Aimé Uwimana is a gospel artiste, whose songs, for over 20 years, have touched the lives of many Rwandans. Today, he will be staging the Hari Amashimwe live concert, which is expected to be one of the biggest gospel shows in the country. He had a chat with Sunday Magazine’s Sharon Kantengwa about his musical journey and experience.
Take us back to when you began your music journey. How can you describe your starting point?
What inspired you to start a music career?
God is the giver of all gifts. He put passion and the love for music in my heart. When I started attending church services, I found myself sitting close to choirs and musicians most of the time. That’s how I got inspired.
How can you describe your experience?
I have had an interesting experience along the way. Growing my music from what it was and keeping the relevancy in the music industry for more than 20 years to the level it is today requires time, love, resources and passion for what I do. God has been with me through it all.
As a gospel artiste, what are some of the challenges that you face as a musician?
Financial stability and capacity in terms of music have been the main challenges for me. We all face challenges at some point, but then when you do what you love the most, challenges become opportunities that take you on a higher level.
How are you able to market your music to the secular audience?
I market my music to the secular audience through normal media channels, radios and televisions, Youtube as well as other social media platforms. I believe most of those we cannot meet in the concerts, can be met through the above channels.
Which artistes inspire you musically?
I have a couple of them but I should mention that Appolinnaire Habonimana has been the first and he still holds that position.
What has your experience in the musical journey taught you?
I see music as technology. There is growth and because I am into Gospel, my music becomes more relational because in God, life is more relational than just singing.
You will be staging a mega concert soon. Tell us about it and what should fans expect?
This comes back to Jesus being at the center of what we do. My prayer is that people will experience the presence of God like never before.
Looking at all the songs that are on the play list, I believe there will be God’s visitation and that is what the church of Christ should expect.
What are some of the other projects that are in the pipeline?
Different projects are on the way, of course they are music related. I have the hymns songs part three, that will also be sold at the concert. Many more will also be unveiled soon.
Local gospel music powerhouse Moriah Entertainment has signed upcoming gospel upcoming star Charles Kagame based in Australia. Moriah will be in charge of Kagame’s music projects and promotions both in Rwanda and Australia.
Moriah is famous for discovering and shaping gospel music giants in the country like Aline Gahogaire, Patient Bizimana and Gaby Kamanzi and hopes to do the same for the new kid on the block Charles.
Speaking to KT Press, Moriah’s artistic director Benjamin Musoni revealed that they recognized Kagame’s talent that is likely to propel him into a future big music star due to his strong vocals.
“Moriah had stopped managing artists for years, but we saw Charles’s talent for singing, writing songs and his strong vocals are super. No doubt we will spice up his already established music skills to turn him into a big gospel music icon,” Musoni said.
The singer joined Moriah after dropping 3 songs that endeared him o gospel music enthusiasts both in Rwanda and Europe.
Speaking to journalists after signing the contract, Kagame said that he looks forward to working with a professional music house to help give his music direction.
“Am honored to work with professional music records that have molded my local gospel giants in gospel arena,”
“I have no words to explain how happy I am to work with a legendary record label Moriah known for producing talented gospel stars. I have no doubt that my music will be uplifted to another level in the future because I know Moriah to be good at what they do or touch,” he said.
Despite being on the music scene for a short time, singer Kagame has managed to release 4 songs including ‘Ntuzibagirwe’, ‘Naragukunze’, ‘Tubagarure’ and plans to drop more songs under pipeline with Moriah records.
Moriah Records has been managing and producing gospel artists for more than 12 years and plans also to start recruiting fresh gospel affiliated artists.
Embattled Gospel singer Aline Gahongayire has granted permission to all bars and clubs to play her music as a way of preaching the word of God to many. Normally gospel songs are played in churches or other places of praise and worship, including scheduled concerts.
For Gahongayire, this has not been the case with her recent hit song Ndanyuzwe (I Appreciate) which has over 2million views on her youtube channel. The singer told KTRadio the weekend that her song has been rocking hearts of bar-goers and club revelers which impressed her to rethink ways of reaching many people through her songs.
