Israel Mbonyi heaps praise on the Rwandan government for helping artists do their work during the lockdown.

As the nation’s workforce continues to reel from the widespread impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic undoubtedly the pandemic has affected workers in most fields in one way or another, including job loss, reduced pay, or reduced benefits since the pandemic led to the temporary shutdowns of many businesses across the nation in March 2020. The Live Music Industry was one of the fields that were severely hit since it was deemed ‘not essential’ under the government’s restrictions, arguably one of the biggest gospel artists in the country Israel Mbonyi had something to say about working conditions under lockdown.

Israel Mbonyi is one of the artists who were very active during lockdown; speaking to Isibo TV’s Choice Live program He heaped praise on the Rwandan government for valuing and supporting Rwandan music. He praised the City of Kigali and Rwanda National Police for allowing him to continue his work under appropriate measures even though the music sector was one of the sectors that were deemed “not essential”.

“I’m truly thankful for the love and support we receive from Rwandan Government as artists. I didn’t know that I could request permission to do recording sessions for me and my team and get it. When I’m working hard I do it to help people to get great joy, and during the lockdown, people had a lot of time to listen to the good news that’s based on The Holy Scriptures.” He says.

Speaking on the rise of the Gospel music industry in Rwanda He says that there has been a major development in terms of profitability since the artists used to even recover their investments, let alone making profits. “It’s a blessing that music consumers are starting to understand that gospel artists deserve a chance like other music artists”.

Speaking on being The first beneficiary of #TwendeJerusalem, an initiative by the Israel Embassy in Rwanda and other partners to promote youth talents in creative and other critical socio-cultural aspects including performing arts. He said that it will be precious to do concerts there and that he always wanted to tour Israel the country he explains as “Holy land”.

“I will go to visit the country and to do concerts there. You can imagine it’s a great opportunity in life and we (Mbonyi and his team) are currently doing all preparations. we’re just waiting for Israel to complete the vaccination campaign then we will go”

He also had something to say about how he chooses his background singers. Mbonyi said that he doesn’t have specific criteria that he follows choosing the girl who will back him. He also says that his father is a certain role model for him.

“My father always gives me cheat codes to this life, in everything I look up to him.” He says.

You can watch Israel Mbonyi’s Baho down below.

One of the most rapidly rising gospel music bands in Rwanda, Lewis Vocal Band has released the visuals for the new song ‘Ndakwiringiye’. The visuals show a mesmerizing live performance and Lewis Vocal Band hopes the song and will bring hope and restore faith in God to those who are going through hard times.

Ndakwiringigiye boasts a message to those who have seemingly tried to no success every way to put end to their problems that they should always put their faith in God because he never fails.

In the interview with InyaRwanda, Lewis Vocal Band’s Tuyiramye Protogene speaking on the song says that this song is lyrically styled like a prayer amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues that the world is going through.

“It is a song that is lyrically written like a prayer that everybody can speak out and tell God that they still have faith in him no matter what problems they are going they are facing. We want to remind people that whilst the world is going through tough times, people have suffered but they should not lose hope or give up – they should put their faith in God and keep believing because God never betrays ” says Tuyiramye.

You can watch Ndakwiringiye by Lewis Vocal Band down below.

Koryn Hawthrone delivers a stunning live performance of her 2020 track “speak to me” In which she pleads with God to speak to her. 

For the latest edition of GRAMMY.com’s inspirational music video series, Positive vibes only, GRAMMY-nominated American Gospel singer Koryn Hawthrone takes us to church music. It was a performance that was opened by Actor Tabitha Brown with a charming dedication to the power and influence of music. In the powerful video, which you can watch in full below, Hawthrone delivers a lively rendition of her 2020 R&B-styled gospel track “speak to me” which featured on her sophomore album “I Am” which debuted at #1 on Nielsen’s current Gospel Album Chart and  #2 on Billboard’s Gospel Consumption chart.