For more than two decades, gospel musician Columbus Nduwayo, popularly known by his stage name Rata Jah Naychah, has been part of Rwanda’s gospel music scene, building a career that combines music, worship and a strong focus on reaching young people. In the early 2000s, Rata Jah Naychah was leading Sunday school sessions at his home church in Runda. He later co-founded Justified Group, which grew into an influential gospel music movement. Throughout his career, Naychah has built a reputation as a versatile musician and drummer. He has worked with several artistes, including Mani Martin, Dominic Nick Ashimwe and Alexis Dusabe, and shared the stage with international gospel musician Don Moen during Kigali Fest in 2019. He has also collaborated with several other artists, including featuring on Christafari’s song Imi Gongo and touring with artists such as Ezra Kwizera and Aline Gahongayire. For Naychah, gospel music is more than entertainment. His inspiration comes from his belief that music belongs to God and can be used to connect people with Him. Raised in church, he witnessed from an early age the role music played in worship and spiritual life. “My inspiration to create gospel music stems from the foundational truth that music intrinsically belongs to God,” he told The New Times. “Raised as a church boy, I witnessed how music served as a primary tool for spiritual communion, far exceeding the boundaries of mere entertainment.” His mission is to redefine urban gospel music by combining modern sounds with worship and spiritual messages. He wants to challenge the idea that gospel music has to follow a limited musical style, instead using urban rhythms to reach a wider audience while keeping the message centred on Christ. Naychah’s interest in songwriting began when he was 10 years old, when he wrote his first church anthem. His journey as a solo artist later produced Naganze, a live album that combines urban rhythms with prophetic worship. The album reflects his interest in a variety of musical styles, including reggae, dancehall, salsa and opera. The title Naganze, which he associates with dominion and overcoming, is also central to his vision of reaching younger generations, including Gen Z, millennials and Generation Alpha. He sees the project as both an evangelistic tool and a way of empowering young people, whom he believes can play an important role in strengthening families and communities. One of the songs that has stood out in his career is Hindura. Released during the Covid-19 pandemic, the song became a prayer for many people dealing with uncertainty and distress. Naychah also highlights Ndidegembya, which he says carries a message of salvation and freedom inspired by Scripture. He describes Mukristo as a song that stands out for its fusion of reggae and salsa, while Hindura is valued for its simplicity and accessibility to people beginning their spiritual journey. A break and a comeback worth the wait... Naychah took time away from the public side of his career to prepare the Naganze project. During this period, he focused on developing his production skills, including mixing, grouping and panning. He wanted to communicate his musical ideas more effectively to producers working with sounds that differed from the styles he was developing. The period of creative solitude helped him refine his artistic direction and shape Naganze into a project that combines his spiritual message with his technical approach to music. Despite the growth of Rwanda’s gospel music industry, Naychah says independent artists still face several challenges. He points to the growing preference for similar sounds as a challenge for musicians who want to experiment with different styles. High production and promotional costs also remain a challenge for independent artists trying to reach larger audiences without institutional support. Naychah acknowledges that streaming has created new opportunities for artists and made gospel music more financially viable. However, he is concerned that the commercial growth of the industry could come at the expense of musical diversity and worship lyrics that encourage deeper spiritual reflection. He also believes Rwandan artistes need to explore more languages beyond Kinyarwanda if they want to reach wider international audiences and collaborate with gospel musicians from other countries. For Naychah, the purpose of gospel music goes beyond creating songs that people enjoy listening to. He sees music as a spiritual vessel that can bring healing, encouragement and transformation when its message connects with the listener. By grounding his lyrics in biblical truth, he believes songs can encourage people going through difficult moments and remind them that they are not alone. He also views music as a way through which both the artist and listener can encounter the voice of the Holy Spirit. Naychah is preparing to release new music videos, which are expected in the coming weeks. HisNaganze album is currently available on major music streaming platforms, while a live concert is scheduled for March 25, 2027. As he looks ahead, Naychah says his legacy is not only about the music he creates but also about the values he wants to pass on to the next generation. “I love serving God with excellence. I hate being average and I hate mediocrity. I want to look beyond myself and pass it on to the next generation so that the next generation can set a good example in everything they do,” he said. For him, that means using his talent to honour Jesus Christ, pursuing excellence in every creative project and encouraging others to make full use of the abilities they believe God has given them.