“I have been receiving feedback of people in bars and dance halls celebrating my song- Ndanyuzwe whenever played in such places where one can least imagine,” Gahongayire said. From this turning point, Gahongayire stated that her wish is to have her songs played in bars and night clubs, which technically means a waiver to claims charges on abuse of intellectual property (IP).
The new IP law prohibits playing songs of artists in public places without seeking their permission or alternatively bend to paying a royalty charge that is used to support the art and music industry in Rwanda.
Gahongayire said the reason behind this kind of waiver is: “To reach out this category of people in bars who have been deprived of the Word of God, yet they also need to hear the gospel message, which can help them spiritually.”
Aline Gahongayire said that she is planning on attempting to perform in the bars and night clubs, but she is held back by the fear of being blemished by her church. In a related development, the gospel singer has also released a new song ‘Nzakomeza’ (I will go on) which she is currently promoting through media.
After spending years dropping out of the local film industry to deal with marriage issues and a hard divorce, Gahongayire also said she is planning her return to film acting and pursue professional music education to step-up her game on the international gospel scene.
It’s been quite a long since she last released a song but gospel ‘songbird’ Gaby Kamanzi, recently broke the silence when she released her new single, dubbed “Emmanuel,” a Christmas song.
The track that has over 31,000 views and more than 1700 likes so far, on her YouTube channel since it was premiered on December 2020, has left her fans mesmerized. Some of them even remarked that the song has actually blessed them, while others appreciated the message behind the song. Others just kept encouraging her to keep on producing good music.
In an interview with the vocalist, the singer made it clear that “Emmanuel” is her comeback song because, since last year, her wish was to release a number of songs. However, her plan was a bit ruined as this year she was anticipating organizing a concert, and at least release three songs, but then Covid-19 ensued.
The songstress said that what inspired the writing of her new song, was to usher people to worship and praise Jesus, as she reflected on Matthew 1: 23 that says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Kamanzi noted, “Now that we have God in our lives, there’s no need to worry, even if we encounter difficult glitches, or this pandemic, we have God with us, in us, surrounding us, which is why we ought to trust Him. Let’s welcome Him again to reign in our lives, this Christmas period.”
Before “Emmanuel”, the songster had last unveiled a song entitled, “Mu Mutima” with singer, Holy Keane, in February 2020.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t promote the song as planned because shortly after it was released, Rwanda announced a total lockdown. Kamanzi is contemplating on releasing her second album next year, which the song “Emmanuel”, will be a part of. It will also include some of her already released songs like, “Arankunda”, “Nzahora Nshima”, “Ewe Mungu”, “Mu Mutima”, “Hejuru”, among others.
The songbird has also decided to use her YouTube channel to offer vocal training to anyone yearning to learn how to sing. She has no doubt that by God’s grace, next year she will start organizing meetings with people physically to further her vocal lessons.
In July, Kamanzi started a 15-minute live worship encounter on her YouTube channel. She said, her pianist and her, flow in worship and prayer as the Holy Spirit guides them. So far, the public has embraced the worship session where they join in to worship the Lord together with her.
Celebrated gospel star Gabby Kamanzi drops a new song dubbed ‘Emmanuel’ to keep her fans hooked as they celebrate the end of year 2020.
The new song features on Gabby’s upcoming new album slated to be launched early 2021 and it sends out message of having faith in God despite the situation one is facing whether bad or good to always praise the almighty God.
The singer who is managed by Moriah Entertainment promised to drop more music before the launch of the new album and gave an insight about the new song ‘Emmanuel’.
“In this song I want to remind people that God is with them in every situation they might be facing and they should always have faith in him. Let’s all have trust in Jesus and give him all our burden because he is always with us,” says Gabby Kamanzi.
Gabby has been an active member of the gospel music community for the past nine years. She is considered one of the most popular female music star in the country with lots of awards under her belt.
