At just the age of six, Louange Ora Izere, from Southern Province is already recording artiste singer. Her mother, Aliane Yankurije who is also a singer in her church’s choir, told The New Times that she discovered her daughter’s talent through her teachers. “Her teacher used to tell us how amazing Ora was and we thought of it as a joke, but she was always fast in memorizing the song from our church. We once attended a wedding and performed ‘Mama Shenge’ by Chorale Christus Regnant featuring Yverry and Andy Bumuntu. We were all surprised,” she said. The mother added that, a journalist who attended the wedding and invited her for a Radio talk show at Salus Radio. The experience was the beginning of Ora’s music journey. Ora’s journey in music The singer decided to take her talent a notch higher during the lockdown last year with her mother as her manager. Her first song was ‘Yezu Wanjye’ which is a combination of most of her ideas and her parents as well as some other friends. After good feedback from people Louange did another song dubbed ‘Ni Wowe Mana’ and another commemoration song which really surprised her parents. “Louange told me that she wants to do a song about the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and I was so surprised. So, I asked her whether she knew about that and she said that she always listen about it on the Radios and Televisions which made her willing to deliver a message,” Yankurije said. “We gave her the green light and since she is a very big fan of Aline Gahongayire, she used her message from a song Aline featured in with other artists and made the cover of ‘Hora Rwanda’ and in the song,” she added. Supporting her career Yankurije shared a testimony where one old man from their church approached them and promised to support Louange’s talent of singing and decided to write songs for her. The very first song he wrote for her is her recent that was released with the video, ‘Mama Papa’ that talks about how children ought to obey their parents. The song was liked mostly liked by children was even featured in Itetero TV Show, the children show that is broadcasted on RTV. Louange with her parents. / Courtesy Another coming soon will be ‘Imihigo Yacu’ that will be about Rwanda and how youth should work hard to develop the country. Louange Ora Izere Message “I am an artist and I will be a special person because I have a dream of becoming a special doctor who will help people with mental disabilities. I always feel pity whenever I see a person in pain and I want to play a role in putting an end to that.” “The best things that have happened to me is having the most supportive parents in my studies and career wise, the second is having my song ‘Maman Papa’ featured in Itetero TV Show and the third is that I met my favorite artist, Aline Gahongayire and we shared and played a lot.” She also shared her wishes. “The first is about education because I can’t be the doctor I dream to be without studies. If I may get a good school to study in and get fully covered with the school fess I may appreciate. The second thing is to meet President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame. I want to sing for them and thank them for all the opportunities they give us. The third is to board a plane because I see them on Tv and admire them.” Message to parents Aliane Yankurije encouraged parents to support their children’s talents like the way her husband have physically and financially supported Louange in her education and music recording sessions during holidays. “Parents need to be friends with their child and support them since it is so encouraging to get the parental guidance and support as well,” she said. Born in a family of three, Izere is the only daughter and the last born of Aliane Yankurije and Jean Baptist Mbarushimana, she is a primary one pupil at Kibondo Primary School in Huye District.
