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Kigali
Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali Map of Rwanda showing the location of Kigali.
Coordinates: 1°56′38″S 30°3′34″E / 1.94389°S 30.05944°E / -1.94389; 30.05944Coordinates: 1°56′38″S 30°3′34″E / 1.94389°S 30.05944°E / -1.94389; 30.05944
Country	Rwanda
Province	Kigali City
Government
• Mayor	Fidele Ndayisaba
Area
• Total	730 km2 (280 sq mi)
Elevation	1,567 m (5,141 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	965,398
• Density	1,165.8/km2 (3,019/sq mi)
	estimated
Time zone	CAT (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	none (UTC+2)
Districts 1. Gasabo 2. Kicukiro 3. Nyarugenge
Website	www.kigalicity.gov.rw

Kigali (rarely Kigale), with population of almost 1 million (2009), is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation. The city has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of Rwanda are located in the city, as are the government ministries. The city is coterminous with the province of Kigali City, which was enlarged in January 2006, as part of local government reorganisation in the country. The city's urban area covers about 70% of the municipal boundaries.^[1] The city population has varied around the national percentages: Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15% and Twa (Pygmy) at 1%.

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Kigali was founded in 1907 under German colonial rule, but did not become the capital until Rwandan independence in 1962. The traditional capital was the seat of the mwami (king) in Nyanza, while the colonial seat of power was in Butare, then known as Astrida. Butare was initially the leading contender to be the capital of the new independent nation, but Kigali was chosen because of its more central location. Since then the city has grown very quickly and is now the major political, economic and cultural centre of Rwanda.

Mount Kigali and one of the northern suburbs

Beginning on April 6, 1994, Kigali was the scene of the Rwandan Genocide – the slaughter of approximately one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu by Hutu militias (interahamwe), and some members of the Rwandan army. There was fierce fighting between the army (mostly Hutu) and Tutsi-dominated Rwandese Patriotic Front. Although damaged, the city's structure has recovered.

Geography[link]

Northern Kigali suburb

Kigali seen from Spot Satellite

Climate chart for Kigali

Kigali International Airport

A row of minibus share taxis waiting to depart in Kigali, Rwanda

The Mille Collines hotel

The city is built in hilly country, sprawling across about four ridges and the valleys in between. The city centre is located on one of these ridges, with the main government area on another. The tops of the ridges have an average elevation of 1,600 metres (5,250 ft), while the valleys are around 1,300 m (4,270 ft). The bigger houses and office buildings tend to be on the tops of the ridges, while the poorer people live in the valleys. The city is ringed most of the way round by higher hills, with some suburban sprawl rising up these. The highest of these is Mt. Kigali, with an elevation of 1,850 m (6,075 ft) above sea level.

Economy[link]

This section requires expansion.

Tin ore (cassiterite) has been mined nearby, and the city built a smelting plant in the 1980s. Business in Rwanda has been growing, and many new buildings have emerged across the city, including the BCDI Tower, Centenary House and Kigali Tower. Tourism provides important input into the economy also.^{[citation needed]}

Rwanda's real GDP growth averaged 8.3 percent between 2002 and 2009. Per capita GDP swelled those years from $206 to $520, or 252% higher. While 47 percent of Rwandans enjoyed clean water in 2000, 75 percent were so fortunate in 2010. While 78 percent of the country was considered poor in 1995, that number stood at 57 percent in 2009.^[2]

Education[link]

Lycée de Kigali is the second-largest secondary school in Rwanda, after the Groupe Scolaire in Butare. Green Hills Academy, in the upscale suburb of Nyarutarama, is a top private school, offering IB at A level, and the Cambridge International Program at O level. It is a PASCH partner school offering German. It has a 50/50 English-French curriculum as well.

Administration and government[link]

Kigali is a province-level city governed by a city council who appoints an executive committee to run the day-to-day operations of the city. The executive committee consists of a mayor and two deputies. The city is split into three administrative districts called sectors: Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge.^[3] It contained parts of the former province of Kigali Rural.

