The alternative sounds sparking from The Land of a Thousand Hills
It’s no surprise that this playlist has been created, just alone the melange of languages spoken in Rwanda, a potpourri that spills into music production. As you will note during this read, we have a range from Kinyarwanda to Francophone, with a Spanish samba feel, before hopping unto Kiswahili and eventually ending up in English.
Kivumbi King – Kabisa
The lyrical enchantment begins with Kivumbi King, who describes himself as a rapper, poet and spoken word artist. Easily identifiable in his compositions and his listeners hanging unto his cleverly aligned catchphrases, that roll of the tongue with such ease on song titles such as ‘Madam’, ‘Fever’, ‘Hejuru’, ‘Maso Y’inyano’ feat. Kdagr8t, to name a few.
Here his poetic talents can be felt in the musical sphere, placing us, the listener, in a translucent mood with ease. Kabisa colloquially translates to “for real”, fin formal syntax “absolutely” in Kiswahili; both are interchangeable in this context. The song is predominately in English with those slick lines Kivumbi King drops in Kinyarwanda.
Kicking off the song with “We got to be so young & dumb counting on tonight, we don’t really care…” he breaks into Kinyarwanda politely asking his proposed lover to allow him to get to know her vibe and explore more than the eye meets. This one gets you into your feelings, how he is expressing his intention to with his lover, as it’s suggested she seems apprehensive due to their age. This composition almost comes across as Kivumbi King pouring his inner thoughts to his love, “blessings I share with my friends, low key we don’t even make sense”, will have you wondering about your own circle, and your movements as a collective. “I pull up with my G’s in no time… yoo Wagwan are you feeling me now.” Are you feeling the song? Pull up in the comment section below and let us know how the song resonated with you.
Deejay Pius – Ubushyuhe (ft. Marina, Rosa Ree & A Pass)
That summer vibe is back; we are feeling the heat turning up with this song. It features a catchy chorus, but it sets the place ablaze, reminiscent of the roof is on fire antics, with the extensive compiled linguistic lyrics. With strong features from fellow neighbouring east African countries, “me I bring heat as soon as I step in” Tanzanian Artist Rosa Ree emphasises and A Pass feature on this remix in Ouganda, Uganda’s local language. The chorus features vocals by Marina, one of the few hailed female Rwandan Artists.
Deejay Pius is well known for his preliminary gifted vocals and favourable feel-good sounds, that sends positive vibes down your spine. In titles such as ‘Mfate Moto’ & ‘Homba Homboka’, he exudes “I like the way you dance with your high heels”, referencing various dance styles including Shaku shaku & Coupé-décalé, intrigued by his love interests’ motion on the dancefloor. Deejay Pius ingenuity stretches beyond various domains; in addition to being an artist, musician, DJ, he is also a well-rounded entrepreneur with his own music label 1K Entertainment, infamous for nurturing Rwandan talents such as female duo Charly Na Nina & Amalon.
Chris Kai- La Bamba
Domineering Francophone sounds from Chris Kai, the Afro/Pop artist, will have fast feet moving on the song titled ‘Oh Mah’. ‘Kigali’ is the best “small town big action can be heard despite the actual lyrics stating, “small talk big actions”, speaking to the achievement Rwanda has made, rising from the ashes. “Rwandan girls are the best from the face to waist “, he continues. ‘Money & Gold’ features Kayb Peace Lordd Gc & Polean production & flow is truly aligned to the UK Afroswing Rap scene, this can be placed anywhere between ‘079ME’ by B Young & ‘Sharna’ by WSTRN, on a well-round British R&B, Hip Hop Reggae Fusion playlist.
La Bamba is from his latest project titled “Afro Love”. The song features a heavy South American influence and feels, complimenting the foot-tapping couple dance deriving from one of the huapangos of Mexico and danced in ballrooms. La Bamba cleverly merges a melange of French & Spanish, which inevitably complement each other as both languages derive from Latin origin.
Free flow, vibrant instrumentals transport one to a time in the near future with a cocktail in hand, sun shining strings being pulled on that Spanish guitar. Chris Kai has been described as ‘one to watch’ & ‘one of the hottest upcoming artists in East Africa’ by the Tanzanian newspaper, Bingwa.
Nel Ngabo – Solo
Fresh and ready to get into our emotions with this song, denoting his readiness to engage his love interest, declaring his love “I wouldn’t hesitate to catch a fight for you.”. Nel Ngabo is the youngest artist signed to Kina Music Record Label, and so far, has released his first album titled ‘Ingabo’ last year with titles such as ‘Zoli’ being a favourite. Perhaps due to the blend of French and Kinyarwanda in the lyrics and the relatability of the tale. The guy being friend-zoned by his love interest, in the first chorus, he states, “urakomeza kunyita bro.”, meaning that she continues to call him bro when he actually has higher prospects for her.
