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Rwandese music sensation Bruce Itahiwacu known by his name stage as Bruce Melodie performed a thrilling series of concerts to his adoring fans over the weekend in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi.
But on Wednesday last week before he performed the concerts, he was arrested at Bujumbura International airport by the police on his arrival from Kigali and put in custody.
After two days the singer, Songwriter, and music executive was released after his lawyers entered an agreement with a local businessman who was behind his arrest as a result of a past performance deal that didn’t go according to how both parties would have wished.
During a conference before the concerts, he said
“Burundians and Rwandans are brothers and sisters and having a problem with one Burundian is not a big deal for me”.
After the short incident, the 30-year-old singer showed his fans his new face and how his musical performances as well as experiences on stage have greatly evolved since the last time he performed in the Burundian capital back in 2014.
Bruce Melodie with journalists in Bujumbura, Burundi
Bruce Melodie told local reporters that at that time he was still young and hadn’t acquired the kind of experiences he now has.
“There have been 8 years and ever since I continued to study and learn what is needed on the market. But I can’t say I have mastered all the experiences required in the music industry”.
Bruce Melodie added that it is a joy for him to perform for his Burundian fans that love and culturally connect to his music as a result of the similarities between Kirundi and Kinyarwanda.
Melodie’s thrilling performance on stage Source: 📸:@hashtag_photography_12 & @don_divin_authentic
During the concerts, fans were singing after him almost all his songs such as “Ikinyuma”, “Saa Moya” and others.
The Rwandese artist has developed emotional chemistry with his Burundian fans that can first of all be explained by the fact that Burundians understand all his songs as Kinyarwanda and Kirundi are almost the same languages.
This can also be seen whenever he performs for the Rwandese and Burundian diasporas in Europe, the USA, Canada, and other countries. They all come together as one people and sing after him as they connect.
Asked why he didn’t invite big names in the Burundian music industry such as Kidumu and Big Fizzo, he said that he chose to perform with upcoming local artists such as new sensation from Buja Fleva, the young D-One to connect with them and allow them to grow.
We have other plans with Kidumu and Big Fizzo because for them performing on stage is not a big deal. But young artists need this platform to shine.
However much he enjoyed performing and reconnecting with his fans, Bruce Melodie was missing to go around Bujumbura for sightseeing and enjoying the local delicacies such as fish locally known as “umukeke” from Lac Tanganyika.
“I hadn’t had a chance to see around because I left the detention and went directly to perform the concerts and when they ended it was late in the night.”
Even though he did not have enough time to rehearse with the local artists together with his band before the concerts as he had wished, they ended up delivering an action-packed and animated series of concerts that are still the talk of the town in Bujumbura.
Bruce Melodie receiving an artwork gift from his fans in Bujumbura, Burundi
A local online publication known as Akeza opines that Bruce Melodie is in perfect communion with his audience while he performs in Burundi.
Akeza pointed out that the Rwandese artist puts on the show whereby his songs are covered in the heart in an experience that almost feels like “attending a dress rehearsal”.
“Bruce Melody knows how to do it with the crowd. It’s from the heart that they sing his songs”. – Akeza
