Rwanda’s Element Eleéeh Is Ready to Be the Artist of His Dreams

I first interviewed Element Eleéeh, the Rwandese super-producer and rising artist, two years ago. That story was supposed to be my first major piece for OkayAfrica. I was based in Nairobi and kept hearing his name as the quiet but prolific producer behind a wave of hits coming out of Rwanda.

I was intrigued.

By then, Eleéeh had already produced songs for some of Rwanda’s biggest stars, including The Ben and Bruce Melodie. Demand for his production was so high that when he released his debut single as an artist, “Kashe” in 2022, it immediately became a nationwide hit. That track marked a turning point as the beginning of his solo career. Two years later, in 2024, he followed it up with another hit, “MiLELE,” which also marked the official unveiling of a new genre he had been crafting: ‘Afro-Gako.’

Even in that first conversation, it was clear Eleéeh was helping soundtrack the rise of a Rwanda ready to step onto the global stage. This was a country that was now sponsoring global teams, hosting Basketball Africa League (BAL) finals, bidding to bring Formula 1 to Kigali, and establishing itself as a cultural powerhouse in East Africa under President Paul Kagame.

Despite the strength of that first interview, the story never made it to print. The journalism gods had other plans.

So when I learned that Eleéeh was in Nairobi earlier this month, I reached out immediately. This time, the goal was simple: to finish what we started. A lot had changed in the two years since we first spoke. His signature “Eleéeh” sonic tag is ever-present in the East African music scene. He was already making waves in 2024, but today he’s one of the most sought-after producers in the region, with a catalog of hits he’s written and produced for both himself and others.

And while he’s only released a handful of songs as an artist — on average, about two per year — each has garnered millions of streams and helped him build a growing audience beyond Rwanda’s borders. Now, he tells me, he is ready to step fully into the artist role. Element Eleéeh the producer is still very much alive, but in 2026, Element Eleéeh the artist is taking the lead.

Betting on Himself

When we finally sit down in Nairobi, Eleéeh gets right to it. He is cool as a cucumber, dressed in a simple white tee and black leather pants. 2026 is going to be a marquee year for him, he tells me. His first album is on the way, tours for Europe and North America are in planning, and business will probably have him spending more time outside Rwanda this year. It’s a sign that, despite all he’s achieved, Eleéeh is ready to push even further.

“There’s a wall you hit,” he tells OkayAfrica. “You do everything right. You work hard. Everyone knows your music. But there’s still a point where, if you don’t think bigger… if you don’t move beyond the local scene, it’s like you’re stuck.”

For him, that means prioritizing his solo career. For years, Eleéeh built a reputation by elevating others. Even when working with other producers, some artists would still send him their songs to sprinkle his magic. But traveling, meeting artists, and connecting with audiences abroad made him realize that producing alone wouldn’t take him as far as he wanted to go.

“I asked myself, ‘What’s the biggest dream of a producer?’” he says. “Most people say, working with a big artist. But then I thought… ‘Why not me?’ Why would I look so far when I’m right here?”

To explain that shift in thinking, he compares the music industry to a restaurant. In this analogy, the artist is like the waiter, serving music to the world. They’re the face people see, the one who receives the immediate applause and complaints. But the producer? They’re the chef in the kitchen. The one who creates the dish. The one who ensures it tastes right. Often, it’s only much later that the chef gets recognition.

“It takes me 20 to 30 songs to be the biggest producer in East Africa,” he says, “but it will take me singing five songs to be the biggest artist in East Africa or in Africa.”

It’s a familiar dynamic for many producers across Africa. Even though they shape the sound, few who can sing step into the spotlight themselves. Eleéeh wants to change that, and he’s starting by making himself the artist he once dreamed of producing for.

Creating Good, Timeless Music

Now that he is prioritizing being an artist, Eleéeh is clear about the kind of musician he wants to become. For him, fame is the (sometimes unfortunate) outcome of wanting to make great music. “I didn’t dream to be a superstar,” he says. “I didn’t have that ambition. I just went to the studio and did my music. I wanted to make great music.”

What drives him now, he says, is a desire to create music that is good and timeless. The kind of music he wants to make will still be played 30 or 50 years from now. Given his years in the studio, he has an ear for which songs will be a hit; now he is also looking for songs with longevity. 

“Anyone can make a hit, but can you create a timeless song?” he asks. If you focus too much on hits, you can’t create. Sometimes, to create, you need to be weird with the sound. That's what creation means. You can't create when you want a hit.”

That thinking is shaping his first full-length album, of which he is currently adding finishing touches. It will be a 10-song album, with collaborations expected on five of the tracks. Though he’s still finalizing the track list, he’s already released two singles —“Tombe” and “Maaso”— as a preview of what’s to come. He plans to release two or three more before the full project drops.

Both “Tombe” and “Maaso,” which dropped in 2025, are examples of how Eleéeh blends outside influences into something distinctly his own. The songs are clearly infused with Caribbean flavor by borrowing elements from zouk and kompa while staying rooted in Rwanda. This fusion sits at the heart of Afro-Gako, the genre Eleéeh has been building over the past few years.

Afro-Gako began as a response to the dominance of Afrobeats and amapiano in Rwanda. “Everyone’s music sounded Nigerian,” Eleéeh told me in our 2024 interview. He began to ask himself: How could Rwandese music travel like Nigerian music, without having to sound like it?

Afro-Gako became his answer: a blend of traditional Rwandese gakondo with global genres like Afrobeats, amapiano, zouk, kompa...any genre really.

“Gakondo is for Rwanda,” he said. “But Afro-Gako is universal.”

Finding Inspiration in the Past

The inspiration for this fusion runs deep. One major influence is the late Gabonese icon Oliver Ngoma, whose music left a deep impression on Eleéeh as a child. He remembers his father playing Ngoma’s music at home. “These are some songs you listen to and feel like crying,” he says. “They take you somewhere. That’s the kind of music I wanted to make.”

Eleéeh eventually sampled “Bane”— Ngoma’s best-known hit — for his 2024 track “Sikosa” with Kevin Kade and The Ben. He made sure to get permission directly from Ngoma’s family before releasing it. “They allowed me to work on it. I wanted to bring back those memories.”

Now, 2026 will be the year we see if he can deliver on that goal: to make music that hits and lasts. Eleéeh knows it won’t be easy, especially while still juggling the high demand for his production skills. He’s not stepping away from producing, but he admits that balancing both roles is tough.

“Imagine you’re on tour, and artists are calling you asking for their songs,” he says. “You don’t have enough time to produce for others, but also don’t have enough time to rehearse your own performances. It’s chaotic. I’m learning to balance it, but it’s hard.”

Still, he’s all in. “Big time,” he says. “I’m ready.”