Transportation[link]

The city has an international airport, Kigali International Airport, with passenger connections daily to Nairobi , Entebbe and Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. The airport is somewhat limited by its location on the top of a hill, and a brand new one is being considered in the Nyamata area, some 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Kigali.

International[link]

There are several daily coach services which depart from Kigali to destinations in East Africa. Most leave from the Nyabugogo bus station. These services include:

• Jaguar Executive Coaches, which connects Kigali to Kampala, the Ugandan capital, via Gatuna or via Kayonza and Kagitumba.
• Akamba Bus Services, which runs services to Kampala (8 hours), Nairobi, Kenya (24 hours), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (36 hours) and Mombasa, Kenya (32 hours)
• Onatracom Express - a Rwandan government service using quite basic buses, running between Kigali and Kampala.
• Yahoo Car Express - A minibus service running between Kigali and Bujumbura, Burundi.
• Kampala Coach Ltd, which runs services to Kampala (8 hours), Nairobi, Kenya (24 hours), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (36 hours)and Mombasa, Kenya (32 hours).

National[link]

Kigali is the hub of the Rwanda transport network, with hourly express bus routes to all major towns in the country. The major nationwide companies are Atraco, Stella, Omega, Okapi, Impala (minibuses), and Onatracom, which offers a big bus service, while Volcano Express (to Butare), Virunga Express and Onatracom (to Ruhengeri), Muhabura Express (to Ruhengeri and Gisenyi) serve specific destinations and follow a set schedule. There are also taxi minibus services (matatus) leaving from Kigali, which also go through to the major towns, but some of them stop frequently along the route to pick people up or drop them off.

Local[link]

Public transport within Kigali is exclusively by taxi minibus (matatu) routes, connecting the main hubs of Mu (Mujyi) in the city centre, Nyabugogo, Kacyiru, Kimironko and Remera. Similar to the national taxi minibuses, these services wait to fill up before setting off from the terminus, then pick up and drop off frequently en route.

Private hire[link]

Kigali has many taxis (known as 'special hire' or 'taxi voiture'), which are generally painted white with an orange stripe down the side. There are also motorbike taxis ('taxi moto'), which offer a service similar to a taxi, but for lower prices, typically in the range 300-1000 FRW. Though fine on major roads, on crowded city streets, motorbike taxis are not for the faint-hearted or under-insured.

Points of interest[link]

Kigali houses several memorials, museums, and centers dedicated to the Rwandan Genocide, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre.

Urugwiro is the official residence of the President of Rwanda. It constitutes an entire village within the Kacyiru distrct of Kigali.

The city now has international class hotels, some played a role in history:

• The Mille Collines in the Kiyovu area. This hotel became a refugee centre during the genocide, as famously depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda (although the hotel shown in the film is in fact in South Africa). It is also the setting for the famous novel Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali, by Quebecer Gil Courtemanche, and its movie adaptation Un dimanche à Kigali.
• The Kigali Serena Hotel, formerly known as the InterContinental Kigali. Formerly a Belgian-owned hotel known as the Diplomates, the hotel was briefly portrayed in the second half of Hotel Rwanda. It was later bought by the InterContinental Hotels group and remodeled in 2003.

Downtown Kigali as viewed from the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre

Sister cities[link]

• Kampala, Uganda
• San Bernardino, United States

References[link]

External links[link]

Africa portal

• Official Website of Kigali City
• Satellite Image of Kigali from Google Earth.
• Living in Kigali

v t e Provinces of Rwanda Eastern Kigali Northern Southern Western

Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 1°56′38″S 30°3′34″E / 1.94389°S 30.05944°E / -1.94389; 30.05944

Beenie Man
Beenie Man performing in August 2008
Background information
Birth name	Anthony Moses Davis
Also known as	Ras Moses, The Doctor, The Girls Dem Sugar[1]
Born	(1973-08-22) August 22, 1973 (age 38)
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion, ragga-soca
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, deejay, producer
Years active	late 1970s–present
Labels	Brookland Universal Republic Island Jamaica/PolyGram Records Virgin/EMI Records
Associated acts	Don Omar, Snow (musician), Talib Kweli, Memphis Bleek, YoungBloodZ, Pastor Troy, Johnny J , T.I.
Website	www.beeniemanmusic.com

Anthony Moses Davis (August 22, 1973),^[2] better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".

