Music lovers of Kigali are in for a treat as they await Neriwest’s debut studio album ‘Gutegereza Roho’ that premiers February 22, through Green Ferry Music.
The album follows a joint project Neriwest produced alongside the likes of Mvfasta and Ngaara from Antik Dust titled 'Exit', which was released on May 31, 2019, through Green Ferry Music.
According to the artiste, Roho is a trilogy, 'Gutegereza Roho' which means ‘Waiting for the Soul’ is the first segment of this entity.
"Most songs on this album were composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. For me as an artist, the pandemic meant way more. I was supposed to explore the soul but everything about those times brought me closer to the human instead. In the end, it became clear that to get to the soul I had to first observe and understand its carrier ‘Umuntu’ (the human),” Neriwest said, explaining the birth of his upcoming album.
He further noted that the struggles of the pandemic times helped a lot, mostly in understanding and isolation that made him turn out to be poetic.
Mvfasta, Lil.i.an, Bill Ruzima, Sema Sole and Ngaara are featured as co-writers and performers, while Dr. Nganji, Lilian Müller, and Neriwest himself shared production duties on the album. It debuts 22 February 2023, on all major streaming platforms.
Neriwest is co-founder and creative director at Antik Dust (AD) a collective of creative artists using a blend of multiple disciplines to create a culture-rich community in Rwanda.