She has been also a leader in church and through her gospel music, she has inspired the youth to be devoted to working for God rather than engaging in bad habits like abusing drugs.
The ‘Amahoro’ hit maker released her maiden album Ungirira Neza in 2013. She is known in the industry for her strong vocal ability and being a perfectionist when it comes to releasing an album hence being branded as a Queen of gospel music for years in the country.
She has also represented Rwanda in various gospel festivals across the region and abroad as well as teaming up with other gospel artists across the globe.
Gospel songstress Clementine Uwitonze famous on stage as Tonzi confessed that her daughter and husband choose for her what to put on every time she goes out of the house. Tonzi who is considered to be a pioneer of modern gospel music in the country disclosed the information live at KT Radio’s evening program Dunda show.
Tonzi is known for a sense of fashion when it comes to choosing perfect outfits whenever she hits the stage or makes appearances.
“I have this daughter who is a stylist of the family and believe me, she is the one that dresses me up whenever I am going for a concert. My husband also has that thing of fashion and their combination makes me look fashionable whenever I move out of the house. I just love it,” says Tonzi.
The singer appeared at the studios of KT Radio donning matching green pants and top as well as a matching pink necklace and bracelet. Tonzi had come to the studio to premiere her new song dubbed Ushimwe, carrying a message of thanking the Lord for giving life to whoever listens to the song.
Her debut singles such as Nzajya Ngusingiza, Humura, and Sijamuvako made her a household name as far as gospel music is concerned in the country. Having grown up in a Christian family, Tonzi credits her singing skills from the early choir and school performances that transformed her into a big gospel music star.
Born in Goma, DR Congo, the mother of two started her music journey at the tender age of 10, singing in the Adventist church choir.
She is also an original member of “The sisters” girl band that included her, Gabby Kamanzi, Aline Gahongayire, and Fanny, the group she dropped to launch her own solo career.
Tonzi then went ahead as a solo artist and released her maiden album ‘Humura’ in 2007, at Hotel Des Milles Collines. The album launch was fully attended, making her a queen of gospel music at the time. She has now more than 100 hit singles, seven albums, and a new upcoming album she is working on.
The singing duo of Ben Serugo and Chance Mbanza are arguably some of the most admired gospel artists on the scene. The team’s composition skills make them stand out as the brains behind some of the biggest songs by gospel bands, Alarm Ministries and Joyous Melody, after their own.
“I once talked to a person asking her why she had not attended an online service, and she told me that she was busy watching a movie, then I realized people nowadays are spending their time on screens,” recalls Mbanza.
This was at the beginning of last year and it was then that the couple resolved to impact society through their drama series, Ibihe Series, and what better time than the Covid-19 lockdown that occurred in early 2020.
The drama series, the couple said, coincided with their concerns over the divorce escalation in the country, hence a wake-up call to take action.
“Divorce is another ‘pandemic’ that very many people do not realize has already spread. We want to see people living harmoniously because if families are torn apart, it affects all aspects of life, including the society and the country at large,” commented Serugo.
“That is how we came up with an educational series on our YouTube platform to address the conflicts that arise in nowadays families leading to divorce,” he added before Mbanza chipped in;
“We couldn’t only use songs to reach all masses of people because some people do not enjoy gospel songs, but most of them are on social media platforms. So we used a movie to attract them and deliver a message throughout.”
Ibihe series started streaming online during the lockdown but is among the most-watched local YouTube movies because of how it tackles family issues and challenges affecting Christians today.
The Amarira hitmakers expect their film to unite torn apart families, decrease cases of violence, and restore people’s lives. The couple also urged everyone to use their talents to help restore families that are torn apart in Rwanda and play their role in contributing to society’s development.
RataJah Naychah, real name Columbus Nduwayo, is a gospel singer, music composer, and instrumentalist who had a horrendous upbringing after he lost both his parents to cancer when he was just. His background, however, did not stop him from evangelizing using his passion; instead, it created a clearer goal for his ministry.
