It’s not common for gospel musicians to participate in big secular entertainment events. However, on Sunday, for the thousands of people who showed up for the final match of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) final at Amahoro National Stadium, football wasn’t the only thing that kept them excited. 

The final game between DR Congo and Mali was spiced by performances from local artistes, including Gospel dance group, The Blessing Family, which thrilled the crowd with their energetic performances.

It was the group’s first major performance; they had a great fusion of modern and local moves.

According to Gael Karinamaryo, one of the members of the group, it was an incredible ‘introduction’ for them, seeing as they made it to the stage at one of the biggest events held in Rwanda.

"It’s hard to be invited to such occasions, especially when you are in the gospel genre, but this time around, we proved how far we can go. I think people have realised that gospel is not only for church. This was an opportunity to continue doing what we do. A huge thank you to the organizers of CHAN for considering us,” he said.

The Blessing Family group has scooped two Groove Awards, and has performed at different local occasions.

They participated in Tour du Rwanda, Rwanda’s next Top Model, and participated in three editions of Miss Mount Kenya, along with Kenya’s artiste Jaguar and Uganda’s celebrated musician Chameleone, among others.

The group does Indian, traditional, creative dances, Salsa and African styles, among others.

The CHAN show also featured Riderman, Urban Boys, and Sick City Dance Crew.

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