Fans of Friends of Jesus choir flocked Kigali Serena hotel in large numbers on Saturday to witness the choir’s album launch.
Fans of Friends of Jesus choir flocked Kigali Serena hotel in large numbers on Saturday to witness the choir’s album launch. The church, which operates under Kigali English SDA, launched its seventh album titled, Shepherd of my soul. Revelers were graced by local, regional and international gospel choirs.Doors opened at 6 p.m and by 7 p.m the Serena hotel auditorium was packed to full capacity before the memorable kick off. Members of the music group started the night’s event with a prayer before the group, comprised of twenty singers, hit the stage.Smartly dressed in dark-blue suits for men and green for the ladies, the choir performed two English songs, To God be the Glory and In all things, to welcome gospel music lovers to a enchanting evening. "We were of course expecting fans, but not as many as this turn-up; especially the youth who came from the various churches,” said Tito Rugamba, the chairman of Friends of Jesus choir.15 minutes after the choir left the stage, the Voice from Tanzania took to the stage gracing the audience with songs in both English and Kiswahili. Immediately after, Menagerie, a local gospel choir and Shower Power from Zimbabwe performed bringing the first phase of performances to an end.Gospel solo musicians were also given a chance to perform. Among others were Isreal Mugisha from Kenya, and Rwanda’s Travor Wesley.During the second phase, Friends of Jesus belted out five singles consecutively, bringing life, enjoyment and excitement to the audience. The songs performed included, Calvary, I Will Never Disappear Again, Lead me, Remember the Sabbath and Shepherd of my soul. At this point, Rugamba took to the stage and thanked the attendees for their presence and commitment, saying that it brings hope and courage not only in the choir but also in the church.Later, both The Voice and Shower Power sang three songs before Friends of Jesus’ last performance. This time the choir staged another great performance with three other singles.Friends of Jesus performed three singles and one called, Muri byose nyuramo that was led by Rugamba. This song served as a great deal of excitement for the audience and left fans with no option but to sing and dance to the songs. The event ran until 10 p.m. Event organisers anticipate a larger turn out next time and believe they will have to reserve a larger space due to the big number of attendees who took part in this year’s dynamic showcase.