Nigerian International gospel music minister and prolific songwriter, Dr Tim Godfrey offers up a brand new uplifting song titled “Iyanu a Shele,” featuring Nigerian Iconic gospel powerhouse and songstress, Tope Alabi and general overseer of the Redeemed Christian church of God, Pastor E.A Adeboye (Daddy G.O). Dr. Tim’s latest effort “Iyanu a Shele” is soul-lifting song coming from his forthcoming studio album “Already Won,” a power-packed project available now for pre-order via all major digital outlets. Speaking about the song “Iyanu a Shele”, Dr. Tim shares;
“Iyanu a Shele is a song of declaration, affirmation and prophesy. It is a song that reassures us of the promises of God and his capacity to bring it to pass in our lives. This is your Go to worship for the rest of the year.”
SAMUEL Muraya popularly known us DJ Mo says he is still ‘saved’ despite the cheating scandal to his gospel wife Size 8, that reportedly cost him his job as the resident DJ on NTV gospel show Crossover 101. DJ Mo hit the showbiz headlines in October 2020 after blogger Edgar Obare exposed him for cheating on his wife with a lady identified as Margaret Wanyama.
The lady shared her alleged intimate chats and moments with DJ Mo with the blogger including nudes.
With the scandal trending for close to two weeks attracting all kinds of trolls and public humiliation, DJ Mo’s wife of seven years Size 8 choose to forgive him ensuring their marriage remained intact.
On the other hand, due to the bad publicity brought about by the scandal, DJ Mo lost a number of deals with the most notable one being his slot as resident DJ on Crossover 101 show.
Nonetheless, the popular Disc Jockey maintains he is still in the ways of the Lord while admitting that err is to human and no one is perfect.
“First of all for the records, I am still a born-again Christian. The bloggers and people, in general, can say whatever they feel like whether true or not. But let’s stop the hypocrisy. No one should feel privileged enough to judge the other.” Says DJ Mo.
The DJ’s place on NTV has since been taken up by DJ Sons of Nations who will be co-hosting with Grace Ekirapa on the now rebranded show, Crossover.
Celebrated gospel singer Aline Gahongayire uplifts upcoming blind music star Niyo Bosco real name Bosco Niyokwizerwa by giving him a collabo of the song dubbed ‘Izindi Mbaraga’.The collabo comes following Niyo’s wish back in 2019, when he was asked which artists he wishes to record a song with and he simply replied Aline Gahongayire in a live interview.
According to Aline Gahongayire, the new song gives hope to people facing disheartened situations.
“We aimed at giving hope to people facing hardships in their lives to have faith in God because there will be a good future and a bright day. Niyo Bosco is talented and being blind didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream career, that’s having faith and hope,” says Aline Gahongayire.
The young talented singer Niyo is one of the upcoming artists doing well on music scene with songs like Seka, Ubigenza Ute, Ibanga and Imbabazi. So far, he has managed to win huge fans across the country including established musicians like The Ben and Gahongayire himself through his strong vocals.
According to Niyo, it’s a dream come true working with Aline Gahongayire, who is among his best artists in the music arena.
“She has a good heart, she is very caring with that urge to help others see their dreams come true. I have always wanted to record a song with her and God has made it happen,” he said.
Niyo was born in Nyamasheke district back in 2000 in a family of 8 siblings. In 2006, his family relocated to Kigali city for greener pastures.After senior three, Niyo decided to put a hold on his usual studies and decided to pursue music. The singer is good at playing piano.
Popular Rwandan choir, Ambassadors of Christ, has for the longest time been family for Sarah Sanyu Uwera, one of its lead vocalists. She joined the choir in 2006 as a teenager in high school, and together they have grown in leaps and bounds, to claim accolades and music tours across the region.
“I was overwhelmed by the support I got on my wedding day. I had many people reach out to me on different social media platforms asking why I don’t have any of my songs out yet. That is when I thought ‘why not start a solo career?’ I recorded and released my first solo song on YouTube. I want to see how the message in my songs impacts society,” she says.
The song, ‘Mwana Wanjye’, she shares stemmed from her love for children. In the song, Uwera gives counsel to a child to keep their values.
“My song covers the message a parent wants to give their children. I am a new mother. I recently gave birth to my firstborn so my love for my child gave me the inspiration to write this song. I wrote this song especially for the parents out there who have only the best at heart for their children,” she explains.
In five days, the audio has already garnered over 9,000 views on YouTube with many in the comment section praising the singer on a beautiful song.
