Ngabo Medard Jobert
Ngabo Médard Jobert (born August 7, 1989), known professionally as Meddy, is a Rwandan Rnb and Pop art artist[1], singer, songwriter based in the U.S since July 4, 2010[2]. He first lived in Chicago, where he was a member of PressOne[3] music label and later moved to Texas to continue his studies, and then continued his music career.
The artist went on to make music in the U.S after he had already made a name for himself in Rwanda through various songs that started his music such as "Amayobera", "Akaramata", "Ubuntu", "Ese Urambona" and more.[4]
Throughout his career, Meddy has released and featured on many of the most popular songs in Rwanda, among Rwandans living abroad and in the Great Lakes region[5] .
Meddy | |
|---|---|
| File:Meddy performing in Nyamata City of Rwanda.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ngabo Medard Jobert |
| Born | August 7, 1989 Bujumbura , Burundi |
| Origin | Rwanda |
| Genres | RnB and Pop music |
| Instruments | Guitar and Vocals |
| Years active | 2008- present |
| Labels | PressONE |
| Associated acts | The Ben ,Bruce Melodie ,uncle Austin, Yvan Buravan,Diamond Platinum, Otile Brown, |
| Website | https://www.instagram.com/meddyonly/?hl=en |
Early life[edit]
His parents were also music lovers, his father was only a great guitar player and the young man did not have the opportunity to get to know him enough or to see him face to face because his father died when Meddy was very young[6]
Meddy attended nursery school at Ecole Independante in Burundi, and when his family returned to Rwanda he continued his primary education at Ecole Primaire St. Joseph and Ecole Primaire La Colombiere later.[7]
In high school, Meddy studied mathematics and physics at La Colombière Secondary School. He has often said that he studied Actuarial Science at Tarrant County College in Texas where he continued his adult life.[8]
Musical career[edit]
Before 2008: Career beginnings[edit]
In his third year of high school he was a member of the singing group called "Justified" at Zion Temple church in Kigali [9], where he sang with other well-known Musician in Rwanda including the BEN, as well as music producers like Mucyo Nicolas and Mbabazi Isaac popularly known as Lick Lick[10] who helped him when he started music.
Although he is best known for his love songs, meddy often sings hymns to God and his first song was called "Igihe cy'Imana" [meaning God's Time in English] even though it never came out for his fans to hear.[11]
2008–2010: Debut singles[edit]
These three years are a special time in the life of Meddy and his career because it was when he first became famous in music and he immediately became one of the most popular artists in Rwanda due to the fact that modern music was taking root.[12]
In 2008, his song "Ungirira Ubuntu" was released. Then came "Akaramata", "Amayobera" and "Ese Urambona" produced by Lick Lick.[10] This is how his personal music life has come to be, and these songs have made him famous in Rwanda.
Meddy became very popular among music lovers in Rwanda from other songs he has performed such as "Igipimo", "Ubanza Ngukunda" and "Inkoramutima" which also came to be named after his fans.[13]
2010–2013: Leaving Rwanda for U.S and joining PressOne label[edit]
By 2010, Meddy and the BEN were Rwanda's most influential artists and performers.[14]
On July 4, 2010, the two were among artists headed to the United States to sing at the Urugwiro Conference, a concert organized by the Rwandan Diaspora and then decided to stay.[15]
Since then it has become a hotly debated story and has not pleased their fans in Rwanda, with some accusing them of ‘fleeing their country’ which was considered a punishable offense because they had no credentials to allow them to live in the United States.[15]
After arriving in the United States, Meddy immediately settled in Chicago where he continued to make music in PressOne[3] music label which were composed by other artists like the BEN, rapper K8 Kavuyo[16] and their producer Lick Lick[10] as well as their Video Producer known as Cedru
On Meddy's side he performed in the USA a variety of songs such as "Oya Ma", "Nasara", "Holy Spirit" and "ndi uw'i Kigali" featuring all Press One artists,[3] which made him to continue to be popular in his motherland.,[3]
2013–2017: Continued success and homecoming concert[edit]
From 2013 to the present Meddy lives in Texas. In the USA he has performed a variety of popular songs including "Ntawamusimbura", "Burinde Bucya", "Adi Top" and "Slowly" which has made his name very popular in other countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and in various other countries.[17]
Meddy is also considered to be one of the most popular artists in Burundi where he was born.[18]
In 2015 Meddy started promoting his concert tour called "Ni Njyewe Meddy" which was to be performed in various European countries and wind up in Rwanda.[19]
He began the concerts in various U.S, continued in Canada, concluding his trip to Africa where he performed in Kenya and Tanzania and later reunited with his fans in Rwanda.[20]
At exactly 3:50pm, August 26, 2017, the Slowly hit maker, walked out of arrival gate at Kigali International Airport. This marked the homecoming of adored Meddy, who left Rwanda for seven years in a somewhat controversial feat. Waiting for his arrival were dozens of his fans, family members and friends.[2]
In Rwanda, he performed a historic concert on September 2, 2017, which was greeted by a large crowd of fans who had packed into the garden of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata Town,[21] where it was held.
