Focus Media (Kigali)
Mercy Omuntu
21 October 2009
Before the start of Tusker Project Fame 3, Alpha Rwirangira was a household name only in his own household. When he returned victorious last week, he was greeted by hundreds of fans and officials scrambled to also lift the trophy, as if they had in some way contributed to the success.
Among those to lift the Tusker Project Fame 3 (TPF3) trophy at Alpha's boisterous homecoming party were Culture and Sports Minister Joseph Habineza and even KCC Mayor Aisha Kirabo Kakira. That seems a bit preposterous, because had you asked them three months ago what they thought of Alpha Rwirangira, they would have replied: "Alpha who?" Yet here they were, basking in the singer's glory as if they were in part responsible for it.
You cannot blame them of course for not knowing Alpha - who of us did? The first time we heard of him was when he entered the TFP3 academy, and even then he just seemed an average competitor compared to his 14 rivals. Uganda's Caroline or Kenya's Patricia, at least, were remarkable for the many musical genres they could tackle; or Kenya's N'gang'a, who stood out as a wannabe comedian. But Alpha, he was just the "reggae guy."
The 23-year old himself was initially bothered by that image, because he saw his stylistic limits as a threat to his stay on the show. Moreover, in the first stages the judges remarked that he was shouting rather than singing. So he worked hard, paid full attention to the teachers and learnt to control his voice.
He had also a more subtle strategy to survive eviction from the academy. He was not just the reggae guy, he was the charming reggae guy - in no time he had become everybody's darling, from the audience to his fellow contestants to the judges, including no-nonsense man Ian Mbugua, who described Alpha as his number one. "Alpha, just like your name, you are the first," he said after one of Alpha's performances two weeks before the end of the competition.
By that time, he was cultivating his "reggae boy" image; Ian's praise came after an inspired rendition of his own reggae composition We Are One, where he was dressed like a real reggae star. The crowd went berserk and so, apparently, did the judges.
It wasn't a surprise therefore that he entered the finals as one of the biggest favorites, and Alpha didn't hurt his chances either by singing the famous Les Wanyika's Sina Makosa. Yet when East Africa Breweries boss Seni Adetu finally shouted "And the winner is... Alpha!" the singer was at first bemused, looking around in disbelief as if to say: "Did I hear that right?"
Soon, however, he was jumping up and down, before sinking to his knees with his arms held high. The next day, however, the humble and soft-spoken Alpha was still getting to terms with his victory. "It hasn't yet sunk in my head that I have won the competition. It was tough. All the finalists deserved to win. I give the glory to God," he told The Standard on Sunday newspaper. Meanwhile, his Facebook page was being flooded with congratulatory messages.
His welcome party in Kigali was equally overwhelming, with hundreds of people turning up to see the new East African superstar. He returned the favor and thanked Rwandans for their support.
He also paid homage to his father - a keyboard player and probably the only person apart from Alpha himself of lifting the trophy - thanking him for having shaped him into a responsible person. "My upbringing contributed a lot to my victory, although I also worked hard to achieve it," he said.
That upbringing was not easy, which might also account for Alpha's determination and drive. His Tanzanian father and Rwandan mother separated when he was still young, and the challenges that posed prepared him for hard times in future.
And now that he has won TPF3, bagged Ksh 5 million in addition to a recording deal with South African Gallo Records, he is already looking forward to working with stars like Nazizi or Eric Wainaina. "Besides reggae, which is my favorite, I would like to try RnB and also get involved with groups that advocate for children's rights," he announced.
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