Kidum’s musical kingdom

By Caroline Nyanga

Pulse: When and how did you get into music?

Kidum: I started playing the drum in 1984 when I was ten years old. At the time, I was based at Northern Burundi.

After two years, I joined the Imvumero Band, which was my first music band where I worked for six years until 1992.

I later quit and joined the Imboneza Band, which was owned by the then ruling party UPRONA and played there from 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, I launched my own band called Electric Power, which lasted for only a year due to the war in Burundi.

P: What followed next?

K: I fled to Kenya and after soul searching, I decided to join the Hot Rod Band as it had manoeuvred its popularity to the peak right when live music was the in-thing.

P: Achievements as part of Hot Rod Band?

K: As part of Hot Rod band I recorded my first song Yaramenje in 1999. I followed it up with my debut album Yaramenje a year later.

In 2001, I was invited to Burundi by the country’s former President, Pierre Buyoya to perform at a Peace Concert Ceremony. In 2003, I released my second album Shamba.

P: Why did you quit Hot Rod?

K: Well... like they say there comes a time when a man has got to move on in order to accomplish something better for himself. For me this was the right time to do so. In 2004, I formed my own band the Boda Boda that runs to date.

As a band, we have played at various clubs within Nairobi, besides doing shows abroad and private functions.

Besides playing live music I continued recording and my fourth album Haturudi Nyuma took East African fans and beyond by storm.

P: Best moments of your career?

K: In 2004, I participated in Fespad in Rwanda besides staging my first concert in Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2005, I released my third album Ishano. That same year, I held a concert in Lamu at Peponi Hotel on New Years’ Eve.

In 2006,I again participated in Fespad in Kigali, Rwanda and yet another one in 2008. This aside, I have staged major concerts within Africa and abroad.