Multipurpose. That was Cyprien Rwabigwi’s response when asked what adjective best describes him. Rwabigwi, 51, is indeed a man of many different hats: educationist, singer, composer, instrumentalist, author, TV talk-show host and businessman. He’s also a former soldier and judge.
A father of five, Rwabigwi is co-founder and Managing Director of Mother Mary School Complex, an international school located in Kibagabaga, Kigali.
"Everything I do is straight from the heart,” says the holder of a Bachelors of Law, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Development Studies. He also holds a certificate in education he obtained in Bukavu, DR Congo.
Yet, life could have taken a radically different path for the ‘Nkubone’ hitmaker, who also heads RIPERF, a platform of private education providers that promotes the French language.
"I think problems are a good teacher. Had my parents not become refugees and if I did not lose them when I was so young, at just three, maybe I could not have ended up joining the military,” he says, reflecting on his childhood back on Idjwi Island in DR Congo, where he was born, and later in Bukavu where he joined his elder sister following the death of their parents.
The family had fled Rwanda to Idjwi during the 1959 colonial-instigated ethnic violence. They were originally from Ishange, Cyangugu in present-day Rusizi District.
"If I did not encounter hardship early on I’d probably not have had the tenacity to take advantage of the opportunities that came my way later on,” says the devout Catholic. "People should not fear problems but face them and figure out how to bounce back stronger.”
Rwabigwi joined the then Rwanda Patriotic Army in late 1993 before he was discharged in 1998. "I wanted to go back to school and contribute in other ways,” he says. He subsequently enrolled at Kigali Independent University (ULK) where he obtained his law degree and later Mount Kenya University for his two master’s degrees (an MBA and an MDS).
He went on to work in the judiciary, serving as a judge at the intermediate level in Huye from 2004-2008.
‘A country’s strength lies in its education’
In the meantime, he and two others – his wife, Clare Masozera, and Angelique Muhongayire – established a school, Mother Mary School Complex, in October 2005.
When the school subsequently opened its doors, initially attracting 23 day-care and nursery learners, in January 2006, Rwabigwi did not immediately quit his legal profession, serving until 2008. During that two-year period, his wife, Clare Masozera, served as the managing director.
Fifteen years later, the school has come of age, counting nearly 1000 students across all sections, from nursery through to A-Level.
Earlier, the couple had also served as teachers at Green Hills Academy, which sits on a hill overseeing Mother Mary.
Asked why he ultimately ventured into the education sector as an entrepreneur, Rwabigwi says, "the strength of a country is founded on strong education.”
He largely credits his attitude toward work and professional passions to a difficult childhood. "Everything that I am today is the product of my past struggles,” he tells The New Times. "My experience with the liberation struggle is also critical to my thought process.”
"Over the years, I have learnt that there is always an opportunity in whatever challenge life throws at you. Even this pandemic has helped us to steep ourselves in technology and to embrace healthy habits.”
But how can a person be so versatile – from churning out more than 20 gospel songs a year to building a school that offers children a solid foundation academically and in high moral values.
"There is no contradiction,” he says. "For instance, my background as a young scholar in the Jesuit system and my commitment to Catholic values have in part informed our emphasis on discipline among our students.”
He adds: "These principles are also ingrained in the ethos and philosophy of (Rwanda Patriotic Front’s) liberation struggle: to save, serve and develop.”
School-based recording studio
Meanwhile, Rwabigwi has recently transformed what used to be his office as the school managing director into an impressive on-campus recording studio, complete with all manner of studio gear and musical instruments such as pianos, guitars, violins and drums.
The venue was an unlikely setting of our sit-down interview last week – a soundproof room in the heart of a busy academic environment, where students and teachers alike are occasionally moving up and down the hillside terrain going about their daily routine.
Next door, two classes are sitting their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level exams.
"Normally, I am not even allowed to pass here when exams are on,” he whispers to us as we tip-toe past the candidates, to a fully loaded recording facility, the venue of our interview.
Students at the school during class.
This is the place where the school proprietor-cum-artiste does his music production and produces his weekly talent-promoting show for the recently launched Pacis TV, the first Catholic-owned television station in the country.
Inculcating practical skills, high moral values…
"Sometimes we host gospel music groups here for my weekly show,” he says. "They are mostly underground musicians and the idea is to promote their talent and contribution to the gospel movement.”
Besides hosting the Sunday spiritual talent show, Rwabigwi is also the head of mobilisation for the Christian broadcaster.
"Students too have access to this studio because we are in the business of empowering young generations,” he says. But it comes with additional cost for those interested in really honing their skills playing musical instruments.
"I can’t separate education and music. For me, music is a passion, so is educating young people and serving my country.”
He believes that education is more than just accumulating academic qualifications. "It’s about practical skills, learning a skill, soft skills and moral values.”
His 2017 song ‘Nkubone’ is his most popular composition to date, drawing nearly 3.6 million views on YouTube.
To the youth, the educationist says they should desist from things that distract them and identify what they need to make it in life. "It is never too early to do the right thing and to pursue your dream…when you lose the start you can also lose the end.”
Advice to young people
Young people, he says, should also be patient and consistent.
"My music career started way back before I even contemplated going solo and putting my compositions out. I started out in church, as a choir member and leading choirs in the Church,” he says.
His compositions are of different genres, from classical music to reggae to zouk.
Mother Mary School Complex which he co-founded.
Some of his compositions are hymns and Psalms songs that are sung in the Church, which he authors in the form of a ‘Carnet de Shant’. These particular songs are released in different volumes, known as Tomes de Shant. He’s so far released two volumes and is working on the third, he says.
Besides sacred music which he’s mostly known for, Rwabigwi has also released secular and semi-profane songs. One of his most recent secular songs, ‘Umuja Wa Africa’, seeks to promote Africa’s unity, while ‘La Politique d’Amour’, underscores the importance of love and peaceful coexistence in nation-building. Both videos were shot at the Kibagabaga-based school.
Yet that is not all that Rwabigwi is involved with. He also owns a restaurant and a bakery in Kimironko, which supply the school with meals and snacks and serve the community as well.
"Everything that I do somehow feeds into the other, it’s all integrated,” he says.
Asked about future plans, he grins before noting: "There are grand plans ahead, both for the school and my music. We are planning a major facelift of this campus and to build another one in Gahanga (Kicukiro).
"I also intend to do more and better gospel songs, it is not only about serving people spiritually, there is also money involved, it’s a revenue stream with great potential.”
"The future has never looked brighter for the people of Rwanda, especially our young people. They just need to keep learning and working hard.”