At age 22, his song predominantly centres around love interest with, Nzahinfuka’ & ‘Byakoroha’ definitely catering to Zouk lovers; it will have you and your partner swaying in unison to the beat. The song is purely in Kinyarwanda, in which he is expressing that no one can love his woman more than he can, adding that they ‘would be telling lies if they expressed so’.
Andy Bumuntu- Snack
High snares that will have you on your tiptoes, Snack will get your waist rolling, especially with that “extra love in package, extra care in package”. Andy Bumuntu has listeners in sensual dance fever, his songs always have an element of hip rolling action and guitar strings, resembling Zouk, Kizomba this Afro-soul artist is the perfect way to end the evening with your significant other. When Andy Bumuntu was asked about his genre of music, he stated, “one’s voice sometimes chooses the style of music”, he did mention in an interview that growing up, he used to listen to a lot of blues which may be a trifactor that influence his music now.
The Soul & Blues feel of ‘Kk 509 St’; reminiscing about a time with a lover, ‘On Fire’ is the expression of illumination due to the love he has, and ‘Tadja’ has a lot more of a Francophone element, yet all songs have more of a slower tempo. Snack seems to pick up the pace; after all, he denotes to his pursuit, “let me be your wine, you’ll be my whiskey”. “Pole, pole tu, utakuwa mine “in Kiswahili, he is expressing “, Slowly slowly you will be mine.”
Mike Kayihura- Anytime
The sounds of the tropics, signature to Mike Kayihura, he has the eloquence to transport one to a sunny paradise whilst giving insightful meaning. His songs often include cautionary tales. Anytime, anticipates the sound of the maracas to drop at any moment, “Vibing, yeah we are vibing” “I don’t like another man on your timetable… I don’t like the way you are getting high without me, you’re rolling with the wrong ones you are looking for me”. Well, if that isn’t a dose of an epiphany, in a way, this song expresses what most men feel but do not vocalise. Here it seems like his lover is in the spotlight, but the lifestyle seems to create a rift between them; the song lyrics are predominately in English with the few lines in Kinyarwanda.
Sogokuru x Yannick MYK – Kolimiti
This duo is multitalented, to say the least, not only talented artists but also exquisite producers who have created a sensational album titled “Kvzmvn” featuring an array of sounds ranging from a futuristic ‘1900’. The song has the ability to pull the listeners into two different time decades at once. You definitely feel the 1900’s influence but at the same time, cannot help project forward as the sound is absolutely cutting edge, talking about trapping, trapping since the 1900s. ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weekend may come to mind when listening to this composition.
Kolimiti, features a tap light-hearted feel, “summertime I’m feeling brand new”, we all resonate with this vibe. Something we can listening to at a BBQ, red cup in hand, reminiscing on the shenanigans of the previous get together whilst the pro dancers in your social group start cutting shapes.
IG: @sogokxru & @ yannick_myk
Ish Kevin – Amakosi
Let’s cool this playlist down a notch; we have Ish Kevin, the Trappish Music Star.
The self-managed young artist put out a statement regarding his music status on the 21st April 2021, (5 days ago), “Hey fam, let me make it clear with all my people asking: I’m not signed to any label or management, I move independently.” He also participated in the Guinness World Record, under the category of the most people in an online rapping video relay. Ish Kevin was certified, and part of that 5% gets archived upon entry and recognised.
Furthermore, he also recently was one of the finalists of ‘The next Popstar’ music contest, a ten-year project that seeks to unearth the most talented artists in Rwanda to bring up their musical talent to an international platform, through distribution etc. Currently, he is the most dominant and favourite Trap Artist, with a solid following similar to, Naira Marley when he coined the new sound in Afrobeats. Amakosi talking about the faults Ish Kevin has made, “I catch flights, not feelings, when we catch up no kidding”.
Lastly, stay up to date with all you need to know about African music at SOA, right here.
Idole thrives on inspiring and motivating those around her, supporting to realigning themselves to their confidence & living their best version.
She strongly believes it is essential to leave people in a better position than first encountered. She has a keen interest in mindful studies, meta-physics ranging from Mediation, Crystals, & Energy Healing to Self-development, hence she is a qualified Lifestyle and Spiritual Coach.
With a keen interest in music and the entertainment scene, she is the Radio Presenter of the weekly “Outspoken Truths” show on GN Radio UK which dwells into an array of topics from Music, to Women empowerment, celebrating ancient African Cultures and Spiritual Practises.
Founder of Rwanda Hub on Clubhouse she is always searching for means to connect Rwandan’s together, showcasing her Rwandan heritage and promoting the vast pool of talents and treasures the land of a thousand hills has to offer. Connect with her via Clubhouse follow 🇷🇼 Rwanda Hub, or alternatively on IG/Clubhouse @be.idole
