The remote islands of Nkombo have for many years been considered “isolated” from the rest of Rwanda not only because it is an island which is not easily accessible but also because of the fact that the people speak a language that is not Kinyarwanda though close in dialect.

From this island located in Rusizi district, in western Rwanda you find long standing issues of polygamy, access to healthcare and education and no signal from Rwanda TV.

Though distant, the island celebrates life in its own way, quite different from the rest of Rwanda especially in language, dance and music.

Even when it is unimaginable that music from this island can sell beyond its boundaries, there has emerged a new kid on the block who is not taking that for a granted and is here to let other Rwandans know more about his community and language through music and arts.

Marchal Ujeku, 23, is the new blood behind this mission of using his native dialect of Igihsi from this almost forgotten island to bring on a new touch of music flavour.

Born Emmy Marchal Ujekuvuka, he made his first public appearance at the KigaliUp Music Festival and later at the recent African cultural festival FESPAD-Umuganura 2016 event attracting attention to his new music.

Ujeku’s music brings with it the roots of Nkombo — the dance, traditional beats and lyrics are purely Nkombo-based even when he tries to refine it with current modern rhythm trends.

Bombole bombole and Musisemisemi have rocked Rwanda and come to the limelight during the recent African cultural festival Fespad-Umuganura 2016 event attracting attention to his new music.

What is so special about the Ujeku’s music is for one listening to it for the first time at his music is an eye opener which gives a sense of enthusiasm to know- first what language is this — for it resembles Kinyarwanda and sounds like Kihaya language of Tanzania and one wonders if this is one of Saida Karoli’s tribesman on the rise to stardom.

His style is “Saama Style”—a self-made style of music — which is a composition Amahavu, one of the Nkombo native dialects, and Swahili and his dancers jump high and swing their waist more that the Intore (warrior) dance which is more of a head dance and muscle show of strength of a fighter.

Ujeku’s music is danceable live music that carries authentic African rhymes, roots and playable in his own managed band orchestra composed of residents of Nkombo island — whose dance moves are just not close to the usual cow and warrior dance that many Rwandans and visitors are used to.

Ujeku’s entry into the music industry comes at a time when Rwandan music seems like it may have reached its peak of creativity in the fact that artistes are no longer creating new songs but copying from each other locally and taking on the Nigerian style. This has seen the likes of Tom Close, Meddy, and Miss Shanel, Urban boys basically not releasing any new songs except for a few like Kitoko, Knowless Butera.

Though his music is setting new trends in Rwanda and poises a definite competition among the likes of Danny Vumbi — who also has aligned his music to the traditional beat, elderly folk artistes say that this creativity and personal style is what has been missing in Rwandan music.

Abdul Makanyaga, one of Rwanda’s surviving orchestra music maestros says that Rwandan music has not been able to sell the country due to practices of copying the west.

“There are many young musicians in the industry today such talent is what we have been missing. We can only develop our music and sell it if we move from the level of copying, which is for starters” Makanyaga said.

With two songs already out (with videos), Ujeku says he is planning to release a full album by the end of this year.