Used to harm, social networks can destroy lives and careers. The consequences of online harassment are even more serious when the victim is young. This is the case of artist Marlaine Felgia Kamikazi in Gitega. She saw her school year interrupted because of gossip on smartphones. Story.
Marlaine is a talented and well-known artist in Gitega. Her career has been marked by popular songs known to the general public. Living in the Shatanya neighborhood, she has made a name for herself thanks to her unique voice and artistic commitment. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when she is the victim of online harassment.
Marlaine is a student at one of the schools in the city of Gitega when she begins her career. It is 2020 and she is only 18 years old. “I loved listening to the songs of Christophe Muneza, a Rwandan singer, songwriter and performer,” she remembers. “I was motivated by his voice, his way of singing and the composition of his songs.” Inspired, she develops little of her own art. “Little by little, it’s‘has forged. That’s how I composed my first song. I sent it to the studio and it was appreciated. Titled « Enchanted, » The song is a hit in Gitega.
His songs, often focusing on social and cultural themes, touch many listeners and his « fanbase » widens. “My songs talk about the realities of life and our culture, and I think that’s what resonates with people.”she says. So success was smiling on her. Until she became the target of an online harassment campaign.
The beginning ofu calvary
The story begins with a banal tragedy. A respected and influential mother from the neighborhood begins to insult him on social networks. “She said I’m a Satanist and that I’ve already made a pact with the devil.”Marlaine recalls with pain. This neighbor, once considered a pillar of the community, goes to the school to ask for her expulsion, accusing her of immoral behavior that could negatively influence her children who attend the same school as Marlaine. « The request, from someone close to our community, quickly took a bad turn”the girl says.
When this affair broke, Marlaine was bedridden. It was when she returned to school that she discovered, horrified, that she had been expelled. “I asked why I was being fired” she says. Response from the disciplinary prefect: “It’s because of everything you’ve heard on social media and what’s been said here by your loved ones.”
So, for purely extra-curricular reasons, Marlaine’s school year was abruptly interrupted. “I was unfairly called a slut and a street whore”she laments.
A turning point
This tragedy marked a turning point in Marlaine’s life. In addition to her academic career, her personal and artistic life suffered seriously from the damage. “This conviction reminded me of the gratuitous injustices that women artists like me face.”she says. It came as a wake-up call of the obstacles women face in their quest for freedom of expression and recognition.
Marlaine also recalls that she had to face social stigma and isolation, which paradoxically made her stronger: “I had to learn to live with this new label that“It was imposed. But it also gave me the strength to fight for my rights.”
After this ordeal, she was able to continue her studies in another school where the management showed open-mindedness. “This new start has allowed me to focus on my studies, and I am proud of the fact that I will soon complete my studies in the Banking and Insurance department.”
In this ocean of troubled waters that is the Burundian music industry, Marlaine Felgia Kamikazi continues to fight to carve out a place for herself.
For aa fairer society
Marlaine Kamikazi’s story is not an isolated one. It is an illustration of the systemic and cultural challenges facing Burundian women. By continuing to fight, Marlaine uses her voice, not only for her music, but also as a tool of resistance and awareness against gender-based violence. She sums it up well in these words: “Music is my refuge and my weapon. It allows me to continue to fight and inspire other women ».
Despite her youth and the injustice she has suffered, far from her the idea of giving up. Her fight calls for a fairer and more egalitarian society where talent should not be a curse. A world free from prejudice and discrimination.
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2024-07-30 13:18:02