One of Rwanda’s leading music producers, is making a comeback and in the country’s budding music industry.Pastor P, a celebrated producer, singer and songwriter, who also doubles as a comedian and basketballer, spoke to The New Times about some of the things he never has revealed about himself.

We met him at Narrow Road Production, a music studio in Gikondo, which he owns with Canada-based Rwandan musician Ezra Kwizera. His enthusiasm is one of the things that makes him even more endearing.Q: Who is Pastor P?A: My name is Patrick Bugingo Ndanga, though I am famously known as Pastor P in the music industry. I was born on August 4, 1986 in the Western Province (Cyangugu) to Samuel Ndangamiyumukiza and Consolee Nyirahagenimana. I am the first in the family of seven children. My family moved to Kigali in 2002 and I joined a discipleship training school (Bible College) in 2004. I am a sound engineer and audio producer.Q: When did you break on the music scene?A: It was in 2005 after joining the Bible college where I met several professional musicians in church who helped me to develop my talent in music.

It was around the same time when I met Ezra Kwizera and together we founded Narrow Road Studio. We also formed a band together. What are the highs and lows of being in this industry?A: Working in the music industry is like working elsewhere.  People sometimes get it wrong by assuming that the music industry is not lucrative. People don’t kind of take the music industry seriously because perhaps they have not seen someone go up because of music.

I think it all depends on how you manage yourself and your income. I cannot say I am where I want to be but I can comfortably say that it is through music that I make a living. Q: Have you encountered challenges?A: I meet challenges almost every day. It is a big problem when you want to do music as a profession and some people take it for granted or as a hobby. Music is a business and a profession. Sometimes people get me wrong when I am straight with work. I am strict when it comes to managing time. Music is my life and talent.Q: What do you think are the major challenges of the Rwanda music industry?A: Some people tend to mix their emotions with music. Some musicians are trying to use the media to fight their battles. Some radio stations will play songs not because they are good but because the artistes are friends with the presenters. You find that some people with talent do not get the deserved airplay because they do not know the presenters or haven’t given out bribes while those who don’t have talent but have friends get air play.Q: Why did you decide to settle for the music industry?A: Before doing what I am doing, I was a basketball player. I thought at one point I would play in NBA. But then I started going to church and met friends and we started doing music. I found myself into music and giving it much of my time.That is the time I started discovering my talent. I started giving it more time than basketball.Q: Tell us about the hits you have made?A: I cannot remember all of them, but yes, it might sound funny but the one song that stuck on my mind is the one I started with as a producer—it was called ‘Indaya Murashaka iki?”It was an old local song I did and it got good air play. It was a song by a guy called Man Chaz, actually today I don’t know where he is. I have tried to look for him in vain.Then I did ‘Ndarota’ for Miss Shanel, ‘Sinarinkuzi’ for Tom Close, ‘Beletilida’ for Miss Jojo and ‘Narashize’ by King James, among many others.Q: From those you have worked with, who do you like most? Who would you wish to work with again?A: I love most upcoming and modern artistes, but what hurts me most is that our traditional talent is dying out. I would like to see more traditional singer’s record music even though it is difficult to get airplay since there is this ‘new school’, modern music. I have been abroad and I will tell you the music they love is our traditional music.I would wish to work with local traditional artsites, such as ‘Garuka Urebe’ from Nyamagabe. I have recorded with one lady.  There is a lot of potential.Q: How did you become Pastor P? Are you a real pastor?A: No, I am not a real pastor. My colleagues called me pastor when I joined the Bible school. They named me after Pastor T. D Jakes because I could sing and minister at the same time.When I recorded my first song, my friend Mani Martin took it to the radio and when they wanted to play it, he could not remember my name. He told them I am Pastor P because that is what they used to call me.

Actually when the radio played the song, I called in to say I am not Pastor P but the song had already been distributed to various radio stations. That’s how the name came up. I love the name though.Q: What makes you happy?A: Being with my friends and sometimes having time to  myself makes me happy. In our kind of work, you might end up not being yourself because you pay attention to what people say or want you to be and you end up not being yourself. Also I love doing comedy when I am free, which is my other passion. But in future I would like to go to cinema. Q: What makes you cry?A: As a Christian, I find myself crying all the time. I don’t want to judge God but I hate the differences I see among people. I have grown up in different conditions and I also still have a family in the countryside.

However, sometimes when I go down there and I see the kind of poverty people live in, and then on the other hand you have a group of rich people who don’t even know what to do with the money, I can’t help it but cry.

I also cry when I see someone, who is very talented but has another condition such as a physical disability.Q: Your love life has previously been splashed all over the press, are you seeing anyone now? A: I am single. I meet a lot of beautiful girls but to me beauty is beyond physical beauty. As a Christian I look at other values rather than physical beauty. I end up asking myself, is she God-fearing? So, I am still looking around.Q: What are you currently listening to now?A: I do listen to a lot of music. Sometimes I even go out to clubs just to know what is being played out there but if you want to know the kind of music I like listening too, then it is the traditional Kinyarwanda music, even though there is not much recorded.

I love Lokua Kanza, Rujindiri’s ‘Inyonga’ and all his ‘Inanga’ songs, Lyangombe and many other old traditional songs. Outside Rwanda I listen to Wolof from West Africa etcQ: What makes a good producer?A: I give it time. Before money or anything comes quality. I listen a lot to criticism and I have made it my profession. I also try to make friends in my work.Q: What artistes are you working with at the moment?A: I work with many artistes but there are those who I don’t just work with but they are also my longtime friends, such as King James. I have always given him advice on how to make his music big and he is doing it. He is breaking the barriers mixing modern music and traditional.

I am also working with Miss Shanel and another lady called Mama Parfait.Q: Which places in Rwanda do you think should be known by everyone?A: Church, any Church in the country as well as the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi. Here they can see the tragedy Rwanda went through 19 years ago and the current  recovery.

They can also go to Cyangugu or Rusizi which is on Lake Kivu and enjoy the scenery.Q: What is the biggest misconception about you that you would like to clear?A: There are many misconceptions out there. People tend to judge others before even bothering to find out. Like today some people say I am expensive that I work with established artistes and not upcoming ones. Some will say I am proud but after talking to me they find a very different picture.Q: If you only had Rwf100.000 in your wallet, what would you do with it?A: I hate seeing hungry people. I can’t give them food per se but rather empower them to feed themselves in the future. Give a man fish and he will eat for a day but teach him how to fish, he will eat forever.Q: If your studio caught fire (God forbid), what would you rescue first?A: Myself first, and then my hard disk.Q: What’s the best and worst advice you have ever received?A: The worst advice I have ever received was from my Uncle. My family was going through some hard times and one of my Uncles tried to influence me to hate one side of my family. I hate when someone tries to influence me but I do love taking advice from all people.

The best advice I have always received it from my mum. She always guides me on many things.Q: What’s the one thing people don’t know about you?A: I am a good  swimmer and a good basketball player. I also love porridge.