Twenty-seven year old Jean Claude Uwihanganye, aka Cool Sniper, is a common face at the annual Primus Guma-Guma Super Star (PGGSS) music competition road shows and the Kimihurura-based Ogopogo bar and restaurant – thanks to his role as a bouncer.

The bouncer-cum-musician told The New Times recently: "I have been a bouncer for quite some time now. I worked with different people especially under the Kigali Bodyguard Ltd, a company that provides bouncers, bodyguards and protocol services to private event organisers.”

"But, beyond providing security, the other part of me rotates around music. Indeed music has been part of my life, so I do both,” says the artiste.

"As an artiste it’s very easy to prioritise what you do, but most of us want to live expensive lives sometimes which we can’t afford.”

Cool Sniper added: "We don’t appreciate what we are, but that’s not how things she be done.”

In 2009, the artiste participated in a music contest that was organised by Kina Music, a local music label, which helped him gain confidence in himself to do what he always loved from his childhood.

After winning, he signed a contract with the studio and this marked the beginning of his music career.

In the same year he produced the first song which didn’t gain a lot of exposure, but later he released Angelina, in which he featured producer Ma Riva, and this is when he started gaining limelight on the local music scene.

"I have since released, among others, Imbere Cyane featuring Aime Bluestone, and Kubera Imana, which featured former Tusker Project participant Gabiro and I have several other songs in the pipeline. I can say that I’m now focused on taking my music to the next level,” he says.

But Cool Sniper insists he cannot quit his job as a bouncer because it gives him an opportunity and a platform to meet many people who help him with ideas.

His plan is to do songs with renowned artistes after which he would start organising music shows.

As a hip-hop artiste his idea is to make music that touches people’s hearts and change the way people think about different things, he says.

"I would say my music is mature since I have spent some time in this field, and its message speaks to people’s hearts. Most of my songs carry the messages of hope and other messages that help people focus on what the future holds for them,” he explains.

So far, he has only one song with a video (Imbere Cyane) but says he’s working on a video of his latest song Byinira Ibicu, which he says is a danceable track.

"The video will be out next month. People should expect much more from me. My mission is to produce quality music,” he says.

Currently, Cool Sniper makes most of his music with producer Mell Oddyin of Unlimited Records Studio.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw