Teta Diana
Rwandan singer and music composer, Teta Diana blends her native language Kinyarwanda with English and Swahili. She is the founder of Sakwe Studios, a meeting of cultures and storytelling.
Traditional music is closely tied to Rwandan identity. Teta’s music is a fusion of folk, jazz and Afro-pop. She has performed at music festivals in Rwanda and abroad; Têtes-à-têtes music festival 2020, Next Einstein Forum 2015, Kigali-Up music festival 2015, FESPAM 2013 to name a few.
Early 2013, Teta joined Gakondo group, performing traditional Rwandan folk music alongside Rwanda’s best artists; Intore Masamba, Ngabo Micheal, Jules Sentore and others, then pursued a solo career in parallel with the band which opened doors to performances in Congo, Kenya, Senegal, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, USA, Mexico and more.
In 2015, Teta received the CYRWA awards established in 2007, by Her Excellency First Lady Mrs Jeannette Kagame, to honour outstanding young Rwandans who strive towards the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishments, through Imbuto Foundation’s Youth Empowerment and Mentorship Programme (YEMP).
In 2016, she participated in the Music Action Lab residency that took place in San Fransisco, collaborating with musicians from across the globe to create social impact music, and to nurture the next generation of musical changemakers.
She released singles since 2013, then delivered her debut album Iwanyu in 2019 and the EP Umugwegwe in 2021. Teta is currently based in Sweden and Rwanda, where she alternately spends time producing music and creating space for cultural exchange. “Music is a language that crosses borders and reaches the soul.”