Rwandan singer and songwriter Mike Kayihura has opened up about his four-year absence from the music scene, revealing that a restrictive contract prevented him from independently releasing music, as he officially launched his debut EP Intwaza held at Amahoro Stadium Lounge on Wednesday, May 15. The six-track project—featuring Nobody, Come On, You & Me featuring Boukuru, Inkuba featuring Trizzie 96, Block D and True Story—marks Kayihura’s long-awaited return since releasing Tuza in March 2022. “The obstacles that had previously stopped me from releasing music are now over,” Kayihura told the press during the EP launch. The artiste had previously disclosed that a contract he signed restricted him from independently releasing music for three years, an experience he says took a heavy mental toll on him. “Of course it affected me mentally, a lot, to the point that when I returned to the studio, I felt like I hated it,” he said. “But because of the people around me, I eventually got back up.” He urged emerging artistes to learn from his experience and pay close attention before signing professional agreements. “To artistes on the rise, take your time and read contracts before you sign, because music is also a job like any other,” he said. “A lot of people think this is just fun. It’s not just fun — it’s work. Whatever you do will affect your life for a very long time.” “Intwaza is my identity” Kayihura described the EP as deeply personal, saying the title Intwaza reflects both his identity and artistic journey. “Intwaza is my name,” he explained, adding that the songs were selected from a much larger catalogue recorded during his years away from public releases. “The tracks were many, but these are the standouts I decided to give my people,” he said. Among the songs on the project, Kayihura singled out Come On and Nobody as the most personal. “Other than Come On, Nobody is another song that is personal to me because it reflects life in Kigali and how we don’t need anybody else to find clarity within ourselves,” he noted. The singer revealed that his team played a key role in selecting Come On as the lead release ahead of the full EP. “The people I work with loved it and told me it was really good and unique—that it should come out first,” he said. Collaborations and future projects Two songs on the EP feature collaborations—You & Me with Boukuru and Inkuba with Trizzie 96. Kayihura said both artistes were chosen because of their uniqueness and creative style. He also hinted at more projects with Boukuru in the near future. Kayihura’s EP launch was attended by only invited guests and Kenyan star Bien-Aime was one of them. His presence moved the singer who said they have music projects together going on. “Bien is someone I really believe in and look up to a lot, both as a man and as an artiste,” he said. “It made me very happy to see him here.” Kayihura further revealed that he and Bien are already working on collaborative music projects together. Intwaza is now available on all major streaming platforms, with early releases from the project—including Come On—already surpassing one million views on YouTube.
