It is evident that deejaying in Rwanda has evolved in recent years, with disc jockeys acting as sound conduits and intermediaries between local artistes and the public, as well as introducing new artistes to the mainstream.
The likes of DJ Kareem, Toxxyk or Marnaud, among others, can be credited for the positive transformation of the deejaying and party life in Rwanda, but there is a new era of young boys and girls behind the decks who are taking the music industry to a whole new level, and among them is DJ Inno, aka the 'Sober DJ', who is driving parties around the city.
It is a journey that the 24-year-old musician started in high school, when Virtual DJ, a music mixing software, was on the rise in most schools across the country, attracting most young music-loving kids to become DJs without the need for controllers, just computer software.
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The former Virtual DJ user, who earned less than 30,000 Rwandan francs per gig, is now at the top of the industry, performing at big events like Kiss Daniel's Kigali concert and FIBA Zone five under 16, as well as at big pubs and clubs in the city, including Atelier D'vin and La Noche club, to name a few.
How did the young DJ get to the big stage?
"To be honest, I never thought I would be where I am today and sometimes it feels so unreal, but with discipline and consistency anything is possible and that's the key to success in any career," the young DJ told The New Times in an exclusive interview.
DJ Inno, real name Innocent Izabayo, grew up in a Christian family that never believed in professional disc spinning but rather a dirty industry of drug addicts, something that hindered the progress of his music mixing career until one of his uncle saw the potential in him and bought him a controller and laptop.
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"It was hard to convince a Christian family that spending nights in pubs was a career, but one of my uncles called Claude saw the love and passion I had for music, and bought equipment for me. That's how I started to get small gigs," says Inno.
In 2019, after finishing high school, Inno met the late DJ Miller, who mentored him introduced him to the game.
He wasn't lucky enough, as his mentor died a few months later and with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing all nightlife activities to shut down, Inno was left unemployed for months.
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"Losing Miller and Covid-19 almost ended my career, but little did I know that it was preparing me to become one of the best DJs in the city."
In 2022, after Covid-19, DJ Inno met DJ Marnaud, who believed in the kid's talent and gave him a platform that took his music career to another level and he hasn't looked back since.
"I wouldn't be lying if I said that Marnaud made me who I am today because he opened doors for me that no one else did," says Inno.
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He has been booked back-to-back, playing at some of the biggest venues in the city such as Inferno Pub, Atelier D'vin, Cadillac and La Noche Club among others.
Inno's focus now is to take his deejaying skills to another level and inspiring young talents in the country to trust in music like any other profession in life.
"Discipline and consistency are needed in the music industry just like any other career. There is life in music and I wish everyone could see that. Just trust the process," said Inno, urging more young people to join the industry.
