Girls have always been the last regard when it comes to the arts in Africa, and its been a strive to see prominent acts that have taken center stage to become who they are today on the African continent save for a few icons like, Maria Makeba, Angeli kidjo, Kadija Nini, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fazy, PJ Powers, Mbilia Bel and Shalah Muana.
These were the few celebrated queens of Africa who managed to sell cultural music and tell stories of their motherland in a unique way and have long stayed a part of our music journey.
Thereafter is a wide gap of female acts until the the millennium on the Africa soil that saw the likes of Lady Jay Dee, Wawu, and took another 6byears for us to start embracing West African acts like Tiwa Savage, Makoma, and the new east African breed that have not been exportable as such.
As for the Rwandan case we have so much drawn passion for the authentic cultural (gakondo) music that as lived from one generation of Cecil Kayirebwa, Kamaliza and a few others before we jumped to the trio of Channel, Miss Jojo, and other little known female stars who still never turned the flag to light beyond the borders.
The Factors may have not been in their favour to warrant the digital means back then upon which music and marketing it is today.
Media too has not framed the right authenticity to bring consumers the right talent that can stand the taste of time, not the bubble gum talent that is social media influence whose art dies with a spell of 3 to 6months.
Maybe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves how do we sell, preserve and protect music and its makers and beneficiaries within the supply chain.
To us we think that if we have had strong female musicians that have struggled and won the battle while using music as atoll to end Apartheid and other social injustices, we can still breed more impactful women who are not only talented but passionate about what they can do to address the millennial challenges of today while preserving art and making it sustainable.
The Nep Queenz as an all-Female project aspires to tap into that voice that one will reckon for something, a renewal to stay positive, show resolve to accomplish great ideas, and set a professional stage for those to come for the good of the industry to transform lives.
Nep Queenz is that Rwanda ideal project that will strive to represent the girl child, the girl power and also give women in arts a platform of belonging and pride to actually set out to play an instrument just like men do and sing at the same time.
The music that the band has recorded is diverse in nature and will have songs that speak volumes for example; About the Struggle of an African Woman, Self Belief and Knowledge, Passion and Determination, Africa Tales of Wisdom from Fathers, Dance and Social Network, Gospel inspirations and more.
All these songs co-written by the girls, produced by talented record producers, come in Reggae, Soul, Pop, Country, Rumba, Zouk, and Fusion contemporary Afro Jazz and Afro Beat.
If you asked how many female guitarists has the industry produced over the years, or drummers, percussionists, or saxophonists or even bassists, you will not have a count of more than one or two if you are lucky to find any apart from those at Nep Queenz.
This gap is our mission, to strive for answers and we hope that the band will have a dominant factor on the industry in the long run and Africa as a continent to be proud of.
The Nep Queenz Girls
The Nep Queenz Profile
NEP QUEENZ is a brain child of RG-Consult Inc, a company in Rwanda. The company has given attention to many growing talents and events and this particular one is the first Ever all Female Live Band playing outfit in Rwanda if not the region at large.
The name NEP QUEENZ is derived from the NEP Family which has a catalogue of brands like NEP FILMS, NEP DJS, NEP RECORDS, NEPTUNEZ BAND and many others.
NEP QUEENZ is an ultra-modern contemporary girls band that comes into the music industry with a difference in style, approach, attitude and charisma.
As the world and Africa in general work towards empowering Women to take center stage in the development of any society and communities, NEP QUEENZ is one of those testimonies to realize this vision.
The ladies play a wide range of music from Afro Pop, Afro Fusion, Urban Contemporary, Afro Jazz, Gospel Pop, Country Music, Reggae, Soul, Zouk & RnB, & Cultrual genres.
Founded in 2020 by Remmygious Lubega, CEO of RG-Consult Inc, (An Entrepreneur and Talent Scout), the girls' band have been hand-picked, undergone vigorous training, mentoring and nurturing that they deserve to showcase their artistry and also compete on continental and global stages.
The band comprises of 6 talented ladies so far and still growing more talents that will be joining in to achieve the desired goal of bringing more female instrumentalists on a stage that has for ages been more male dominated.
The outfit is detsined to tour world music festivals in 2021 after the release of their budding maiden album set to come out by December 2020. The band has made apperance on Isibo TV, Kigali Reggae Fest, Falsh TV , RTV, Magic Fm, Royal Fm, Grazia Apartments , Ubumwe Grande Hotel and set to perform at One & Only Gorilla Hotel and other private Events.sss
The post Profile: Rwanda's All-female Nep Queenz Band appeared first on Taarifa Rwanda.
