This is probably the most invigorating singer I’ve ever met.
At first, I thought it’s because of the way she was brought up by her parents, and then later I assumed she could have adopted this character from the schools she has been to. However on both accounts I was wrong.

"At the age of ten, my Mom heard me singing around the house and she pointed out that I had a great singing voice,” she says trying so hard to make everything look normal even with awe and marvel written all over my face.

This she says was her turning point and since then she has never looked back.

Not more than five minutes after we had started talking, her young sister Shanice joined us with seven other kids. They had come just to sit next to us.

"Am congenitally in love with children. I have three sisters and two brothers. The others came so that I sing for them.” She told me when I asked just how many siblings she has.

Born on 1st October 1991, Doreen a senior four student at sunrise high school in Ruhengeri is currently working on her ten song album.

Her special thanks go out to Yannick her producer at Track Masters studio and her mom Sheila Mugenzi who she passionately describes as caring and loving.

"I attribute my success to my sweet Mom and the producer of my songs. My dad Mugenzi Joshua also ought to be sure that my talent will be his future pride,” says the young, jolly, ambitious singer, writer and actress.

Doreen hopes to study architecture at the university but as for now, her passion for music is greatly untamable.

She goes to Kigali Seventh Day English church in Kibagaga and this has helped her in the kind of music she chants.

The fact that she has lived in three different countries has widened her exposure and her life seems to be taking another turn.

"I was born in Uganda and it’s where I lived until I was four before our family relocated to Kenya where my dad worked. Five years later we came to Rwanda and for me, this is the best thing I’ve ever met,” she narrates suddenly making all of us burst into laughter and is quick to add that her heart rejoiced and she could not wait to come back home.

Doreen who admits is a great fun of Brandy and Whitney Houston is so emotional and hates hurting people’s feelings.
She remembers of an incidence when she bitterly slapped her only young sister but she latter regretted as both ended up crying.

"She had dirtened my clothes and I got so angry but when she told me it hadn’t been her intention, I felt so sorry and I started crying,” she reminisce staring at her beautiful guitar as if trying to remember all the details of that momentous day.

Apart from music, Doreen spends her holiday time with the little ones when she is not in the kitchen.

She reads and writes quite often, periodically goes to church and when I quizzed just to know what she uses to keep her voice so soothing, am not so surprised at what she replies.

"On my best singing days I don’t take anything but when I do, it’s either water or juice,” she says.

From an earlier meeting at Hotel Novotel- Umubano where we had both attended an Institute of Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP) Film festival, I had teased whether I could have a glance into her hand bag.

"I only carry my Bible, Sun glasses, Soft tissue and when necessary my make up comes along,” she quickly interrupted waving off the request only offering to tell me its contents.

When I had finished having a sumptuous dinner with his family at her Kimironko home, she walked me to the gate and as we strolled out I asked whether she has a boyfriend.

"Come on! It’s too early for me to start those things,” she replied.

Ends