Proudly African Radio Show

I was introduced to a microphone when I was in the fifth grade. I grew up listening to a radio show called Club des Enfants, it was a show where you would call to answer questions that they asked on the air and if you got three of them right, you would win a prize. At some point after answering enough questions you would be invited to be a guest on the show. One Sunday (the day that the show aired) I was invited to be a guest on the show, and I was fascinated with the microphone, the console, pretty much everything. When I went to high school, I would listen to Club de Midi because that was the version of the show for high school kids. I was a big fan and I like the fact that it helped to me to brainstorm and quickly come up with answers.

When I was in 10th grade, I was asked to do voice over work, I quickly became the main voice over actress of that station because I was easy to work with since I could do all the languages needed (French, Kirundi and Swahili). With me they could kill three birds with one stone 😄. This got me a gig to work with one of the telecommunication companies that was in the country as automated voice you would hear if you called to recharge your phone, or when you called and the person’s phone was off, you would hear my voice as the automated voice in French and Swahili.

My freshman year in college I was offered a full-time job to be a radio host, I had four shows that I did at night. A lot of people thought my major was communication since I was into media and would be shocked to find out it was actually psychotherapy 😃.

Then I moved to the United States in 2014, and in 2016 on a Tuesday in September I was invited to be a guest on a radio show and when we were talking I jokingly said: “What if they give me a spot and I do a show talking about Africa?” I said that because a couple days prior to that day I was in my car driving from work and I heard a zouk song that I used to hear on radio stations in Africa and I was so excited that I could hear something that I only heard back home. The idea for the show crossed my mind and I wondered if I could get something at a radio station where I could play African songs so that I can make my African people feel at home away from home.

A few days after that show that I was invited to, I got an email from the radio station’s manager stating that they heard what I said from the show the other day and they would like to talk about it. I ended up meeting with the manager, we talked about the show, I told him what my ideas were, and he asked what my show would be called, and I said it will be called Proudly African because honestly that’s who I am. I’m always wanting people to tell I am African before I even introduce myself.

I started the show on Oct 9th, 2016 and have been recording it weekly up to now. It’s one of the things that I proudly do because it gives me a chance to talk about the beauty, wealth and uniqueness of my amazing home continent. I get to educate some people who may think Africa is a country or is only made of jungles and no houses! The show gives me the opportunity to talk about different breathtaking countries of Africa and their culture, music, food, dance, language, and legends. I get to proudly talk about how not all African countries were colonized, I get to proudly talk about how everything is amazing, from the people to the food, places, beaches and weather.

I like to mention that AFRICA is a paradise on earth and I would say if someone thinks I am bragging, they just can make a trip there themselves and they will thank me later ☺️.