Songbird Ruth Nirere alias Shanel, and two other local musicians - Christian Kwisanga and Samuel Kamanzi - have headed to Europe to pursue a two-year music course.

They won the scholarships from Goethe-Institut and the Institut français du Rwanda.

Shanel and Kamanzi headed to France, while Kwisanga left for Germany.

Earlier this year, Germany-based Cameroonian opera singer Jacques-Greg Belobo, trained several local musicians in an exercise that sought to identify those who would go for the training programme.

The function to announce the selected artistes was held in Kigali on October 28.

A farewell party was organised for the trio by Chantal Bes, Cooperation Advisor at the French Embassy in Kigali, at the French Institut on Wednesday.

Present were several dignitaries as well as family and friends of the three artistes.

The trio departed from Kigali International Airport yesterday at 4:40p.m for Europe.

"I'm so excited. This is a great opportunity for me to develop my career," Shanel said before her departure.

"I will share the skills with fellow local musicians once I'm back. We will work together to take Rwanda's music to a whole new level".