IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC, entertaining people is, to some artists, a prime objective while others use their voice to create a better world. Band artist Robert Niyikiza is on a mission for the latter. Niyikiza is the leader and pianist of his band ‘Direction Band’ which has been involved in so many big music events since 2016. They, for instance, backed artists in different editions of the Primus Guma Guma Superstar while they also played the same role at regular cultural music events known as ‘Gakondo’ where the likes of Masamba Intore and Jules Sentore were performing. His time on the keyboard was all about creating and producing spectacular melodies and notes to the admiration of music enthusiasts. But, as a musician, he later realised that music should go beyond entertainment while it has the power to bring positive change in the society. But how could he do that with his piano? As the band’s pianist, Niyikiza was always admired by the audience for his extraordinary skills on the keyboard while entertaining them at different music events. It’s from the music events where he met people who believed in him not just as an entertainer but also a person who can use his creative skills to bring positive change to a bigger community. The same people had previously been involved in similar music-driven initiatives in different countries and with prominent music figures like American musician Pharrell Williams. They offered to support him as long as he pitched them an initiative that can impact the community. “Given the fact that their previous initiatives were mostly associated with music, I thought it would be a good idea to come with a project that is connected to music,” he said in an interview. “I proposed to them to support me to implement a project that intends to educate music because opportunities to study music were limited in Rwanda. They were ready to support it...that’s how it started,” he added. Dubbed ‘Play for Change’, Niyikiza’s initiative started in schools in Kigali where he and his team would tour to look for young students aspiring to discover or grow their talent in music and give them music lectures free of charge. The music lectures started at a school in Masaka, before extending the initiative to Ecole Technique Muhazi in Gitega and now APACE Kabusunzu. The lectures varied from playing guitar, piano to traditional dance and singing as well as drumming. The more the students attended the music classes, the more Niyikiza hired more teachers for him to ensure the lectures benefit a bigger number of students. What makes the music lectures unique is that, while music schools look at artists who have talent and help them to grow it, Niyikiza and team opens doors to every kid, with or without talent, and help them to discover talent and grow it to becoming either a musician, a pianist, a dancer or a guitarist among other talents. Since 2016, the initiative has trained over 400 students with various music skills. Six years on, Niyikiza has gone from taking music lectures to different schools to establishing his own music hub located in Nyamirambo, where he installed musical instruments for young people to go to and study music on a regular basis. Over 80 students have so far enrolled to take music classes at the hub, a number which could increase as days go by. There are so far seven teachers who deliver lectures at the music hub. Traditional musician Emmanuel Ndayizeye, one of the lead dancers at Intayoberana Cultural Troupe is one of the teachers working with Niyikiza where he teaches traditional dance. Going beyond music Niyikiza told The New Times that he started the initiative with a mission to bring positive change to young people through art, music education and developing the talents of young people for meaningful change in their lives and development. Hence, the activities done through the initiative include helping students to develop Rwandan cultural values through art, caring for and maintaining the well-being of students after classes by teaching them about playing musical instruments, raising awareness and anti-drug campaigns among the youth and preserving culture through dance and entertainment. The initiative also raises awareness aimed at promoting gender equality among youth as well as teaching young people to write songs, poems, dances at free costs in order to develop their talents. “Our initiative is not just about music education. We also encourage young people to fight drug use and help those who use drugs to overcome them,” he said. Niyikiza wants to one day see his ‘Play for Change’ initiative growing big and becoming a big project that touches the lives of many people not only in Rwanda but across the world.
