Interview: Alpha Rwirangira

Rwirangira’s debut in music was during the Tusker Project Fame (TPF) an East African reality-singing competition show sponsored by Tusker Lager beer brand in 2009 of which he won, this marked the start to his professional music career.

Rwirangira went ahead and enrolled for a Business Administration degree at Campbellsville University, in Kentucky, in the USA majoring in Marketing with a minor in music, graduating in 2015.

Rwirangira told music in Africa that being in school did affect his musical career since the songs he tried releasing did not do very well. Currently his popularity in East Africa is still low but he says that will soon change as he is working on a better method of promoting his music for his fans in East Africa.

Rwirangira who came out more as a secular artists during the completion said “I am particularly keen on joint productions with African gospel musicians, given that I am now a born again Christian” Alpha added “I would also love to do a joint production with Oliver Mtukudzi whom I have great respect and admiration for.”

There is no doubt that he has fully shifted to the gospel music genre, his latest single ‘Mercy’ was released in June this year. ”God has been blessing me in so many ways for so long, he is still doing it again and again each year. He has never left me alone and for that I give him all the thanks”.

Asked whether he had any plans of relocating back to Rwanda he said “ I am currently working in the US but I still use my God given talent for the good of humanity, especially in my country many people give me feedback on how my songs have inspired them ” he says. He leads a much disciplined life and maintains a strict diet that has helped preserve his golden voice that rocked the East African waves during the 2009 TPF 3 series.

That Alpha is a talented musician can be seen in his achievements after winning the 2009 TPF 3 in Nairobi. He won the 2010 and 2011 Pearl of Africa Music awards-Best male Rwanda Artist of the year and 2011 Afrotainment Museke Africa Music Awards (AMAMU Awards) -Best East Africa Song of the year for ‘Songa Mbele’ (Let’s move forward).

Born to a Rwandan father and a Tanzanian mother, Alpha had a very nomadic childhood, schooling in Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda.He has recorded several songs and collaborated with Tanzania Artist A.Y. on a song called ‘Songa Mbele’, and Ugandan Bebe Cool, on ‘Come to Me’. Additionally, he has recorded other singles, ‘connected’, ‘Beautiful’ a gospel song called ‘Amashimwe’ which means Thanksgiving among others.

Asked what his favorite quote is, he quotes Mahatma Gandhi " Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."