Local gospel singer-cum-beat maker Nelson Mucyo is set to launch a Kiswahili version of his hit gospel song, Ngeze ku Iriba (Nafika Kwenye Mto) in September this year.The song is currently in the works at Alpha and Omega Studios and Mucyo is optimistic that like the original version, this one also has the potential to blow the local gospel music scene apart. “The Kinyarwanda version is a popular hit that has enjoyed ample airplay on local airwaves. It’s also being played in Churches across Rwanda, on the streets and in many people’s homes. I plan to market this upcoming Kiswahili version across East Africa – Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi,” he says. A veteran in the music game, Mucyo started singing way back in 1995 as a member of the Evangelical Restoration Church choir. His debut album, Ndaje mu Bwiza (I Come to Your Presence), came in 2000 and his most popular hit to date is Warako (Thanks). The title track of his maiden album, Ndaje mu Bwiza, Mucyo says, also has a Kiswahili version that is not only popular in Rwanda but also in other parts of East Africa. During this year’s Genocide Commemoration Week, Mucyo teamed up with a group of 12 local gospel artists and together they produced a gospel album that was loaded with tracks that talked about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He has also recorded collabos with Burundi’s Appolinaire and Ugandan gospel music heavyweights Wilson Bugembe and Judith Babirye.
