Musician Ezra Kwizera talks music and helping the disadvantaged

Ezra Kwizera is a reggae gospel artist, music producer and community leader. Due to his humble background and dark history, the creative artist and his Canadian wife set up an organisation called ‘Narrow Road Ministries’ to help the disadvantaged. The organisation has helped over 100 orphans and families. In an interview with Sunday Times’ Sharon Kantengwa, the Canada-based musician talks us about his passion for music and his organisation. Tell us about yourself Ezra Kwizera. (Courtesy) I was born in 1980 in a family of six. I grew up as a refugee in Uganda before moving back to my home country Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. I currently live in BC, Canada. I am a music artist, music producer at Narrow road production and community leader. I have also been doing background acting for the last 5 years. I am married with 2 boys aged 8 and 4. I am the founder of Narrow Road Ministries, a charity organisation that caters for orphans. I am the president of the Rwandan community in British Columbia. About Narrow Road Ministries It was founded in 2002 when my wife and I volunteered at a newly opened and poorly equipped orphanage outside of Kigali for 100 orphaned children. We felt called to minister to the orphans, whose parents had been killed in the genocide. In 2004, we began to help the older boys from the same orphanage that had either gone back to the streets or were too old to remain at the orphanage and had not received enough life skills to sustain themselves. We started a transition house for 15 young men and put them through job training for two years. Our goal for them was to become self sustaining and contributing members of society who are also a positive influence on other youth. We continue to support single mothers or widowed families to send their children to school. We are hoping to re-open a Transition house for street boys and youth. I grew up in a family defined by poverty and many of my relatives were killed during the genocide. I felt touched to help the youth who are in a similar situation. What kind of music do you sing? My music style is multi-cultural – a zesty yet soulful mix of Reggae, Soca, East African Bongo, and Pop. I have a linguistic agility because I sing and rap in English, Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Zulu and Swahili. I have a powerful motivation to support Rwandans through my music to rebuild our country. I started by helping 6 families through my music. I would share their stories at my concerts and find sponsors for the kids. My music conveys the spark of an over-comer and the passion of a community leader with a vision to inspire change in my generation. Music is my therapy and I’m inspired by Bob Marley and Kirk Franklin’s music. Your view on the music industry I think that Rwanda has an excellent growing music industry. I am very proud of many of the artists that are coming out of Rwanda. I am honored that I have nurtured some of these artists in the music industry with my studio Narrow Road Productions. What is your philosophy for life? I believe in love and forgiveness, the ultimate example of Jesus Christ. These two are the beginning of peace and harmony. Any message to the youth who look up to you The message I want the youth of Rwanda to know is to never give up and to believe that each one of them has a purpose in this world, no matter where they came from. I want all of us to continue to grow in love and to do it without judging each other, this is how we can make this world a better place, and not just look to others to make it better.

Lifestyle

Musician Ezra Kwizera talks music and helping the disadvantaged