Mani Martin is an award-winning singer, Songwriter, performing, recording artist, and actor from Rwanda.
His unique musical sound that reflects the afro fusion, Urban and traditional sounds has recieved National & international attention and he is referred to as the strongest live music performing artist of the present Rwandan music scene.
MANI Martin sings in Kinyarwanda, English, Swahili and French.
Mani Martin was born in December 24th 1988 in a small Village in the western Province from a very humble family,
he moved to Kigali (the capital city )at a tender age looking for an opportunity to attend school and letter he found a second home in an orphanage centre after the passing of his mother the only person who understood the magic love of music and arts in him as a child.
Inspired by the Rwandan folk music legends he started loving music at the age of 6, performing for his classmates and teachers in the primary school of NTURA village was the beginning of a life time music Journey,
at the age of 9, he composed his first song called “BARIHE “which means “where are they”? As a way to release the endless questions in the mind of a Rwandan innocent child three years after the tragic history of the 1994 Genocide against the tutsi.
The music talent in Mani Martin kept growing as he joined children's choir,
at 11 years old he recorded a tape of 12 songs titled "Agapfa kaburiwe ni impongo".
This tape opened a door for him to tour the entire country performing in various churches and soon became a popular Gospel singer as he released his single "urukumbuzi" & kumbukumbu (the swahili version of it)
In 2010 after high school graduation He founded his own band (Kesho band) and started to perform in small events, hotels and weddings to earn some money to support his living outside the charity home and further his education.
Mani Martin started doing music as a professional career and recording some songs on different topics other than just religion-related messages. This time
he was heavily
criticized by the people who wanted to keep seeing the little boy on a microphone in churches as more other music lovers were getting to discover and embrace his musical diversity.
He got his first acting contract in a movie called "Long Coat" in 2009 and kept collaborating with the movie industry by providing music for films and creating sound tracks for them.
In 2013 he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that took both legs of the driver and left MANI with a neck injury, few days later he got discharged from the hospital and went to perform at sauti za busara (zanzibar )
in 2014 he lost his voice after swallowing a piece of toothpick that wounded his vocal chords at the point that he couldn't speak or sing for a while, after three Months of medical follow up he got his voice back and started to record his afro album,
Following music as his passion has never stopped him from pursuing his education, in 2017 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in media and mass communication from Mount Kenya University.
Mani Martin's music has been warmly received on big stages of local and worldwide events & music festivals such as
-Sauti za busara (Zanzibar) -Amani festival (DRC) -Bayimpa international festival of the Arts,
-Doadoa (Uganda)
-Jeux de la francophonie (France)
-Fespaco 50 (Burkina faso)
-Transform Africa (Rwanda)
-AU Summit,
-Global Goals,
-World economic forum, -Kigali jazz junction,
-Kigali up festival
-East African party,
-Iwacu music festival etc.
The message of peace, love,
and humanity in his lyrics has been celebrated in Rwanda, Africa and worldwide In various official peace events such as
-the MANI Martin Japan peace Tour, (organised by UNICEF with NPO T.E.R)
-UNAMID Peace celebration (Darfur Sudan)
Over the years he has received national and international recognitions for his music and creativity
-BBC African song of all time (My Destiny)
-Bronze Medal / (Jeux de la Francophonie)
-multiple times best traditional artist (salax awards)
- best Gospel artist (salax awards 2008
- Best cultural ambassador through the arts (Jama fest) 2019
-Prix découverte RFI finalists nomination 2013
- the Most fashionable Male celebrity on the red carpet of Fespaco 50 (Burkina faso)
-MTN Ambassador 2012-2015.
He collaborated on different songs with Africa's award-winning artists: Innoss'B (from Congo) Sauti sol (from Kenya) Eddy Kenzo (from Uganda) and many more.
Mani Martin Envisions the world where people live in love, peace and harmony, where all lives are treated with respect and dignity.
This is the world he is dedicated to spending his entire life creating through his music.
20 сен 2024
