Burundi’s Moutcho band spreads wings to Kigali

IN the past few weeks the name Moutcho has been coming up in the country’s music circles. Moutcho is a Rwanda-based Burundian Jazz band, comprising of three talented young men - Yvan Kwizera (Bass), Amadi Nkurikiye (drums) and Arnaud Nganji (guitar). The band was formed in 2011 and has achieved impressive accolades both in Burundi and in Rwanda. The band also recently performed at the Jazz and Blues concert in Kigali. The New Times’ Sarah Kwihangana had a chat with the band members about how they have managed to stay and work together. This is what they say:Briefly tell us about yourselvesNganji (guitarist) is a person who is very critical about his work and not easily satisfied, often has his head in the clouds but the feet on ground.His personality is transposed in his musical work, he is always moving from a music genre to another, (traditional, Rock, Jazz and Afrobeat) and as a guitarist he is still searching his soul.Kwizera (bassist) is the glue of the band, the main singer also, a very flexible guy, talented and always humble, never tired, always working, and always looking for perfection.Nkurikiye (drummer) has all the answers to your requests:”tell me what you want, and I will give it to you.” and when he gives it, it’s even better than what you expected.Why the name Moutcho for the band?The name Moutcho is derived from Muco, loosely translated to mean - the light. We just changed the spelling to help people read it if they do not speak Kirundi or Kinyarwanda.What is your everyday inspiration?Our musical inspiration derives from selective Jazz and Rock musicians such as Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypdal, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Hervé Samb and Jimi Hendrix.What inspires the kind of music you do?Apart from the musical inspiration there are ideological inspirations. We believe in real love (God’s love). We are Christians and our music is imprinted with this fact that life is connected spiritually and the universe communicates through light and vibrations beyond our little and material conception of life.Being people from different backgrounds, how are you able to work together?We work together easily because we are eager to play and we are passionate about our music, and we know what we want.What are some of the benefits of working together as a group?You have the strengths of your band mates, without the weaknesses, you can balance ideas and look at a problem from different points of view which is a big advantage. When something goes wrong between two of us, the third person is there to calm and ease the tension.What is your greatest fear as a band?To lose the passion and falling out. What was your first experience on stage like?It was a jam session around a riff, and we were having fun, we started something different on Bujumbura’s musical stage.What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened or you did on stage?We were invited to play at a private party at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Bujumbura and she wanted only soft and old Jazz. We had not been informed, so we played hard rock and after we ran out of tunes. That was really embarrassing on our part!!Any message to fans in RwandaWe love you and each note we play is to give the best of us to you. You are a great motivation.

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Burundi’s Moutcho band spreads wings to Kigali