It was an evening of glitz and glamour as gospel music lovers converged in the main auditorium at University of Rwanda –Huye Campus on Sunday, as gospel singer Israel Mbonyicyambu led a sold out session of praise and worship. The venue, which has a historical background of hosting concerts was great for the guests – the stage was well lit, sound was perfect, and the artistes impressed. The show started at nearly 4PM with Israel Mbonyi’s performance kick-starting the evening in a powerful way. The “Karame” hit maker mesmerized the crowd with amazing praise and worship songs while displaying his skills on the guitar. He belted out songs like “Nzi ibyo nibwira”, “Amaraso”, “Ndanyuzwe” and “Yankuyeho Urubanza”, just to mention but a few. His incredible vocal skills rocked the venue, but it was his interaction with the audience that helped elevate the concert beyond just performances. Singer Serge Iyamuremye. Courtesy The host, Pastor Gaudin Mutagoma, who was Mbonyi’s spiritual father back in his University days in India, later introduced the other performing artistes, starting with Prosper Nkomezi, onto the stage, as Mbonyi had just reminded the audience that Prosper Nkomezi is one of his favourite musicians in Rwanda. “The first day I heard Nkomezi’s song, I felt relieved. I thank God for raising up his servants”, he happily said. Nkomezi started off with inspiring songs, performing his own compositions like “Ibasha gukora”, “Witinya” and others. The excitement was clearly evident in the eyes of the performers, who delivered their best to the satisfaction of the audience which was mainly made up of students. The concert also featured performances by Serge Iyamuremye, who delivered an energetic performance of his hit such as “Biramvura” and “Ndi Kumwe Nawe” among others. He captivated the crowd with energy and passion as he delivered an outstanding performance as he hit high notes that got the fans hooked and singing along. Both Iyamuremye and Mbonyi are considered some of the most powerful gospel artistes in Rwanda with a huge following. The concert attracted revellers of all walks of life, not only students. It also saw some performances of upcoming artists like Dan Mugabo Gakwaya and Elie. The upcoming gospel singers were also much appreciated by the audience. Prosper Nkomezi performing./Net As the concert was about to wind up, Mbonyi came back on the stage with a different dress code. A white t-shirt and a black jacket, this time putting in a more impressive performance. He then winded up with a couple of slower songs like “Ibihe” and “Ku marembo y’ijuru.” By doing that he was able to get the audience into a worship mood as they engaged in prayer and meditation before God. Jules Sentore who also attended the concert ended up performing his song “Warakoze” with Mbonyi and told the revellers that he also saw the light. The Rwanda National Police also used the concert as an opportunity to tell Rwandans about “Gerayo Amahoro” campaign. The main auditorium was filled up and Mbonyi told the media that he was surprised by such an attendance. For an entrance fee of Rwf3, 000 and Rwf5, 000 for VIP, one would think students wouldn’t raise the amount but that was not the case.
