You can’t list talented local gospel singers who are consistent in releasing music, and fail to mention 37-year-old Phanuel Bigirimana. His journey has been one of progress since he started recording music in 2009 when he had just completed secondary school. Although ministry isn’t a bed of roses as it requires money to produce good music, audios, and videos, singing in concerts, and events such as weddings, has enabled him to save money to support his music career. Recently, Bigirimana released a new song, ‘Gihango we,’ that highlights God's love for mankind that allowed His son to die on the cross for our sinful nature. “The message behind the song is to urge listeners to extend love towards one another, emulating an example of Jesus’ crucification story. If a couple has exchanged vows, they shouldn’t betray each other. Even when there are misunderstandings, what’s necessary is to solve them amicably,” he stresses. ALSO READ: Bigirimana dreams of becoming an international gospel singer The gospel vocalist is of the view that we ought to offer kindness to each other, even to those who don’t deserve it, noting that by doing so, we are preaching the gospel, as some people get to know about Christ, through our actions even before we begin preaching to them or sharing scriptures. Bigirimana notes that his music is intended to bless, encourage those that have lost hope, and remind people of the goodness of God even when situations are testing. For him, God never promised believers an easy life, but guaranteed them that in tribulations, He will never leave them alone. The songster also reminds people to have comfort in their hearts that comes from God. One of those days when his mind was thinking of how to share a message to the masses that would cause an impact, and unity, he noted down lyrics, thus the creation of the new song. It took him two hours to write, and altogether five days to complete it. Bigirimana is the mastermind of the production of the song. When he is not composing his own songs, or singing, he is busy creating songs for other gospel artistes and church choirs. Writing songs is a gift he has exercised since the age of nine, that he wrote his first song while in primary three. So far, he has 39 songs released, and quite a number of compositions that are not yet recorded. Some of his audio albums include, Kunesha Bidasubirwaho that contains 12 songs, Kumarwa Ishavu that consists of 10 songs and Amajwi Y’inyoni, with 10 songs. Bigirimana’s wish is to have videos for all his songs, though money is still a hindrance, as a good video costs a lot of money. Most of his songs are available at his YouTube Channel, Phanuel Bigirimana official. He anticipates organising a concert where he will release his fifth album, and looks forward to releasing music in French as well to allow people who don’t know Kinyarwanda to enjoy, and learn from his melodies. His dream is to go beyond Rwanda. The songster is however thwarted by the fact that most artistes don’t earn from their craft in Rwanda since copyright isn’t valued, as people consume and share other’s music without authorisation.
