what all designers should strive to achieve; you need to be innovative and creative,” Rosalie Gicanda explains.
However, she had a difficult start because at that time fashion was obviously not a priority in Rwanda. “I know many people believe Rwandans have always been dressy people, but only a handful of people were interested in looking good back then.
Everything from the fabric to the confidence of models was lacking, and this was very discouraging,” Gicanda says. “However, the fashion shows got people to recognize my designs, and a lot of people liked them; this is how I got my first clients.”
Another designer, Dadi de Maximo of Dadmax fashion company, says that for him also it has been a long and difficult road, and yet design has always been his passion. He says that he had to struggle to get the right models, and it was not until recently that a number of people got interested in this industry.
“People believed that the catwalk was for whores or failures in society, but we have proved modeling is a profession like any other and it should be respected,” Demaximo said.
Claudine Uwera, a model of Dadmax, says that to her modeling is still something she is not very proud of.
“Dadmax is the first modeling agency I went to where they treated me like a professional, otherwise most of us where simply posing for companies that always ripped us off,” Claudine points out.
She adds that if more agencies came up, it would create competition which would make the designers strive to be more creative and innovative, thus dressing people better.
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