Rwandan singer and songwriter Josiane Uwineza, better known as Miss Jojo, has opened up about the career break that brought one of Rwanda's most successful music journeys to an end, saying the decision was deliberate, deeply personal and one she has never regretted. The singer became a household name in the Rwandan music industry since breaking into music in 2007. She is best know for her iconic tracks like ‘Tukabyine’, ‘Siwezi’, ‘Mbwira’, ‘Nganirira’, ‘Beletilida’, to mention a few. She took a break in 2012 after releasing her album “Woman” which she launched at Gikondo Expo grounds. To her, it was a goodbye to a career she had loved to pursue. Speaking in an interview with Igihe, the celebrated artiste revealed that she had planned her departure long before she stepped away from the spotlight. She recalled that her final concert at Expo Grounds was always intended to be her last. I made the decision to quit music knowing exactly what I was doing. I felt I had accomplished what I set out to do with music. Even my last concert, which I held at Expo Grounds, I knew it was going to be my last, and I put everything into it, telling myself I needed to leave my signature there, she said. For Miss Jojo, leaving music was not about walking away from success but about closing a chapter she believed had fulfilled its purpose. “Then I left music, telling myself that I felt I had done what I needed to do, and it was time to move into the next steps of my life, she said. That next chapter led her away from the stage and into humanitarian work and professional employment. Holding a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the former National University of Rwanda, Miss Jojo said she wanted to build a career beyond entertainment while using her education in a more conventional work environment. So I moved into other things — I started an NGO to help young people develop themselves. And as someone who had studied, I also wanted a regular job,” she said. “I wanted to get used to working in an office setting and build my career as a professional,” she said. “I worked in that space for close to five years, doing work that didn't necessarily put me in the public eye, which is exactly what I wanted, because as an artiste, if you don't have something to ground you, to keep you low-key for a while, social media and fame can distract you.” She described stepping away from music as both a career decision and an act of faith. So you see, stopping music was a decision I made deliberately. I had thought it through, and God helped me follow through with it, she said. Looking back, she says what matters most is not the fame she enjoyed but the legacy she left behind. What pleases me most even now is that I was able to leave music with a good image among people, with respect. A message-driven career Miss Jojo burst onto the music scene in 2007 after winning the National University of Rwanda Rector's Excellence Award for Best Female Artiste. A year later, she won the Pearl of Africa Music Award for Best Rwandan Female Artiste, helping raise Rwanda's profile on the regional music scene. She released her debut album, Genesis, in 2008 before following it with Woman in 2012, which became her final album before stepping away from music. She said her mission from the beginning was to create music that inspired girls and women, even as the industry increasingly rewarded more provocative content. I started out wanting to give a message to girls and women, to walk a good path. But I realised that if I made songs that were too controversial, it wouldn't look right, which is why I started with 'Mbwira', which was my first song, she said. Mbwira became one of the defining songs of her breakthrough, followed by hits such as Inshuti, which cemented her status as one of Rwanda's leading female artistes in the late 2000s and early 2010s. She is also known for popular songs including Tukabyine, Siwezi, Nganirira and Beletilida. Addressing the rumours Miss Jojo also dismissed long-standing claims that marriage or religion forced her to leave music. I stopped making music in 2012, and I got married in 2017. I also didn't convert to Islam because of my husband, and being Muslim isn't what made me leave music either, because I converted to Islam in 2009 and continued singing as a Muslim, she said. She also spoke about criticism she received over her modest style of dress, saying it reinforced her decision to step away once she felt her message had reached its audience. I would meet many fans who asked me why I dressed the way I did. I wore long clothes that didn't expose my body, and it would upset me because I didn't feel they had any say over how I dressed, she said. From the stage to Igikari More than a decade later, Miss Jojo, now 40 and a mother, says she has no desire to return to the music industry. Instead, she has channelled her passion into Igikari Holiday Camp, a non-profit initiative designed to provide teenage girls and young women with a safe space to discuss the challenges they face. The programme focuses on issues such as family conflict, gender inequality, mental health and sexual health, offering mentorship, peer support and guidance rather than formal training. What we intend to offer is a safe space to discuss those challenges. It is not about training but rather listening to them. This will give them hope, guidance and a sense of purpose, she said. She said the years away from public life allowed her to develop the initiative while prioritising her family. After taking a break from music, I just gave enough time to my own things — behind the curtains — including my family. During this time, I decided to come up with a support system, specifically for the youth, to create a safe space and brighter future for them, she said. According to Miss Jojo, today's young people are surrounded by information but often lack the mentorship needed to process it. They lack enough mentorship on how to digest that information about what is right or wrong to do, she said, citing divorce, economic hardship and the absence of parental care as some of the challenges affecting young people. She also encouraged fellow artistes to build careers and initiatives beyond music, arguing that lasting impact comes from using one's platform to serve others rather than simply remaining in the spotlight.
