CANADA-BASED SINGER and songwriter Deborah Ikirezi already has her eyes set on following in her father’s footsteps and build a reputable career around music. With six songs already under her belt, the 25-year-old is focused on emulating her father, Masamba Intore, who is one of the most celebrated Rwandan Gakondo (traditional music) artistes. In an interview with The New Times, the rising singer who released her debut Extended Play (EP) in October last year, shared her music journey, her inspiration, and what the future holds for her music. Who is Ikirezi? I am an Afro-soul and R&B artiste and a university student pursuing Social Works in Canada. I come from a family of musicians, both sides. My mum is actually a dancer, she was a member of Indahemuka Cultural Troupe and she sometimes teaches me the traditional dance. My father is a musician, and we both inherited music. My father inherited it from his father, and his father got it from his father and I guess it’s in the bloodline. I didn’t have a chance to grow up with my father but I learned a lot from his advice. He has been in the industry for a long time, so he guides me on what I should and should not do, musically. How did you end up in music? I always loved music. My mum likes to tell me that I started singing when I was two years old. I am very passionate about music and I love everything that has to do with music. So I decided to give it a try and start doing music as a career when I launched my professional career in 2018 and here I am. Why didn’t you stick to cultural music like your parents? I love traditional music and anything that has to do with our culture. I listen to cultural songs a lot, but I find myself more comfortable with Afro-soul and R&B. My music takes roots from my family but I don’t sing Gakondo or in Kinyarwanda like my father does. Kinyarwanda is not that difficult for me because I can speak and write it, but I feel more comfortable doing my music in English because of the style of music that I grew up listening to. What inspires your music? There are a lot of things that inspire me, I can’t be specific, but life itself is an inspiration for me. It can be things that we go through, people we speak to, all of that inspires me while writing lyrics. How is it like doing music in the diaspora? It is good. You have your obstacles, you have your challenges, but it’s good. Where do you see your music in the future? I am with the flow, I am going where God is taking me; I love doing music and I am passionate about it. I also see myself continuing the love I have for it and keep doing it in that flow.