“The comments and views I received on my YouTube channel gave me the strength and courage to go on. I realised that the message in my song is bringing a positive influence, as many parents wrote to me expressing their gratitude. I plan on composing more songs that will comprise both Gospel and lifestyle messages.
“I have a lot in store for my fans, I have some songs that are still in the studio that are yet to be released and I will be making a video for my song that I have already released. I will continue to release more songs and make many albums,” she says.
Although as a choir she sings mainly in Kinyarwanda, their songs are loved by many across the region.
“Having a fan base in different countries really humbled me and boosted my confidence that I can be able to communicate with everyone and give my fans what they want.”
As such, the singer assures her fans that even if she succeeds as a solo singer she has no intentions of leaving the choir.
“I am still in the choir and it is safe to say I will never leave it. Being part of the choir doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t showcase your talent so that society can benefit from your talent,” she says.
She adds that as a choir, they travel a lot across East Africa and overseas and seeing the impact their songs have on people keeps them grounded.
“It means a lot to us when we get invites from people all over the world and the reception we get from them. It shows how powerful the message we convey is. We thank God for everything, our progress. It gives us the strength to move on and compose more songs for our fans,” she says.
Most memorable experience
“The most memorable time for me I would say is the 2011 car accident. I was among the survivors of the car crash, but we were deeply saddened by the loss of our friends. We have kept strong, we are a family, stayed together and supported each other.
“I would say being in the choir has been a great help, especially with my singing talent, it has helped me improve day by day,” she says of her experience.”
Favourite songs
“I have many, there is a way we release songs in clusters and with each cluster I have a favourite. I would say my favourite songs for now, are “Nzazana iki?” and “Yesu we”. The reason I love these songs so much is because they are praise songs that express the gratitude people have for God’s works and I have so many praises in my heart,” she says.
Those who knew Gael Tunga Rutembesa as a student at the University of Rwanda in Huye District, currently Huye District, know the kind of person he was. Rutembesa, 34, is a gospel rapper whose music is inspired by his past, including his years at university as a playboy, a drug user, and a drunken young man. But the story behind his switch to gospel music is undoubtedly a lesson for everyone who lives the same life.
The rapper who uses Ga-Yell as his stage name decided to do gospel music to share his life experience and inspire those who might be living the same life he used to live to make them change.
The gospel rapper, 34, told The New Times that he regrets the time lost during his university days before he surrendered his life to God in 2012. “I liked to party a lot, drink, smoke cigarettes, drugs…, weed was the only drug, and sleeping around with girls,” he narrates.
“My university years were the darkest years of my life because I was living a dark life and it was killing me inside. But now I gave it to Christ, it changed my mind, soul renewed and made clean,” he added.
Ga-Yell says nobody advised him to change. It was just a matter of time before he gave his life a new direction.
When he finished university in 2012, he returned to Kigali to start a new life after school, got a job but kept living the same lifestyle while in University, including sleeping with girls with no intention of getting into a relationship because he thought it would spoil his fun.
One day, he got a pregnancy scare and he felt like it was over for him.
“That wasn’t my first pregnancy scare, but that time around, it was different because I thought: ‘if this girl gets pregnant, her school is going to stop for a while. I felt like a roadblock in her life journey, on one hand, and, on the other hand, I really didn’t know how I was going to support her because I was not ready to become a father, especially not someone I was not going to marry,” he recalls.
The situation the rapper was going through reminded him that he could find the right solution through prayer, his rare habit then, as growing up, he merely attended a Catholic Church only on Easter or Christmas.
That time around, however, he went to his room when no one at home, and prayed to God.
“A wave came by and covered me from my head all the way to my toes. In one second I was in total peace and I knew that I was touched by God. Even if I doubted, I could not doubt what happened to me in a second. That moment I knew God told me ‘I forgive you but it’s time to change your life,” he said.
A week later, the girl called Ga-Yell and told him she was not pregnant and, since then, he has been spreading the word of God through music that mostly shares his life’s journey.
“I gave my life to Christ and that was when I realized that my life is for a purpose and my love for music and telling stories inspired me to share what God has done for me in my life. The main reason I do gospel music is to show people that God is real because He is working,” he said.
The journey
Before Ga-Yell switched to Gospel music, he was an underground rapper in secular music.
But after deciding to carry on his career in gospel music, things couldn’t click right away. He had to wait for some time to settle for a new life and figure out how to thrive in an industry dominated by the likes of Israel Mbonyi, Patient Bizimana, and Serge Iyamuremye among others.
