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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBut how did the Open Mic Weno come to be? For that, we have to frame back to October 2023, when the event organisers and party instrumentalists, \u2018Hot Tempah Collective\u2019, sought Belinda with a proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hottempah \u2013 the renowned curators who\u2019ve captivated Kigali\u2019s nightlife \u2013 carefully evaluated the Rwandan art scene, having been part of it themselves, and recognized a significant gap: the celebration of talents outside of music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYoung artists were approaching us requesting to perform at our events to get some exposure, but due to many reasons, we could not accommodate all of them,\u201d a Hottempah spokesperson clarified. \u201cHence came the idea of creating a platform that welcomes everyone and gives them an opportunity, exposure, and a chance to practise and perfect their craft.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their idea was based on the observation that musicians in the country had more opportunities and platforms \u2013 concerts and shows \u2013 to showcase their talents. Whereas emerging creatives of a different calibre rarely had spaces to shine. To mend the crack, and with the backing of Cocobean, Hottempah Collective decided to carve out spaces for young artists to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur primary mission was to give a platform to young emerging artists,\u201d reiterated Belinda. The noble intention behind this seemed to suggest their devout ambition to replicate, to a large extent, what Spoken Word Rwanda had done for Belinda: putting her through the doors of fame and in the faces of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hate the word \u2018exposure,\u2019 but this space allows creatives to be noticed and recognised for their work. And we\u2019re fortunate to have the best audience ever.\u201d The free event has been running for months, offering an adamant and welcoming night of cherished prose, music and chilly nocturnal ambiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As somewhat of a regular attendee, my eyes have beheld the likes of poet Brian Bazimya, singer Tania Rugamba, foreigners and locals, and many more gracing the stage. The effervescent topics I\u2019ve avidly listened to \u2013 albeit not always to my taste \u2013 include love, toxic relationships, sex, and the occasional labrador of pain in some shape or form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The overarching message I gathered is that Open Mic Weno aims to create a laid-back environment where performers inspire each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing writers confidently take the stage encourages others to overcome their hesitations and dive back into writing, producing more work, and eventually, performing. \u201cWe curate our events with music, DJs and drinks. With all that energy and lack of pressure, people feel free to open up, to find the audience is understanding and patient with them, and that gives them confidence,\u201d Belinda told me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, this might explain why the organisers chose the dimly lit rooms of a nightclub as the event\u2019s location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If we\u2019re to see the Rwandan writing industry grow, spaces like these are paramount in shaping the future of the artistry. Even as the host, Belinda finds value in continually refining her performance skills during the brief moments she holds the microphone, if not \u2018bullied\u2019 into performing one of her poems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are an open community supporting all artists who are ready to share their talents with us,\u201d Hottempah\u2019s spokesperson continued, \u201cWhy not even have a night where we invite painters and dancers to join us?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n A succinct testament to this belief came in April as Rwanda commemorated for the 30th time the souls that perished in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Open Mic Weno, through \u201cDigital Kwibuka,\u201d organised a special open mic session centred around the theme \u2018Kwibuka.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n With sensitivity at the forefront, art and prose were at the heart of honouring the memory of those lost. Even young people who have no direct memory of those dark days could channel pain off their parents or relatives, or the stories of survivors, and express themselves through poetry and storytelling, offering comfort to listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt warms my heart to know that we now have a platform where we can contribute to national dialogues through art and the artists who choose to share their pieces on our stages,\u201d Belinda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In my final question to Belinda and Hottempah, I asked about their ultimate goal for the platform they created. I wondered whether, in the future, they might consider charging for access to the indelible mark and dexterity of those who uphold a canon of the artistry \u2013 because payment is appreciation in this world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also wanted to know whether Open Mic Weno would stay alive if either of them became \u2018too big\u2019 to find the time or if Belinda envisions the artists\u2019 exposure translating into sales. The two-parter of an answer started like this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople already get some exposure here, as their books get bought and their music streamed,\u201d replied Belinda. \u201cBut we believe that it can get bigger and better. We want to become a bridge for artists to reach their full potential, and together with the Collective, we are looking for ways to achieve that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Hottempah Collective, their dream is to see, in 10 or 20 years, prominent Rwandan artists crediting their achievements to performing at Open Mic Weno in their interviews. \u201cInstead of us becoming too big for Open Mic Weno, we want it to be bigger than us. To become a movement, to become a monument. A culture. So that when HC or Belinda are gone, Open Mic Weno will continue for many years,\u201d they said, adding: \u201cMoney is not the target right now. We are still working on building trust with artists and the audience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The efforts of Belinda and Hottempah Collective rest on a bedrock of some inexhaustible faith in an art form that is perpetually maligned, ignored, misunderstood and growing extinct. But for those who breathe the art\u2019s oxygen \u2014 writers, stand-up comedians, traditional singers and painters of the world \u2014 Open Mic Weno has been the go-to for lovers of the flair, and it gives us hope in the future, against the void distilled in the arena of youthful litterateurs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Belinda\u2019s last words to me came as she hurried back on stage. \u201cDo I put you on the list to perform?\u201d she asked \u2014 as if I would ever say no.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c It\u2019s not just a poetry night,\u201d Uwase Belinda Ines, also known as moonchild_Bee, said repeatedly into the microphone. I settled into my usual spot by the indoor swimming pool at CocoBean, my new Wednesday routine underway. Belinda, the author of \u201cDaring The Sun To Love Me\u201d and the host of Open Mic Weno (OMW),<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":6814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,86],"tags":[157],"ppma_author":[119],"class_list":{"0":"post-6802","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-lifestyle","9":"tag-from-the-magazine-main-story"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sensmagazine.com\/rw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-04-29-at-20.34.39-819x1024.jpeg\")
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