Gospel singer Roi G spreads wings to the region

One of Rwanda’s fast rising gospel singers Gilbert Irakiza, known by his stage name Roi G, is not just conquering Rwandan airwaves; he is also out to spread his message across the region. Last Sunday, Roi G performed in Uganda on invitation by ETM International, a Kampala-based church, where he performed before a congregation of over 7,000 believers. The Drunk of the Holy Ghost singer performed a number of his gospel songs including Iratuzi which is popular in Uganda and Iyataba Yesu among others. “It was the best experience ever because every time I perform in Uganda, Ugandans prove to be very supportive and they show love to gospel artistes. The reception surprised me,” Roi G told The New Times. After the performance, the Birashoboka singer was lifted aloft by Christians who were touched by his vocal talent and stage presence. It is not the first time the 30-year-old has performed in Uganda. In October last year, he performed at Nambole Stadium during the “Unforgettable Experience” conference where he shared the stage with global gospel music names such as Sinach, Joe Praise and Rap Nation, among others. Apart from his most recent performance in Uganda, Roi G met a number of Ugandan artistes with the aim of working on collaborative projects which will take his music beyond Rwandan borders to the region and continent in general. Among other artistes, the gifted singer met Uganda’s dynamic duo Radio and Weasel with hopes of collaborating on a gospel song in the near future. “At this point we have not put together everything but we are in touch. You will get the information in the near future,” Roi G says. He appeared on a number of Ugandan TV stations including Ark TV where he discussed his plans to grow his music, and Salt TV where he recorded a show which will be aired this Saturday at 4pm. Salt TV is available on Azam and GoTV decoders. Roi G currently has 12 songs to his name, including collaborations with Jules Sentore, and has featured in a number of songs with Papa Jesuis with Shabani, Aime Uwimana and Patient Bizimana. He has so far shot 4 videos for his songs. Having started his music journey in 2009, beside his music career, Roi G is also a worship team leader at Christ Embassy Church in Kigali and also works as a sales executive for a media company. He also uses social media to spread the gospel through written devotion and video messages targeting young persons and adults. Most of his videos can be accessed on the TNI Rwanda Facebook page. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Gospel singer Roi G spreads wings to the region