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Showing posts with label Rwanda. Show all posts

Indie Inspiration: Iyadede's "Bowbi Ladawa" Jewelry Line

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Take "a young African woman with no cultural boundaries, good taste and a sense of style," mix in "a love for bright colors + a love for vintage + a love for unique looks that make you stand out in the crowd but not for the wrong reasons + a will to show the cool side of Africa" and the result is Bowbi Ladawa, a jewelry line designed by singer Iyadade to embody "the idea of 'woman of the world.'" Iyadede explains: "I made a fabric jewelry line pre collection this winter, to brigthen up the weather." The result is eclectic and beautiful. Take a look at pieces from the collection below, and find out where to purchase Bowbi Ladawa on Etsy.

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 013): Mireille Urumuri

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Written By: MIM!—We are big fans of actress, model, and aspiring writer Mireille Urumuri, and it's not just because her nickname is Mimi. The Rwandan born multi-talented Mireille discovered her love for the performing arts at four years old while living in Spain with her family. At the time, Mireille wanted to become a Flamenco dancer, but at six, when Mireille's family moved to Canada, she fell in love with acting and committed to the arts, ultimately attending the Montreal School of Performing Arts.

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Written By: MIM!—A true multicultural woman, Somi was born in Illinois to immigrants from Rwanda and Uganda, then spent her early childhood in Zambia. The African cultural legacy, always crucial to her sound, is as vital as ever in her current music, which Somi likes to call New African Soul. But so too is the music she heard upon relocating to New York, with American jazz singers like Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan. Blending tradition and modernity, like the jazz greats—Miriam Makeba, Cesaria Evora and Sade—who paved the path for her, Somi is adding her own musical interpretation and leaving a musical footprint as this generation's voice of African soul and jazz. Hear more from this woman of Soul.Substance.Style by visiting www.somimusic.com.

(Photo Credits: Matthew Furman)

She Defines Soul.Substance.Style (No. 007): Iyadede

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Written By: MIM!—IyaDedE represents beautifully what it means to be a young African woman today; carrying a heavy past, but moving forward, with strength and hope. Read a full length Q&A with this woman of Soul.Substance.Style in The Girl Who Fell To Earth, and learn more about her by visiting www.iyadede.com.

(Photo Credits: Provided Courtesy Of IyaDedE)

IyaDedE's loVE RobOT

Written By: MIM!—We can't get enough of IyaDedE! Here's her video for "loVE RobOT"; she says about the video: "I'm a robot that's not perfect I need love ... Hong Kong imported female bot ... Hiding in Biliamsburg basement ... In need of love."

loVE RobOT (iyaDedE/Blessoill/Charlemagne graphix) from Machine Gun Mountain Gorilla on Vimeo.

The Girl Who Fell To Earth: Iyadede

Written By: MIM!—Singer Sabrina Iyadede is a Rwandan artist who goes by IyaDedE (ee-ya-day-day). Born and raised in Kigali, she has been a music lover from a young age, listening to Rwandan, Zouk, Congolese, and 80's pop music. She was forced to leave Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, but IyaDedE kept her faith in life by making music all while relocating to Belgium, finding her way to France and finally making a home in the United States. The fruits of her personal and musical journey is a 13 track record entitled Talking to God. This Spring, IyaDedE will release her second album, The Girl Who Fell to Earth, which picks up her journey where Talking to God left off. MIMI caught up with IyaDedE to find out more about the woman behind the music.

MIM!: In three words, describe your sound.

Iyadede: Pop, African, and Sincere.

MIM!: What inspires you?

Iyadede: Every single day, every single person in my life. You just live your life gathering impressions and feeling and one day at the right moment all that materialize into songs. Maybe that is a way to close a chapter , once the lesson has been learnt. I'm also inspired by every day sounds. I think we make music that recreates the soundscape of our life. For me it's the sound of a big city with memories from Africa in the background.

MIM!: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

Iyadede: My parents most certainly. I had a such a special relationship with them growing up. They were my heroes and considering the circumstances of war and everything they did behave like heroes.

MIM!: What is the last CD you bought?

Iyadede: I am an itunes addict. I just got Roisin Murphy, Rihanna, Jay Retard, and a few singles I haven't heard in a while like some Massive attack, Brenda Fasie and Oasis.

MIM!: With so many young singers emerging, where do you fit in the scene?

Iyadede: At the letter I, like Iyadede, right in between Beyonce and Ozzie Osborne (LOL). I think with the new media, its so much easier to do your thing. We shouldn't even be worried about that anymore. My journey is very special and I want to exist and be recognized as a voice and a force that's for sure.

Written By: Nani Hapa—Somi's new album If The Rains Come First has debuted on the Billboard charts! The album debuted in the #2 slot on the Billboard World Music chart and the #21 Billboard Heatseeker Albums earlier this month.

The good news should come as no surprise to those of us who've had the good fortune of listening to If The Rains Come First; it is a sweet, beautiful, uplifting, album. I especially like the fact that Somi weaves in lyrics sung in three different East African languages into her primarily English sung songs. Somi captures her sound perfectly with the label "new African soul."

If you haven't heard it yet, take the time to visit www.somimusic.com to hear the album, and for a limited time, if you order If The Rains Come First from Somi's label, www.ObliqSound.com, you get 20% off your purchase price, use coupon code SOMI2010 in your shopping cart.

(Photo Credits: Matthew Furman)

New Music From Somi: If The Rains Come First

Written By: Nani Hapa—Here's your first look at Somi's new album, If The Rains Come First, set for release next Wednesday on October 13th! I've been a fan of Somi's since I first interviewed her in November 2006 (Life. Style. Spirit) for the story, SOMI's Sound: A Brand New Vibe, and I cannot wait to hear her new material. When interviewed about If The Rains Come First Somi shared, "The songs on this album reflect where I am emotionally and spiritually today ... At the end of the day, I still know who I am and where home is before, during, and after the rain—it's in the music." Now that's what I call refreshing.

(Photo Credits: Album Cover Art/Matthew Furman)

First Look: Corneille's New Look For His New Music

Written By: Staff Writer—Corneille Nyungura will be releasing his next album on October 19th. The album, titled Sans Titre, translates in English to "without a title" or more colloquially, "untitled" will be available in Europe. With two French-speaking albums under his belt, the German-born, Rwanda-raised singer is renowned in Canada, Africa, and Europe.

MIMI Related Links: The Hot 21: Corneille Nyungura.