“The journey has been up and down. It took me long to experience new styles of music, learning about the music industry,” he said.
In the meantime, Ga-Yell took some time off to build a life with a wife he married in 2018 before returning to the studio, in 2019, consistently investing his time recording songs that comprise of his debut album, ‘What You Got’, which he dropped the same year.
As the first gospel rapper in Rwanda, the name Bright Patrick is not new on Rwanda’s gospel music industry. But ever since the singer departed for Toronto, Canada to pursue further studies in global health, fans haven’t heard any fresh music from him. The rapper, who is now working on a comeback in Canada, spoke to Eddie Nsabimana about his plans for music.
What kept you busy in Canada?
I was in school and right after it took me a while to transition from school to outside life. Also, I was looking for studios to partner with but I was all set in 2019.
What’s it like doing music abroad?
I would say tough, mostly for two reasons: It is expensive and it requires resources, especially when it comes to visuals. Another challenge is the promotion of music, which is even harder when you are away from home and want to market your music locally.
Do you think Rwanda’s gospel music fans have forgotten your skill?
Not really. That used to be my worst fear all those years I was not doing music. However, people (fans) and the media proved me wrong. Fans would slide in my direct messages on social media to let me know how much my music is missed and if I am contemplating releasing new music—stuff like that—and this is still happening even today. So this is my main motivation, and it’s a confirmation that there are people out there who still appreciate my music and need more of it. But the interesting part is that there is a new generation that needs to listen to my music as well, I have to make sure they are served too.
How do you plan to place yourself in the hearts of your music supporters?
I will keep releasing good music and going with trends, musically, and promote my music via local media and different social platforms. I believe that when you try to bring the best out of yourself, God also blesses what you do.
WATCH THE LATEST VIDEO BY BRIGHT PATRICK HERE
Listening to worship songs by fast-rising singer Charles Kagame, one cannot help but appreciate his deep and fervent worship lyrics coupled with soothing melodies.
His newly released song “Amakuru” has already drawn attention from Christian music lovers, making him stand out among other upcoming gospel stars, as the song employs well-driven and biblically centered lyrics.
He began singing in 2006 as part of a junior choir in Karongi district, where he was appointed the choir leader. He was also appointed choir president at his secondary school in Rulindo district, and at the end of 2019, he hit the studio to develop a solo music career.
In an interview with The New Times, Kagame disclosed that the ability to write good songs came as an answer to a vow he made a long time ago. He recalled how someone who heard him singing and advised him to record his songs, something he owed not only to himself but to God as well.
“Many years ago, I had vowed to God, that one time I will write songs that worship my Lord once I have the means, so later on, I realized that I have something I owe God, hence kick-starting my career,” he recalls.
To date, the computer scientist has written five songs after one year of his solo career. Residing in Australia since 2016, the distance from his home country brings with it challenges in terms of connecting with fans and producers of his music, although he tries to put in the effort.
“It is not easy because the production of my music is done in my absentia. So, it gives me a hard time,” she adds. Currently, the 26-year old has more songs in the pipeline, starting with his collabo with renowned gospel singer Aline Gahongayire that will be released in the near future.
Paul Muhirwa Gitwaza (born August 15, 1971) is a Rwandan preacher[1], televangelist, motivational speaker, and lecturer. He is the Senior Pastor and International President of Zion Temple Celebration Center[2]; a church that is said to be one of the fastest-growing churches in Rwanda[3] and that has impacted Africa and beyond. Gitwaza is also the founder of Authentic Word Ministries, an organization with different humanitarian activities including a megachurch; Zion temple Celebration Center, Radio and Television, Schools and Hospitals.
Gitwaza's teachings, writings, daily television and radio program are circulated through different channels and are aired worldwide via online channels.
Zion Temple Celebration Center is located in different districts, in all provinces of Rwanda, and in several cities of African nations, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Australia and the United States. Gitwaza has been seen as one of the pioneers of the return of the revival after Genocide against Tutsi in 1994 in Rwanda and has been referred to as one of the most influential[4] preachers in East Africa.
Early life and history
Apostle Dr. Paul M. Gitwaza was born in a Christian Family in the city of Uvira and grew up in the village of Bijombo (South-Kivu, DR-Congo). His father being among the first converts to the Christian faith, led by the Swedish Pentecostal missionaries raised him strictly in the way of the Lord.
Paul received Christ as His Lord and Savior at the tender age of 9, was baptized in the Holy Ghost at 12 and became a preacher at age 14.
