Weya Viatora, 23, has become a renowned national and international entertainer.
She was invited to the festival through the Rwanda Arts Initiative (RAI), a non-profit structure intended to contribute to the professionalization of the art industry in Rwanda.

The RAI founder Dorcy Rugamba told IGIHE that they invited Weya so as to help position her music to the international level.

He said, “We invited Weya so that she comes, polishes her skills, networks with professional artists, opens her eyes, and get more exposure. This is part of the Rwanda Arts Initiative’s projects where we take an artist and link them with other artists through such spaces as KVS. Théâtre Royal Flamand will enable her to meet great artists.”
He added that they wish to see such Rwandan music as Weya’s being sold via big retail chains like Fnac, enabling the musicians to live off their music.

RAI provides this support to such different artists as writers, singers, both stage and screen actors among others.

In her conversation with IGIHE, Weya said that she was pleased to have been chosen to perform at the festival.

She added, “We will meet other artists, learn from them, share experiences and see if we can generate something big.”

Weya will also produce her second album through such Belgian studios as Nicolas Lefèvre’s Sunny Side Inc, and Christian Dessart and Rachid Mir’s Bionix through their partnership with RAI.

She is also is set to collaborate with Gaël Faye who she met through the Rwandan book launch of his novel “Le Petit Pays”.

Born in Kigali on July 9, 1996, she discovered her musical talent at the age of four. She said, “Since childhood, I liked singing. As I grew up, I could sing when sad or happy. In fact, this is my calling. To me, nothing can replace singing because it is my life.”

She wrote her first song in her primary four but went into a recording studio at the end of her high school when she released her first song “Empty House”, a song that was played on Voice of America, and earned her an interview with CNN.

She has released such songs as “Intimba”, “Eyes Open Dreaming”, “Miracles”, “Uwo Ndiwe”, “Heritage”, and “Name is Woman”.

Among awards put to her name are 2014’s High School Idol and 2016’s “Youth Award”.
So far, she has released one album titled Fire Flame on which she worked with different producers including Khrisau, Danny Beats, Jay P, and Dr. Nganji.

She has collaborated with different prominent artists such as Mani Martin, Butera Knowless, Peace Jolis, Patrick Nyamitali, Carole Karemera, Samuel Kamanzi, and Michael Sengazi.

Weya Marie Viatora will perform at the fifth Congolization Festival in Belgium that brings together music, dance, exhibitions, conferences, literature, and food on Afro culture.