He started his music career in 1998 after getting saved, and is currently, a worship team leader, music composer and an experienced drum player. A businessman on the other side of life advanced, RataJah’s career as a member of Justified Band that featured famous music stars like The Ben and Lick Lick, among others, but started his solo career in 2010.
After becoming a born-again Christian, he realized a problem in church services. The majority of the youth were not enjoying the music played at church services and he wanted to change this so they could enjoy coming to church.
“I wanted to create a divine environment for the youth in the church. Why are young people lost in church? Because of the old genres that they cannot relate with. That is why I try to infuse genres, to make them feel like they belong and comfortable in churches,” he explained.
The Hindura hitmaker quoted Bible verses explaining that whether you are a Greek or Jew, circumcised or not, Jesus is for everybody.
“Jesus cannot praise himself. What pleases him is seeing people doing that in every area of life, and not just in one genre. God loves diversity, so we should endeavor to worship him in different ways genres,” the 30-year-old added.
That is how he came up, as an artist, with different genres, Reggae, Dancehall, and contemporary afro-fusion, for his songs namely; Ukiwa Nami, Hindura and a collaboration Faith Mussa, Imigongo.
A current worship leader at Women Foundation Ministries, he recounted how some believers neglected some of his songs, calling them secular.
“But as for me, any genre which glorifies and honors God, it is okay”
The young man who considers music as his daily routine has future prospects of becoming a global musician impacting the community using the youth, whom he considers as veins and arteries of society. His stage name RataJah is a combination of Kinyarwanda and Hebrew to mean ‘Praise God.’
THE YEAR 2021 could be the year another band vanishes off the Rwandan music scene and never to be heard of again, after reports that the rock gospel band Beauty for Ashes could be no more.
Following the launch of a solo career by Olivier Kavutse, the band’s leader and founder, reports suggest that the music outfit founded in 2010, like other Rwandan groups in recent years, could be headed to its last days.
EMMANUEL SIBOMANA a.k.a Vox is an upcoming gospel music artiste who believes that through his music, he is going to minister many souls and encourage others in the Lord. At a young age, Vox started singing in 2013 as part of choirs and ministries such as True Promises ministry, and Light of the Earth ministry. His solo career however started in 2019, immediately after he was done with high school.
“When you sing from your heart and pass the right information to your fans or public, the probability of your work being sold are higher than when you simply do it focusing on the business side of it,” he said.
He added that his aspirations are to one day become an international gospel worshiper. So far, he has already released his solo called ‘Musaraba’, and has another one that features Adrien Misigaro, known as ‘Narabohowe’.
The singer is also expecting to join his university soon, which he said means he will be juggling both studies and music because they are all important as far as his career is concerned.
About his new song
According to Sibomana, he is currently working on a new song ‘Amahoro’ which means peace, featuring Mani Martin.
He said that as the name suggests, the song is all about peace, inspired by his past, when he found peace after a long time of struggling in life as a person.
“Growing up, I faced a lot of challenges in life and I didn’t know where to find peace. At the moment, I feel like my heart is at peace because of salvation and this is the reason I decided to sing something about finding peace of mind,” he said. He added that the song is also an inspiration to others who are going through different hardships to always have faith in God because he is able to give them peace of mind.
VUMILIA MFITIMANA, 24, is an upcoming gospel artiste who purposed to use her talent to preach the gospel, having been trained to sing by her mother at a tender age.
In ‘Izindi Mbaraga’, gospel singer Aline Gahongayire and Niyo Bosco are instilling hope in the hopeless and strength for the weak that there is good future after all… and people are already loving the spiritual message that the song carries.
‘Gospel Cypher’ is an all-star Hip Hop song that features eight top local rappers namely Bull Dogg, The Pink, Blaise Pascal, Ga-Yell, NPC, Philip Sendi, JeJeh Uomo Fuoco and Canada-based Bright Patrick.
"Even if the road is difficult, I will continue the journey and I will not stop, I will continue until I reach that level. These are some of the key words in Prosper Nkomezi's new song 'Nshoboza' which came out with his footage.
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