Renowned poet Junior Rumaga was pleased to achieve what he considered a dream by performing his first concert where he released his poetry album “Mawe“,in which he paid tribute to the many people who had supported him throughout this more than three-year journey.
The concert held at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (former Camp Kigali) on August 11.
On the album, ‘Inyana y’Inyange Imaragahinda’ and ‘Komera Mukobwa’ are solo, the remaining seven are collaborations such as ‘Narakubabariye’ with Bruce Melodie, ‘Kibobo’ ft Juno Kizigenza, ‘Mazi ya Nyanja’ ft Alyn Sano, ‘Umwana Araryoha’ ft Riderman and Peace Jolis, ‘Intango y’Ubumwe’ ft late Yvan Buravan, Mr Kagame and Bull Dogg, ‘Ivanjiri’ ft Alpha Rwirangira and ‘Intambara y’Ibinyobwa’ ft Rusine and Rukizangabo.
The event which showcased a rich display of culture and creativity was graced by family, friends, and diehard fans, proof of the undeniable artistic power in Rwanda.
The stage came alive at 8: 00pm with the vibrant sounds and skills of the Shauku Band, the eloquent verses of ‘Carine the poet’, and the Inanga traditional team who entertained the audience with their performances, skillfully playing the Inanga, that took back the early turned up fans to a bygone era, connecting the past with the present.
‘Narakubabariye’ a love-themed poem, conveyed forgiveness despite past mistakes. ‘Mazi ya nyanja’, featuring Alyn Sano, continued the theme of love. Sano also entertained fans with her song ‘Mubabarire’, as Producer Element and Ross Kana performed “Foi de Toi’, one of the viral and sensational songs.
The event then shifted to an awe-inspiring moment of recognizing individuals, starting with a touching tribute from his mother, followed by the acknowledgment of Mariya Yohana, a notable figure in Rwanda’s traditional scene. Another mother, who cleans the roads in Kigali, was also honored. The show concluded with Yvan Buravan’s heartfelt tribute to his father, while all participants received awards for their exceptional contribution to Rumaga’s poetry journey.
‘Mawe’ he says has been successful because of involvement of Producer Element eleeh a buddy from childhood who helped him produce a poem called “Nzoga,” featured his grand father [He was also in the show and helped him a lot during the performance of this poem].
He thanked a number of individuals, including the woman who welcomed him and offered him a place to sleep when he arrived at Nyabugogo Bus Park late at night.
In this performance, Rumaga performed a number of poems, including:‘Narakubabariye’ ,‘Kibobo’ ft Juno Kizigenza, ‘Mazi ya Nyanja’ ft Alyn Sano,Intango y’Ubumwe’ ft late Yvan Buravan, Mr Kagame and Bull Dogg, ‘Ivanjiri’ ft Alpha Rwirangira and ‘Intambara y’Ibinyobwa’ ft Rusine and Rukizangabo, ‘Umwana Araryoha’ ft Riderman and Peace Jolis.
Rumaga launched his career in September 2019.
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