In 2012, a talented young boy from Kanombe, Kigali, received a phone call offering him a job as a backup singer for the Primus Guma Guma Super Star (PGGSS) stage – the biggest music competition ever held in Rwanda.
At the time, music was considered by many to be an industry of school dropouts, gangs and drug addicts, not to mention an inaccessible sector for any visionary mind. As a result, the young boy, whom many knew as Bruce Itahiwacu, struggled to make a living while juggling backing vocals for PGGSS and producing at Black Records. Despite it all, he didn’t give up.
In 2014, he made it to the list of contestants and came third in a competition won by the late Jay Polly. He returned in 2015 and came second, but little did he know that the following two editions would change Rwanda’s music industry forever.
Soon after, having made a name for himself as Bruce Melodie, the ‘Ikinya’ hitmaker became the first Rwandan artist to attend the prestigious Coke Studio Africa music academy. In 2018, Melodie was crowned the winner of the PGGSS and went home with a winner’s prize of Rwf 20 million after beating nine other contestants to the crown.
By this time, his views on a career in the music business had changed. “This is beyond talent. It’s a lifestyle, a job like any other, a culture that should benefit many young people like me. It’s possible,” Bruce Melodie told the press after winning the competition.
This statement recently became a prophecy when Bruce Melodie broke the record as the first Rwandan act to appear on the Billboard charts when his song ‘When She’s Around (Funga Macho)’, featuring Jamaican reggae legend Shaggy, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart.
Three years earlier, the Kigali-born and bred musician had secured multi-million-dollar deals such as a Rwf 150 million deal with Kigali Arena, a 50-million dollar endorsement deal with Polish beverage company Brook, and a Rwf1 billion two-year brand ambassador deal for Food Bundles Ltd, among others.
Melodie’s progressive journey is a testimony he shares with many other musicians, and the result is visible to – day, particularly in the industry’s expansion, attracting more sophisticated artists who are also performing on the international stage more than ever before.
According to Alpha Bugingo, a music analyst, independent musicians in Rwanda have built up a large fan base and improved production quality, allowing them to compete in international markets and earn more from music.
In 2024, Bugingo said, reports from Statista show that the digital music market in Rwanda is expected to generate a revenue of over US$478, 800. Among the various segments within this market, streaming is projected to be the largest, with a market volume of US$384, 200 in the same year.
Clement Ishimwe, one of the leading music producers in Rwanda and the manager of Kina Music label, recently said that Rwanda’s music industry is ripe for investment “even when COVID was shaking the world”. “Covid-19 affected the Rwandan music industry probably more than in other countries,” he says.
“This is probably because local players didn’t know about other ways of making money in this sector, other than organising shows and related events.” He calls on both local investors and music fans, in general, to embrace music streaming services and buy albums via recognized platforms to keep the spirit of supporting home-grown talents up.
Despite all the progress over the years, many artists, especially upcoming ones, still struggle to capitalise on their talents and earn revenues that can sustain them. This is largely because the sector has failed to establish more management lines and record labels that can offer new and better streams of income to artists.
Compared to previous years, Bugingo believes that the number skyrocketed as a result of the industry gen – erating large sums of money for artists and everyone associated with the music production business. “This is because Rwanda’s digital music market is experiencing a surge due to local artists embracing online platforms to reach wider audiences,” said Bugingo.
Additionally, concerts and shows also accounted for incrementing revenues in the past years, Bugingo added. “Rwanda’s music industry completely changed over the years to the extent that local artists can also enjoy headlining big concerts locally and internationally.
For example, Israel Mbonyi sold out BK Arena twice and in numbers, this is worth over Rwf 100 million. Ben and Bruce Melodie have similarly done the same, and even upcoming musicians can organise events on their own. There are many ways to generate money in music these days,” Bugingo highlighted.
An anonymous source and musician told SENS Magazine that some of the record labels are fraudulent, taking advantage of young talents by not giving fair cuts generated from streaming platforms.
“We need more strong record labels to shape the industry and shape young musicians to compete with big stars globally,” Per the source, there are no clear frameworks on how local artistes should collect royalties through an integral part of the challenges hindering the industry’s rapid growth.
