Rwandan music sensation Bruce Melodie recently stirred conversations across East Africa after boldly proclaiming himself as the king of Rwanda, while acknowledging Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz as the ruler of his own turf, and Bien as Kenya’s reigning music king.
The “Katerina” hitmaker made the remarks during an interview on the popular Ghetto Radio breakfast show “Brekko,” hosted by Majimaji and King Kafu.
While he praised Diamond for his relentless work ethic and musical dominance in Tanzania, Bruce was quick to clarify that East Africa is too vast to have just one musical king.
“He’s the best, he does his job well—yeah, ish!” Bruce said with a chuckle. “But East Africa is huge, man! You know, we can’t have just one king. Every kingdom has its own king. So I believe I’m the king of Kigali, the King of Rwanda, and he’s the king of Tanzania. East Africa doesn’t have an emperor—we’re all kings.”
The statement prompted co-host Majimaji to joke that a musical rivalry between Bruce and Diamond could be brewing: “Beef iko on,” he said.
Promoting Debut Album: Colourful Generation
Bruce Melodie is currently on a Kenyan media tour promoting his debut album titled Colourful Generation—a project he says took three years to complete.
The album features a total of 20 songs, including three bonus tracks. In preparation, Bruce recorded over 200 songs, making the selection process both intense and emotional. He revealed there were disagreements between him and his team over which tracks to include.
“There were songs I really wanted on the album that my team didn’t agree with, and vice versa,” Bruce confessed. Surprisingly, one of the tracks chosen by his team, “Sofia,” has become a fan favorite, racking up impressive streaming numbers.
He acknowledged the importance of having a solid team to guide him when creative ideas become overwhelming.
Star-Studded Collaborations
Colourful Generation features a host of notable artists from across the globe. Collaborators include Jamaican reggae legend Shaggy, Kenya’s Bien and Nadia Mukami, Uganda’s Sasha Vybz, and South Africa’s Joeboy, among others.
Bruce shared the backstory of his collaboration with Shaggy, revealing that the international star reached out to him after hearing his song “Funga Macho” featuring Sasha Vybz. The two ended up working on a new version of the track, which they renamed “When She’s Around,” aiming to better appeal to English-speaking audiences.
Although technology played a big role in their remote collaboration, Bruce eventually met Shaggy in person. He recalled how warmly Shaggy welcomed him, even taking him along for interviews and performances, where they played to crowds of over 40,000 people.
From Choir Boy to Gospel Aspirations
Bruce, who started his musical journey singing in a church choir, hinted at a future transition into gospel music. Music has always been part of his spiritual life, and he sees gospel as a meaningful next chapter.
Interestingly, before fully launching his career as a singer, Bruce worked as a music producer—an experience that helped shape his artistry.
When it comes to Kenyan cuisine, Bruce has a soft spot for mokimo (a mashed mix of potatoes and beans), beef stew, and sukumawiki (kale). He jokingly recalled being served the dish by Nadia Mukami during one of their meetups.