Biography[link]

Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.^[2][3][4] He was involved in the music industry from a young age, starting toasting at the age of five, and was encouraged by his uncle Sydney Wolfe, who played drums for Jimmy Cliff.^[5][6] He won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981,^[3][7] and Radio DJ Barry G introduced him to local sound system operators, who helped to establish the popularity of the young deejay, who became known as Beenie Man.^[5] He recorded his debut single, "Too Fancy", with record producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes in 1981, with Lawes also including him on the 1983 album Junjo Presents Two Big Sounds alongside established stars such as Dillinger, Fathead, and Ringo.^[3] His debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder was produced by Bunny Lee and released in 1983,^[8] his first hit single following the same year with the Winston Holness-produced "Over the Sea".^[3] In 1984 Beenie Man recorded some material with Barrington Levy (released ten years later), but his music career was put on hold while he finished school, and spent time travelling to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.^[3]

1990s return[link]

Beenie Man continued performing and honed his craft beside the then dominant dancehall figures including Ninjaman, Admiral Bailey and Shabba Ranks. He found his artistic home at the Shocking Vibes studio where he continued to record singles with only moderate success in the early 1990s. His career gained momentum after a performance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1992, and a rivalry with Bounty Killer began the following year after Beenie Man was accused of stealing Bounty Killer's style and catch phrases.^[3] The rivalry was captured on the 1994 album Guns Out, with the two artists settling the feud with a soundclash.^[3] Beenie Man had his first number one single in Jamaica in 1993 with "Matie", and he won the DJ of the Year Award the same year, the first of eight consecutive awards.^[7]

International stardom[link]

Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, with whom he recorded cover versions of Bob Marley's "Crazy Baldhead" and "No Woman No Cry" in 1994, the latter a Jamaican chart-topper, Beenie Man converted to the Rastafari movement, as did several of his contemporaries at the time, although in 2005 he stated "I have not converted. I was baptised an Ethiopian Orthodox and at the age of 10 I became a Judah Coptic."^[3][6] In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album Blessed, which established his reputation internationally.^[3] In 1995 he toured the UK and joined up again with Barrington Levy to record an updated jungle version of Levy's "Under Mi Sensi".^[3]

In 1995, Beenie Man collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palmer to release Three Against War and Mad Cobra and Lieutenant Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He also collaborated with Lady Saw on "Healing", Sanchez on "Refugee", and Michael Prophet on "Gun 'n' Bass", further establishing his reputation.^[3] He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late 1990s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s. Beenie Man's first real break into the United States came in 1997. He heard an instrumental rhythm by an unknown producer named Jeremy Harding, and demanded to add his voice to the rhythm. So this was the birth of his first international hit; he recorded "Who Am I" and the single quickly went Gold. It opened the doors for the world to see a new reggae star in the pages of Newsweek and other major media outlets. The same year, Beenie Man topped the Jamaican singles chart with seven different singles.^[3]

Beenie Man appeared as himself in the 1997 film Dancehall Queen.

In 1998, Beenie Man headlined Reggae Sunsplash and signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I", and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mýa. During this time he received an impressive number of international music awards including a MOBO Award for Best International Reggae Act in 1998,^[9] while remaining at the top of the local charts. In 2000, Beenie Man released Art & Life, which featured Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees), for which received a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.^[3] In the same year he co-produced (with Wyclef Jean) the debut album by actor Steven Seagal.^[3] Beenie Man, like many dancehall artists is outspoken on a number of social issues, as exemplified by songs such as "Steve Biko" and "Murderer".^[10][11][12]

In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna. He thus cemented his fan base on both sides of the Atlantic.

