The Ins And Outs Of Music Promotion: An Interview With Muzika Emely

Muzika Emely is a music promoter from Rwanda.

L. SOJINI: Tell me about yourself. Are you a music manager or promoter? I'm interested to know more about you. What you do and where you're from.

MUZIKA EMELY: Yes I am music promoter

L. SOJINI: ​How did you get started on your journey in the music industry?

MUZIKA EMELY: I am music promoter based on AfroCharts (digital music streaming platform) and am from Rwanda.

Parent name is Mukiza Emely and I was born in family of seven and am first of those.

I started this career as show business journalist when I was in high school in 2019. When I was in that age I met with guy called Believer Ishimwe. The guy had a project of music promoting through HiphopYacu Blog and was based on promoting local Hip hop music.

From that time we started to work together coz he was already my friend and he knows how much I liked Hip hop music. He believed in me and gave me the platform to start my career.

After HiphopYacu, I Joined Touch Rwanda (in 2020 which was one of biggest media house in Country) there I worked as regional report at my origin in northern province. After I started hosting interviews with different musicians on my own YouTube channel and media house channel.

In 2021 I met with Mr Leonard Novati who was looking for my work after joining the platform as the way of pushing music of different artists around me who was looking for how they can get breakthrough.

From that time we started to talk everyday on how we can make my career more professional and he decided to take me to the board of AfroCharts where I met with different fellow music promoters from all over African countries like Nigeria (Mr Palison and his team), Zambia (Dj Millo and his team), Uganda (Ezo Wickey and his team), Ghana (Mr Nketia and his team), Tanzania (Mrs Minajesty and her team) and more others from aboard like in the united states.

All these, music promoters were focused on one main topic African music and it’s movement to the world and which was somehow same as my dream as I mentioned above, that’s how I joined and currently am AfroCharts general manager in Rwanda with long-term contract.

L. SOJINI: ​If a musician comes to you and asks for advice on music promotion, what's your advice?

MUZIKA EMELY: If a musician comes to me and asking for advice on his music promotion always I tell them this: Firstly, you have to make good music which first convinces you and your producer and other studio mate who are visiting studio, always ask anyone who listened to your music his or her advice before you bring it out to the market ask them what they like and what they think you can collect in it.

Secondly, I tell ’em to know music is business every time when you are going to start business you must have budget and know where to invest and how you are going to bring back your investment.

Finally, work with others to get connection coz music can penetrate without big budget but through connection with people around you especial those who are on social media and elsewhere they can share your music to cloud of people.

L. SOJINI: ​What does a music promoter do? And is it easy being a music promoter? Why?

MUZIKA EMELY: Music promoters has different  obligation’s based on, but all of us we have one result taking the artist to the next level through marketing they are some who looks for artist growing(Through Channels that’s what I do) , artist performance, music radio and TV power play and more others.

It is not easy to become music promoter coz in Africa it’s require first love coz you may work but it’s not easy to start to earn through your work coz industry is still growing means our musician don’t have money to pay for promoters.

It is not an easy job but it great thing coz we are doing it as job but at the same time it’s our hobbies many of us we are music lovers or former musicians, DJs or radio presenters. We already based in this career so it is big pressure to start a music promotion career as it’s always our desire to get influence in industry.

L. SOJINI: ​What makes a good music promoter or manager?

MUZIKA EMELY: New generation music in Rwanda. They are working great job they took it to the highest level. They are making good visuals with great audio production which is leading to our penetration mean time it was not easy to get Rwandan artist in any other playlist in our neighbouring countries but now in each playlist we have more than three hits in one playlist we can say we are like in top two best countries in East Africa now which was not like in meantime.

L. SOJINI: ​ ​Tell me about the hot music in your area? Who are the top artists? And why do you think they're on top of their game?

MUZIKA EMELY: Our artist are requested to be in international collabs and hosting concert in neighbouring countries with huge amount of payment so we are moving, the top artist now we can say Meddy, The Ben, Bruce Melodie, Kenny Sol, Butera Knowless, Bushali (new trap Game changer), Juno Kizigenza (new), Afrique (new), Ish Kevin (new rap game changer), Chriss Eazy (new),Yvan Buravan, Platini P and more others.

All these artist they took music to the next level by making hits across Boarders and they are being featured in international playlists and news reporters like Bushali who was featured at RFI And Panafrica, Ish Kevin last was noticed in best World Rappers by GRMDaily (first Hip hop platform in UK).

Meddy and The Ben it’s been over Decade as they are East African giants they are paid for being featured in international collabs they are making mega concert in other countries they being nominated in international awards, which is the same as for Bruce Melodie who is looking for huge penetration across Africa and also same as Platini P and others, For those new artist they are being huge streamed through digital platform everyday they reaching out to new milestones from one to another.

Yvan Buravan after winning Prix de couvert in France he is now making great music with big international collabs he is taking our music to the next level for sure coz he made tour across Africa and everywhere he goes it was smash he sang with the fans all his songs that’s what we call taking over.

Now Meddy he is the first Artist in East Africa with single song with higher viewership on YouTube all those stats shows you how we really moving.

L. SOJINI: ​​What makes a good music promoter or manager?

MUZIKA EMELY: For being good music promoter you must love it as I said and after all you have to be updated and be kindly flexible for everyone coz you meet with guys of different behaviour and you have to work with them.

​L. SOJINI: What are some of the challenges of being a music manager or promoter?

MUZIKA EMELY: Music promotion is facing with problem of underrating the work that’s made by promoters. We are helping different guys to get to the top but after they are forgetting which led to the bad hearts of promoters and some of them led them to charge huge amount due to experience.

​​​L. SOJINI: Thanks for talking to The Musician. Any last word to people who do the work you do?

MUZIKA EMELY: One thing I can say: guys, if you are musician or African related to this domain try to reach out to AfroCharts and get your music there then start making money through your career.

On AfroCharts every play you get counts to the money. Moreover it is easy to monetize your music with AfroCharts since sign up is free and monetizing your music is free. Currently AfroCharts has over ten million daily users across the world who are ready to listen to your music try to take this opportunity and then make money.

On AfroCharts promotion is for free since after uploading your music I going to be listened by our playlist curators who are going to feature you in their different playlist and let me tell you something since AfroCharts is organized by the charts based on country it and genre it is easy to be discovered based on your music if I reach out to Rwanda Page I have to get all info from Rwandan like new Release, Trending, New album, recently released so do matter on being discovered again.

In Additional A discover is based on descending order means new appear first that favorite you to be easily discovered coz you are getting equal opportunity with big artist if your song is after him you appear before him that allows you to be listened all over the world.