Halfway through 2024, Rwanda’s pop culture has, as usual, kept us entertained with a lot to talk, cry, and joke about in the last seven months.
From Bruce Melodie’s entry to Billboard, and Rwanda’s debut on the best platform that ranks music worldwide, to President Paul Kagame hosting Kina Music artistes at his Kibugabuga home and gifting them cows, there is no doubt that it has been a good year for Rwanda’s entertainment industry. We can dub it the year of achievements by most.
SENS picks some of these significant pop culture moments of 2024 so far.
Rwanda debuts on Billboard charts
2024 will be remembered in the history of the Rwandan music industry as the year of debuting on the international market and raising the country’s flag high more than ever before.
In March, Bruce Melodie’s hit song ‘When She’s Around (Funga Macho)’ featuring Jamaican reggae legend Shaggy debuted at the 8th position on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart, making it the second Afrobeats song on the chart behind ‘Water’ by Tyla, and the first Rwandan song to make it on the list.
The World Digital Song Sales chart is a weekly record chart that ranks how songs were sold on different digital music-selling platforms.
This came a few months after Bruce Melodie’s successful US tour that reached Texas, Maine, and Miami, as well as performing on Good Morning America – a prominent morning show, that has featured renowned musicians like Asake, Rihanna, and Davido among others.
Bruce Melodie’s debut on the Billboard charts is the biggest achievement for the Rwandan music sector this year.
Kagame gifts Rwandan musicians cows
2024 will leave Rwandan musicians on high tables after they accompanied President Paul Kagame across the country for the election campaigns and also getting an invitation to his home in Kibugabuga, Bugesera district.
On July 14, Kagame hosted some artists who reside in Karumuna and also members of the Kina Music Record label to his home, fulfilling a promise he made to singer Knowless during the RPF presidential rally in Bugesera.
Influential names in Rwanda’s music industry such as Clement Ishimwe, Platini P, Tom Close, and Nel Ngabo among others were all gifted cows during the visit.
Dave Chappelle performs in Rwanda
On May 30, Celebrated American comedian and actor Dave Chappelle made a surprise visit to Rwanda where he held a private sold-out show, attended BAL, and paid a courtesy visit to President Paul Kagame.
The renowned American comedian performed at a high-end restaurant, Kōzo Kigali, with Rwf200,000 for admission to the show, making it the most expensive concert to attend in the history of Rwanda.
He was later spotted at the BK arena during Africa Basketball League season four, before paying a courtesy visit to President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.
Chappelle’s performance in Kigali followed one in Nairobi on May 29, at the National Museum of Kenya, where phones were not allowed, a policy he maintains to retain exclusivity to his content.
Grammy’s Recording Academy to expand operations in Rwanda
The Recording Academy, an organization behind the Grammy Awards, in June announced a global expansion plan to support music creators in different African countries and the Middle East, including Rwanda.
The initiative, according to the Academy, aims to provide educational resources, advocate for intellectual property rights, and celebrate the musical heritage of these regions.
Recording Academy partnered with government ministries and cultural entities in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Academy also recently introduced the first Best African Music Performance Grammy category, which recognizes songs that use unique local expressions from across the African continent.
Filmmaker Eric Kabera receives Lifetime Achievement Award
In early June, top Rwandan filmmaker Eric Kabera won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Afrika Film Festival in Leuven, Belgium, for the body of work he produced on the Genocide against the Tutsi over the past 30 years, as well as for training the young generation of storytellers of Rwanda.
Kabera, who has produced Intore, The Woman in Me, 100 Days, and many other top films, is the first Rwandan filmmaker to win a lifetime achievement award.
The Afrika Film Festival has long become a fixture in the film landscape, showcasing African film culture with screenings all over Belgium and numerous side events. By promoting African films, the festival also contributes to the growth of the audiovisual sector in Africa.
Kwetu and the Rwanda Cinema Centre have produced over 50 films— shorts, documentaries, and feature films—for the past 20 years.
