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Church hosts event to showcase Rwanda gospel artistes

Friday February 24 2017
concert

Worshipers at a gospel event held in Kigali. PHOTO | ANDREW KAZIBWE

Local gospel musicians are decrying meagre earnings from their music and many are opting to go into secular music, which they say offers better prospects.

However, Kigali’s Redeemed Christian Church of God (City of David) has come up with an event to show support for these artistes.

The church, which has roots in Nigeria, opened its Rwandan centre at City Blue Hotel in Kacyiru, last year September. On February 19, the church paid health insurance (Mutuelles de Sante ) for 100 families in Gasabo district.

It is now planning to host Rwandan Praise, an event that seeks to recognise and appreciate local gospel musicians.

The church aims to bring these musicians together in a collaborative project and promote their music and talent.

Local musicians have been complaining about not getting support from their churches as many struggle to record and market their music.

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They also complain of being paid little or nothing at all after performing at church events.

Taiwo Adebambo, a pastor at Kigali’s Redeemed Christian Church of God, said the project aims to provide artistic channels of growth for the musicians, from studio bookings, rehearsals, recordings, album promotion to holding local and international music tours.

This should see an increase of collaborative projects.

New album

Rwandan Praise was started by Serge Iyamuremye and seeks to bring together up-and-coming and established gospel musicians to compose praise and worship songs.

The project has registered 15 musicians, so far, and they will work on a joint album each year.

The church plans to organise a launch later this year for the album that will come from the praise event.

“It is hard to estimate how much will be invested in this project, but we hope to create value for gospel music,” said pastor Adebambo.

The entrance fee for the event will be Rwf5,000.

For a long time, gospel artistes have struggled to produce and market their music and even those who perform in concerts have not been better off because most of the events have been free.

“Churches should help gospel musicians without the artistes having to ask for it,” said Iyamuremye, who believes that such joint projects will encourage churches to support artistes.

Alice Mutoni, alias Toni, who is also involved in Rwandan Praise, said the event will improve musicians’ lives and welfare.

“This is a great opportunity to bring together different gospel artistes with varied experience.

The event seeks to highlight their talent and value and I believe it will take Rwandan gospel music to a global level,” said Gilbert Irakiza, another offical of Rwandan Praise.

“We are looking to change people’s lives spiritually and the church plans to host activities that are focused on education, health, sports, arts, culture and entertainment,” said pastor Adebambo.

He added that the church hopes to fly in health experts to offer residents free breast cancer screening and treatment, later this year.