Poetry can make a big contribution in bringing positive change in society according to poetess Vanessa Murashi and that’s what all her poems are intended for. The 25-year-old is miles away from becoming an established poet to reckon with but at the moment, envisions her poems having an impact of change in her community, even if it is one person. “I always want to change the way of thinking and improve people’s mindset. I want to see my poems inspiring many people in this world, healing people and strengthening the weak. I want them to bring the impact of change in society,” she told The New Times. Murashi could have done something different in life but rapper Danny Nanone, one of her friends in the entertainment industry, was impressed by her lyricism and her extraordinary way of writing, and encouraged her that she would do great if she ventured into the arts. As a young woman who grew up in a Christian family, she had a routine of praying whenever she woke up in the morning. “One day, in 2012, I prayed and later went back to bed to sleep again for a few minutes. But I couldn’t sleep as I was listening to Celine Dion’s song. I woke up again and started writing a song that I called ‘Itariki’, she recalls. After writing the song, Murashi showed it to Dany Nanone and he liked it so much. “He appreciated the song and that’s when I knew that I have a talent in poetry,” she said. Murashi could now be far ahead in poetry, had she started writing poems from the day the rapper told her she can be a star in poetry. But she waited until 2018. “I have a lot of poems, some in my notebook, in my agenda and others in my laptop and in my head [laughs] but I have only released three so far. I just record them and share them on my social media platforms but I am already looking for other ways of distribution,” she said. Murashi had no idea where her poetry takes root from until she met Eric One Key, a fellow poet that she wanted to learn from, alongside Kivumbi King and renowned German poet Charles Bowkie. When One Key showed her a book dubbed ‘Poetes de Kiruri’, she was surprised to see that her grandfather Bernardin Muzungu is the book’s author. ‘Poetes de Kiruri’ is a collection of the history of poets whose call in poetry inherits from their grandparents from Kiruri, currently in Nyaruguru District, Southern Province. Muzungu is one of Rwanda’s renowned poets and the majority of poets that appear in his book have origin in Kiruri which is known as the ‘land of poets’. “I was also born there and I think it’s where my poetry takes roots as well,” she said. Her poems reflect social life, youth and love. “My poems normally resonate with the life we live in because most of the things I write are what I have either seen or been through,” she explains. “My new poem ‘Umubiri’, reflects on a conversation between body and soul. I’ve been inspired by looking at how we always try to keep our bodies in good condition and care less about our souls. I wanted people to think differently because it’s, yes, good to take good care of our bodies but it is our souls that matter the most,” she explains. Murashi performed her latest poem in a piano instrumental background produced by producer Dr Nganji from Green Ferry Music. Besides ‘Umubiri’, Murashi’s other poems are ‘There Was a Time’ which calls on society not to judge people from their appearance and ‘Kira’ in which she speaks to herself and brings the conversation to a conclusion saying, no one can change you but yourself.
