DJ PYFO loves to put on a good show. Born Christian Muhire, Pyfo is one of a few DJs that are using their disk jockeying skills to change the partying lifestyle of Kigali, by only using turntables and his good taste of music to attract huge positive moving crowds. Since the reopening of cafes and pubs, this rising deejay is always booked back to back between Kigali and Gisenyi, and has managed to bridge the gap between generations when it comes to pushing soulful and good music. Anyone that has been at Blackstone Lounge on Wednesdays, Kantona Sundays at Plazo, or Inganzo art café on Fridays can testify how the young DJ carries the sound on his back and controls the audience like the likes of Maphorisa of South Africa or DJ Tunez of New York. In an interview with The New Times, Pyfo traced his disc jockeying journey from high school in 2012 to making a hit like ‘Kantona’ that gained him a lot of attention. He said that having been elected as the school DJ when he was in secondary school opened his sight of having an impact in the creative sector of Rwanda. “I met DJ Nano in 2015 and he introduced me to the scratch music academy where I did basic training for a month and then started playing in Nano’s sessions at Ozone club,” he said. Through playing at Ozone, Pyfo said that he got introduced to DJ Africano who gave him bigger platforms and other opportunities such as playing at Mutzig Beer Fest that featured Mafikizolo and Wizkid. According to him, Beer Fest got him exposed and since then, he started getting club gigs, corporate events, concerts, weddings and many other opportunities. During the pandemic Pyfo developed his creativity and decided to go beyond disc jockeying and went on to produce and make music as a singer. The idea became successful when he released ‘Kantona’, a song that featured Kenny Kshot and ET, which later took over the streets of Kigali. Kantona’s success made Pyfo a household name in Rwanda, thus making him produce other projects including an EP and single, which will be released. Pyfo told The New Times that making Kigali music lovers dance doesn’t require a lot but playing good music at the right time. “A DJ can control his audience by playing energetic sounds that connect people. It is not just about playing, but delivering music that unites people.” “A disc jockey is a bridge between music and listeners. You can deliver all kinds of messages through music transition,” he added. He shared that there are no rules or regulations in delivering what he calls ‘Mad vibes’, but only by developing a touch that can make people happy while listening to your mixes or live sessions. Apart from playing in Pubs, Pyfo has generated a big audience on streaming platforms by adding mix tapes like “Shukutu” among many others that won the attention of many music lovers. He is part of a community that introduced a sub-genre ‘Amapiano’ in Rwanda which is at the top of the most liked music in Kigali these days. He has worked at clubs like Envy, Ogopogo, the thirsty Ape, and many more.
