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.
In 2018, when the singer married the love of her life, her performance of the song, ‘Mukunzi’, a dedication to her husband, went viral.
It was then that she realised she had underestimated her talent and needed to do more with it.
"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.