Tom Close's journey as an artiste and doctor

Thomas Muyombo aka Tom close is one of the most popular singers in Rwanda. Profoundly a down to earth guy, Muyombo has a unique persona who perceives life from a different lens. What he possesses is beyond talent as the 29-year-old is not only an incredible musician but also a professional medical doctor, a writer and illustrator. Born in Uganda, the singer moved to Rwanda at the age of seven and that marked the start of his efficacious ride to success. It was in 2004 that the singer first stepped into a recording studio and that was it, he was changing the face of Rwanda’s music industry, ‘Tom Close’ is now a household name especially in the RnB genre. His choice to join the music industry was more of destiny than him choosing that particular path. “I don’t remember sitting one day and deciding to become a musician, it was always a part of my life since I was a young kid. I sang in church choirs and after that I found myself wanting to go to the studio that was in 2004 when I started recording,” Muyombo says. The journey, he had embarked on was surely not an easy one with scarcely any resources to back up the industry then, even getting a studio for recording was a hustle. “It wasn’t very easy like it is today, getting a good studio was as hard as getting a good producer but we had to go to any studio as long as it recorded music.” Recording a song meant spending nights on a queue waiting on one’s turn to record. “I remember the first time I went to record, I spent the whole day there waiting for my turn but I didn’t record till late in the night, it was a hustle. I also didn’t have money by then but the passion I had for music was overwhelming I didn’t see that as a challenge. My first salary after high school was Rwf30.000 and to record a song was 40.000 so I had to wait for two months to start recording, but I was patient.” Promoting skills for music was still low as he points out, even getting a song out of the studio would take ages, surviving in the music industry was indeed for the fittest. “It could take over four months for a song to come out of studio, I remember lying to the producer back then that I had a brother who stayed abroad and that he wanted to start up a studio for me. I then promised him to be my producer when the deal broke through if only he could help me get the necessary equipment. It was a trick for him to finish my song fast and it worked out,” he reminiscences with a grin. His break through Muyombo’s suave and silky voice made his fans fall madly and deeply in love with his music. By the year 2008, his songs were playing frequently on airwaves and the superstar’s rise to fame was unreservedly paved. His songs graced almost all radio stations and hits such as Sibeza, Kuki, Mbwira engrossed people’s hearts. Sinarinkuzi was another booming hit which he did with his cousin Ben Mugisha notably known as The Ben. The singer attributes his breakthrough not only to hard work but also to the then conducive environment that was availed for a promising artiste. “Everyone was aiming at promoting Rwandan music by then, people had passion for what they were doing, money plus fame hadn’t come in between and it was easy for one especially if they had something nice to break through.” “Besides I was determined and I always put God first in what I did, whenever I go on stage I first take a few minutes and pray, I always pray for my performances,” he says. The singer says that though things are a bit different now with alot of competition, it’s the best way to amplify the music industry. “Everyone loves it when there is little competition but I also love this situation, more artistes have joined the game however for one to succeed they should not see music as a source of income but rather something done mostly out of passion. The good thing now is that Rwandan music is more appreciated and it’s easier for one to get support.” ‘Zero distance’ in the making Eddy Kenzo came up with the idea of us doing a song together when I had gone to perform in Uganda back in 2013. We later did the song and only decided to release it last year, the singer discloses. Apart from doing business together, the singers became close friends. “Kenzo became a good friend, he is a very humble guy who doesn’t drink or smoke and one of the best artists someone can take inspiration from that’s why I learnt a lot from him.” Muyombo, the family man The star prefers being unique to doing what others do and regardless of his age, celebrity status and enormous responsibilities, the singer thought it wise to settle and start up his own family. Tom Close and his wife Tricia on their wedding day. (Courtesy) “I don’t take life as a job but rather the way I have to live and even if I wasn’t an artist or doctor I would still live it. Everyone does get married at some point so for me, being a family man is part of the life I have to live.” Though the singer has endless responsibilities, he puts his family first. “I love my family and always try to be a good father and husband. I would love to see my daughter joining the music industry when she grows up, that is if she loves it because I wouldn’t influence her, I would let her choose her path.” Tom Close through the medical lens Few would manage to pursue a tough career as medicine and then soar in a highly demanding field as the music industry, but the superstar has beaten odds. He is successful at both and has immense passion for what he does. Being a medical doctor was a dream he had right from childhood and it sprung from the need he had to cure his mother’s chronic ulcers. “I promised myself and my mum that I was going to become a doctor when I grow up, by then I was seven years old. Mother used to suffer from ulcers and me being so close to her always made me feel bad seeing her suffer, so I promised her that one day when I grow up even if it meant discovering a medicine I would do it for her to heal and I grew up with that in me.” The most important decision I made in my life was taking up medicine as a career, the singer says. “I find fulfillment in what I do because taking care of people is a craving, whenever I would go to the maternity ward to help a woman deliver, after delivering the baby I would take a few seconds to have a moment with them,” he reminisces. Future plans The singer plans on pursuing a masters degree but is not yet decided in which field. He also plans on making more music till one of his offspring takes over. “I plan on stopping doing music when one of my kids joins the industry by then I would be their manager.”

Lifestyle

Tom Close's journey as an artiste and doctor