The concert was followed by other tours around the country organized by Airtel Rwanda[22]
2017–present[edit]
Meddy continued to be invited to various concerts in Rwanda and in the region. The mega ones in Rwanda include ‘Kwita Izina’[23]
In November 2019, Meddy performed at Wasafi Festival[24] which took place at Posta and Kijitonyama playgrounds in Tanzania. This Festival were organized by WCB Wasafi belonging to renown Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz[25]
Despite performing only one song due to a long line up of artistes and limited time, Meddy enjoyed his time on stage, singing along with the fans who seemed to know the "Slowly", one of his songs.[26]
Personal life[edit]
Meddy has a girlfriend named Mehfira Mimi[27],30, from Ethiopia who was featured in his song called "Ntawamusimbura".[28]
In 2018, the R&B crooner came to Rwanda from the U.S with Ethiopian girlfriend. On Christmas, he introduced her to his family and his mother welcomed her with open arms.[29]
The couple has been spotted on various luxury beaches in both USA and Mexico enjoying themselves which fueled rumors of engagement in 2019.[30]
Controversies and Legal incidents[edit]
On March 14, 2018, in the Commercial Court at Kimuhurura, Kigali a preliminary hearing was held in which Kagi Rwanda Ltd sued artist Meddy for his failure to attend a concert he had been invited to in Belgium while some money had been paid.[31]
In addition to Kagi Rwanda Lt, Meddy also had problems with the Crystal Event company in Burundi that invited him in late 2018 but did not go there for security reasons.[32]
In October 2019, Meddy was arrested in Kigali by traffic police at around 2 am on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The artist spent five days in a Rwandan police cell under the program "Gerayo Amahoro"[33]
- ↑ "Biography - IGIHE.com". igihe.com (in Ikinyarwanda). Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "US-based Rwandan singer Meddy returns home". The New Times | Rwanda. 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Pressone Entertainment". Music In Africa. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ "Meddy". Music In Africa. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "The Ben, Meddy doing well in US". The East African. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy traces music roots to Sunday school days". The East African. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy, the Amazing Rwandan R&B Singer". Hip Life Magazine. 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy, the Amazing Rwandan R&B Singer". Hip Life Magazine. 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy traces music roots to Sunday school days". The East African. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Who exactly is Lick Lick?". The New Times | Rwanda. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ "Meddy". Music In Africa. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "2009 the year that changed the face of entertainment". The New Times | Rwanda. 2009-12-26. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "2009, who is the King?". The New Times | Rwanda. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy, The Ben tour South Africa". The New Times | Rwanda. 2010-03-31. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Local celebs: Meddy, The Ben go missing". The New Times | Rwanda. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "K8 Kavuyo". Music In Africa. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ "Meddy jets in ahead of East African Party". The New Times | Rwanda. 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "CELEBRITY CENTRAL: MEDDY". The New Times | Rwanda. 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy du Rwanda : La musique peut vaincre la haine". BBC News Afrique (in français). 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy's world tour to wind up in Rwanda". The New Times | Rwanda. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ Munezero, Martin. "Indirimbo y'umurundi Meddy yasubiyemo ishobora gutuma anjyanwa mu nkiko". Umuryango - Kinyarwanda. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ Aimable, Dusabimana. "Meddy na Riderman bagiye guhurira mu bitaramo bine byateguwe na Airtel" Check
|url=value (help). imyidagaduro (in Ikinyarwanda). Retrieved 2021-02-03. - ↑ "Ne-Yo, van Gaal among stars to name baby gorillas in Rwanda". The East African. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "One song for Meddy at Wasafi Festival". The New Times | Rwanda. 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ Theos, Uwiduhaye. "Meddy mu mushinga w'indirimbo na Diamond Platnumz - IGIHE.com". www.igihe.com (in Ikinyarwanda). Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy for Wasafi Festival". IGIHE. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ Emmy, Nsengiyumva. "Meddy yateye ivi asaba umukobwa bakundana ko yamubera umugore - IGIHE.com". igihe.com (in Ikinyarwanda). Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ↑ "VIDEO: Meddy on returning home, music and love life". The New Times | Rwanda. 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy's Mother Meets Daughter-in-law To Be". KT PRESS. 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "I Don't Have a Fiancée - Singer Meddy". KT PRESS. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "ShowBiz". KT PRESS. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Ikibazo cyari hagati ya Meddy n'ikigo cya Kagi Ltd cyakemutse mu bwumvikane – KigaliHit.rw". Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ↑ "Meddy yafunzwe aregwa gutwara imodoka yasinze". BBC News Gahuza (in Ikinyarwanda). Retrieved 2021-02-08.
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