At the age of 16 Paul received a life changing vision that would forever define his life journey on earth. In a vision, he saw a man showing him a global map, and this man told him that he would go into different nations preaching the message of the kingdom of God. Paul was very astonished because at that time, he hadn't moved from his remote village to any other place until when he would turn 18 years, in 1989.
From His Village to College
At the age of 18, he went to the University in Kisangani-D. R Congo, where he continued to seek the face of God, and gathered a few students to stand with him in pursuit of God.
In 1992, while attending regularly his daily prayers in the city of Kisangani, God revealed to him about His intention to raise an “End-Time Army” (Warriors) around the world. This mighty army would prepare people for the return of the King of Kings – the Lord Jesus Christ. However, this Ministry was yet to start.
He was instructed to tarry a bit and only start when the Lord would give instructions. God told him that this end-time revival movement would reach every corner of the world, through the mighty army of obedient servants, fully committed and equipped to invade, conquer, occupy and transform the nations for the kingdom’ sake. The army would be made of people devoted to the Lord, uncompromising in their love for the Lord despite the sufferings and persecutions they would face. In 1993, Paul relocated to Kenya from Kisangani with the ambition to pursue studies in Aviation in Australia[5] while waiting for the appointed time of God to start the promised ministry. While in Kenya he became a full-time minister.
In 1995, three years after the vision was given, The Lord began speaking to him and directing him to start the ministry. It was in that time that the Lord revealed both the name and the location of where the ministry will start. The place was Kigali, Rwanda and the Ministry would be “Authentic Word”.
Paul left Kenya and arrived in Rwanda on October 1st, 1995. This was a major life changing decision to take on during the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis. Authentic Word Ministries officially started in 1996, in humble and very difficult conditions.
Since then, the ministry has grown greatly by the Grace of God and opened doors in several countries on different continents around the globe including Africa, Europe, Asian, Oceania, and North America.
Apostle Dr. Paul M. Gitwaza holds two Doctorates; one in Theology from Alabama Trinity Seminary and another one in Ministry from International Graduate School of Ministry. At different times, he served as President and advisor to other international organizations such as the Church Council of World Relief and Peace Plan Rwanda.
Establishing the Authentic Word Ministries:
Upon Gitwaza's arrival in Rwanda, and his colleagues, they shared with many churches and ministries the message of God on Rwanda and how to build the Watchmen of the nations. Many ministries and churches embraced the vision. Organizing the “National repentance”: From October 1995 to December 1999, they took time to speak to various church leaders about the necessity of national repentance by the Rwandan churches, regarding their roles in Rwandan Genocide. After 4 Years of praying and explaining that cause, finally church leaders agreed. The gathering in Amahoro Stadium took place from the 22nd December 1999 to the 2nd January 2000. They started the event by cleaning the public places, like roundabouts every day with T-shirts written on words that read “Cleaning our city, cleaning our hearts”.
After that service, many Christians made a march up to the stadium where they gathered for crying and asking God for forgiveness. The patron of the conference was retired Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini from the Anglican church, the chairman was Reverend Antoine Rutayisire from Africa Evangelical Enterprises, and 3 coordinators: Rev. Joel Sengoga from Authentic Word Ministries, Rev. Rutunda Emmanuel from Campus for Christ, and Gitwaza himself.
Africa Arise and Shine Initiative
“Africa Arise and Shine” Also known as Africa Haguruka Conference[6] was launched for the first time in the first week of August 2000 in Kigali, according to the prophecy that God had given to Paul Gitwaza: “God remembers Africa and wants to raise her. He wants her to occupy the leading position in playing her role in the end time revival that precedes the advent of Jesus.”[7]
Africa Arise was part of the mandate given by the Lord to be launched in Rwanda after the national repentance event.
According to God's vision, Rwanda will become an incubator for the rebirth of a new and transformed Africa. Since 2000 to 2019, the main purpose of the conference was more about raising awareness and sensitizing the African people to understand God's plan for Africa and to respond to this very calling[8]. The initiative has two parts namely conference and summits.[9]
Family
Apostle Dr. Paul M. Gitwaza is married to Pastor Angelique Gitwaza and together they have three sons: Elisha, Luke and David.
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.
Rwanda Gospel is a Rwandan gospel music/ Christian Entertainment website aimed at broadcasting and promoting gospel music and Christian entertainment and values. Rwanda Gospel is a subsidiary of Moriah Entertainment Group. You can reach us via email or phone.
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