Gospel bands continue to be a rare trend in Rwanda's gospel music industry, an odd that fast-rising gospel music band ‘John 316’ is working hard to overcome despite setting its footing into the music scene during a covid-19 pandemic when many musicians have put their careers at a halt.

31-year-old Danny Ntigurirwa has seen the vocal band growing since the day his friend ‘Daddy’ brought him the idea to start up a gospel band in May last year, shortly after the lockdown.

"He came to me at a time when I had already given up on groups because I saw many groups coming and failing to thrive. But when he insisted, I accepted his request and I started to help him find new members to join our band and here we are,” Ntigurirwa told The New Times.

The band has since grown to 12 members, including six men and six women.  

Annet Murava was among the first to join the gospel band and was later voted to become the band's president.

"When Danny sold the idea to me, I immediately accepted because I believed in the band’s ambitions. I have called this band home since its mission grew from just serving good gospel music to organising special services where we eat together, pray together and once every two weeks pray together,” she said.

When The New Times’ team paid the band a visit on Friday, at Solace Ministries in Kacyiru, they were practicing their routine rehearsals. The place is home to the band’s recording studio as well as rehearsals, practice and prayer room.

As the band grows, Murava said that doors are always open for new members to join as long as they meet the band’s requirements.

The band’s name ‘John 316’, was inspired by a Holy Bible verse from John 3:16 that quotes, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whatsoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

"The name [John 316] itself explains it all. As a band, our music resonates with spreading the gospel of God through music. Some of us normally do music from our respective churches while others are doing it as a profession. But as a band, we are doing gospel-related music because we share the same mission of spreading the Word of God,” said Ntigurirwa, who is the band’s vocal leader.

The band composes and records most of their songs in a ‘sing off’ style, where they perform an acapella version of music, with no musical instruments.

The sing-off style is commonly performed by Adventist Church choirs but Danny said they chose the style regardless of its origin because their band comprises singers from various religious churches.

John 316 band members include former Nyundo School of Arts and Music graduates like band coach Ntigurirwa and Peace Hoziyana.

The band has so far made a name for itself in performing cover songs of other musicians including ‘Peace Perfect Peace’ and ‘Total Praise’ among others such as their only song ‘I can See the Light’ which they released during this year’s commemoration period.

The band has now turned their focus to recording and releasing their own songs, which they target to perform for their audience as soon as the pandemic relaxes and leaves the door open for concerts and other music events.

"We are performing covers of other musicians’ songs but we will also be recording our own songs,” Ntigurirwa said.

Performing no boundaries

Peace Ishimwe, a band member, who is in charge of innovation and creativity, said that as soon as concerts and other events are given green light to resume in the wake of the pandemic, the band is ready to perform for whoever comes calling as they set no boundaries to whom they sing for as far as preaching the gospel is concerned.

"We don’t have a church where we can call our address because we don’t have boundaries. We don’t belong to any church. Wherever you want us to come to sing for you we come because our common target is to preach the gospel,” said Peace.

"We have to use our singing talents to preach the gospel, we want to hear people being touched by the message of our music and getting salvation because of our music,” he said.

John 316, is a vocal band entirely made of young singers whose ambition is to change the world through their music, just like renowned world gospel bands like Hill song does.

"We are using the energy and the power that God gave us to preach the gospel to people, most especially youth. That is the impact that we want to play in this world,” said Murava.