He had hits in the UK in 1998 with "Who am I" (#10), in 2003 with "Street Life" (#13) and "Feel It Boy" (UK #9), a duet with Janet Jackson, and in 2004 with "Dude" (#7) and "King of the Dancehall" (#14).^[13]

He was also a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[14]

In April 2008 it was announced that Beenie Man was to co-write and star in the film Kingston.^[15] In October 2010 Beenie Man came out with the EP "I'm Drinking Rum and Red Bull", which included 4 songs, "Im drinking Rum and Red Bull", "I'm Okay", and two versions of "Stack and Pile". He later relaased the full album on February 28, 2011. "Im Drinking Rum and Red Bull" features Future Fambo. In September 2008 Beenie Man was cleared of charges of tax evasion.^[16][17]

In April 2009, Beenie Man signed with Brookland Entertainment, a new record label formed by Eric Nicks and The Trackmasters, in preparation to release his new album, "The Legend Returns". The music video for the release of his new single “Gimme Gimme” will be shot in Canada on April 18, 2009. The song "Let's Go" was released on the Overproof Riddim compilation album in 2011.

Personal life[link]

Beenie Man married Michelle "D'Angel" Downer on August 22, 2006. Downer was previously known as long-time girlfriend to Bounty Killer. They have a son together, Marco Dean,^[18] born in November 2006. In June 2007, Beenie Man separated from his wife due to her alleged infidelity. In March 2010, they released a duet single titled "You Are My First", although at the time they were separated.^[18] The couple divorced in 2011.^[19]

Controversy[link]

The lyrics to some of his songs have been criticized for inciting the murder of homosexuals.^[20] He was removed from the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards after protests by gay-rights activists.^[21] That same year, Beenie Man was stopped by police at Heathrow Airport in London, after the cancellation of a concert in England.^[22] He then issued an apology for the lyrics through his record company.^[23] In 2005, gay rights group OutRage! suspended their opposition to Beenie Man after he agreed not to play songs featuring homophobic lyrics, and he performed in London that year.^[24] The following year, he claimed his lyrics were anti-pedophilia, not against consensual homosexual relationships.^[25]

In 2007, it was reported that Beenie Man, along with several other artists, had signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, an agreement to cease performances of anti-gay material.^[26] He later denied that he had signed the act.^[27] As of 2010, protests have continued to cause cancellations of his concerts in some countries, including New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands.^[28][29][30]

In 2012, Beenie Man apologized to the gay community for his earlier 'homophobic' lyrics: "Let me make this clear and straight.^[31] I have nothing against no one. I respect each and every human being, regardless of which race or creed, regardless of which religious belief you believe in, and regardless of which sexual preference you are, including gays and lesbian people. I respect all human...Please I am begging you do not have me up for some songs I wrote a long time ago. I love each and every one and am just begging each and everyone to do the same."^[32][33]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1983: The Invincible Beenie Man: The Incredible Ten Year Old DJ Wonder - Bunny Lee
• 1992: Cool Cool Rider - VP
• 1994: Dis Unu Fi Hear - High Tone
• 1994: Defend It VP
• 1994: Guns Out with Bounty Killer - Greensleeves
• 1995: Blessed - Island
• 1995: Maestro - Greensleeves & VP
• 1995: Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man - VP
• 1997: Many Moods Of Moses - VP
• 1999: Y2K - Artists Only
• 1999: Ruff n Tuff
• 1999: The Doctor - VP
• 2000: Art and Life - Virgin
• 2001: Black Liberty
• 2001: Youth Quake
• 2002: Tropical Storm
• 2004: Back to Basics
• 2006: Concept of Life
• 2006: Hundred Dollar Bag
• 2006: Undisputed
• 2007: Monsters of Dancehall
• 2009: The Legend Returns
• 2012: TBA

Compilations[link]

• 1995: All the Best
• 2000: Best of Beenie Man
• 2002: Gold - The Very Best of - Charm
• 2005: Kingston to King of the Dancehall
• 2005: Greatest Hits So Far

Live albums[link]

• 2004: Live in San Francisco

Mixtapes and unofficial releases[link]

• 2000: Trendsetter
• 2004: Cool Cool Rider - The Roots of a Dancehall Don
• 2006: Its Ah! Beenie (riddim mixtape)
• 2007: Monsters of Dancehall

Singles[link]

• 1981: "Too Fancy"
• 1983: "Over the Sea"
• 1993: "Matie" (PROD by Dave and Donovan Mills and Efraim Barrett on the Shelly Power label)
• 1995: "Slam"
• 1995: "Romie"
• 1995: "Old Dog"
• 1995: "Healing" (with Lady Saw)
• 1997: "Dancehall Queen" (with Chevelle Franklin)
• 1998: "Who Am I (Sim Simma)"
• 1998: "Tell Me"
• 2000: "Jungle Boogie" (featuring Sly and Robbie)
• 2000: "Love Me Now" (featuring Wyclef Jean)
• 2000: "Girls Dem Sugar" (featuring Mýa)
• 2002: "Fresh from Yard" (featuring Lil' Kim)
• 2002: "Feel It Boy" (featuring Janet Jackson)
• 2002: "Red Red Red" (with Robyn)
• 2003: "Street Life" (featuring Assia)
• 2003: "Bossman" (featuring Sean Paul and Lady Saw)
• 2004: "Dude" (featuring Ms. Thing and Shawnna)
• 2004: "King of the Dancehall"
• 2005: "Specialists" (featuring Vybz Kartel)
• 2006: "Girls" (featuring Akon)
• 2006: "Hmm Hmm"
• 2006: "Dreaming of You" (featuring Alaine)
• 2007: "Give It Up" (featuring Barbee)
• 2008: "Wine Gyal"
• 2008: "Pickney Nah Hold Yah Dung"
• 2008: "Gimme Gimme"
• 2010: "I'm Drinking/Rum & Red Bull"
• 2012: "Let's Go"

Featured singles[link]

• 1996: "Sound Clash" (Dream Warriors featuring Beenie Man)
• 1996: "Hands In the Air" (Doug E. Fresh featuring Beenie Man)
• 1999: "Outa Space (UFOs)" (Machel Montano featuring Beenie Man); album Any Minute Now
• 2000: "Money" (Jamelia featuring Beenie Man)
• 2001: "I'm Serious" (T.I. featuring Beenie Man)
• 2004: "Compton" (Guerilla Black featuring Beenie Man)
• 2005: "Soul on Fire" (KMC featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Belly Danza" (Don Omar featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Zingy" (Ak'Sent featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Flow Natural" (Tito El Bambino featuring Deevani and Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Heaven Baby" (Brooke Hogan featuring Beenie Man)
• 2007: "Back It Up"
• 2008: "Better than Dem" (Natasja featuring Beenie Man)
• 2008: "Scorpion" (Nisha B. featuring Beenie Man)
• 2008: "Burnin' Burnin" (Ms. Triniti featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Get It On" (Rasun featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Giggle" (Busta Rhymes featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Woman"
• 2009: "International" (Chali 2na featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Pleasure" (2G featuring Beenie Man and Chris S)
• 2012: "Gun Shot" (Nicki Minaj featuring Beenie Man)

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0-87930-655-6. 
• Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9. 

Further reading[link]

• Wray, Milton: Who Am I?: The Untold Story of Beenie Man, 2008, Great House/Omnimedia, Kingston, Jamaica, ISBN 978-9769519930

External links[link]

• Official website
• Beenie Man discography at MusicBrainz