A Ugandan musician/dancer Sheebah Karungi has relocated her performance base to Kigali where she intends to help local upcoming artists develop their talent.
“I’ve been listening to Rwandan music for a while and it’s amazing. However, music produced by emerging musicians is rarely played on radio. This has to change because I’m optimistic that my input will favour such musicians that lack a platform to showcase their talent.”
Karungi’s entertainment team is expected to train upcoming local artists on how to perform electrifying shows. The training will include showing them how to utilize the stage, collaborating with the deejay, and better costumes.
Through her experience with the obsessions group, Karungi wants Rwandan musicians to unite since it helps them to grow together, though she had a bad experience with the Obsessions group like poor organization, Karungi believes Rwandan musicians can work together.
When she was 15, Sheebah Karungi joined Obsession dance group which was then popular in Kampala. The group comprised of musicians and dancers. After four years with the team, she pulled out and embarked on a solo career.
Since her defection from the obsessions six years ago, Karungi now 22, has released several songs, some of her hits include Mwekumwe and Twekumwe.
She has also boosted her popularity within the region through ‘collabos’ with renowned musicians like Jua Kali from Kenya.
Karungi is born to a Rwandan father and a Ugandan mother, has decided to leave the busy-partying city of Kampala where her services are in high demand to Kigali where she’s little known. According to her, the shift is in line with her quest to nurture local upcoming musicians.
During her stay in Kigali she will be conducting entertainment activities at the The Manor hotel located in Nyarutarama. she intends every weekend to invite at least three young musicians who will be perform alongside her team from Kampala entailing two professional dancers and a Deejay popularly known as Rovas.
She insists on team work to facilitate improvement to those who are weak. Karungi further advises that good performances at the end of the day should earn the entertainer a reasonable income yet majority of Rwandan musicians either don’t see the need to market their produce or are not aware of how to sell their produce.
“I will also try to train the musicians on the need to have a manager who will be assisting them to get good paying shows and to ensure that they get good publicity. Normally I advise musicians to copyright their music as an intellectual property to reduce risks of piracy,” she recommends.
Meanwhile, during her performances at The Manor Hotel, Karungi will also introduce unique events such as a culture night which will be held monthly, the show aims to promote African outfits which are rarely won in fancy places and night clubs.
Most of the fashion will come from her cloth-line K-Shebah’s which consists of cloths with fashions made of both traditional and modern designs.
Karungi will also proceed to form a band which will play her music live, such performances tend to attract a bigger crowd. Her idea is becoming innovative and that’s why she urge’s Rwandan musicians to think out of the box if they want to make a living out of their music talents.
“I’m who I am today because I didn’t adhere to disapprovals. I believe it’s time for women to rise up from their inferiority complex. If you’re a lady out there and you have a singing talent or dancing, don’t hesitate, meet me at The Manor hotel and we will perform together,” she insists.
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