Biography of Mr. Corneille KarekeziMr. Corneille Karekezi is an author, singer and producer of gospel music.
When asked why and how he recently started to write, sing and publish God praising and gospel songs, Corneille Karekezi (a.k.a. CK) quickly clarifies that “he was already a gospel song writer for many years back and a singer in churches and small gatherings of believers”. For him, what changed really is simply the recording and the release of his songs to a larger public in the form of a CD Album and the public performance before a large audience when he launched his first album “Akira Iyi Ndirimbo Ngutuye Yesu” in August 2015 in the Ballroom of the Serena Kigali Hotel.
Who is CK?
In normal life, CK is an organizational and business leader who lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He was before the Managing Director of SONARWA, the then leading Rwandan insurance company, when he left Rwanda in 2009 to become the Group Managing Director and CEO of the African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re, www.africa-re.com), the largest reinsurance company in Africa, Near and Middle East, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. This company ranks among 39th in the top 40 global reinsurance groups of the 2016 Standard & Poor’s list.
Passion for Christian Songs
Though his current job of Group MD/CEO of a multinational organization, seems prominent and very demanding, CK says that he still has time to write and record songs and “if he had to choose
his job, he would rather be a singer, a gospel singer to be correct”.
To testify about his passion for Christian songs, he jokingly recalls that, sometimes in the nineties, while living in Kicukiro, Kigali, Rwanda, he used to wake up very early in the morning and sing Christian hymns which were later in the day repeated by a domesticated parrot to the amazement of his family members.
He also defends his choice by saying that “singing is the highest form of devotion, in fact the only performance seraphim and cherubim angels do all the time in heaven and the only performance we shall be doing the most for trillions of years once in heaven”.
When CK believed in Jesus Christ as his Savior, Lord and God in 1984, he wanted to know and sing every Christian song and had to hand-write an entire booklet of preferred Christian songs. With the advent of the word processing by computers, he actively worked with other friends to produce the first printed book of songs of his church to allow more people, who could not write down by hand all the church songs, to have them at hand and enjoy the songs.
However, what he did the most which demonstrated his passion for Christian songs was to praise and thank God, at every opportunity given to him, by singing gospel songs in front of believers and in churches in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya and Belgium.
Finally, his passion for gospel music came into full blossom when he wrote his own first song ‘Ijambo Ryawe’ in 2008, which features in his first Album “Akira Iyi Ndirimbo Ngutuye Yesu” launched officially in August 2015.
Corneille Karekezi says that his most prolific time of inspiration is early in the morning, what he captured in the publicly acclaimed song called ‘Umuseke Utambitse’, ‘At the Crack of the Dawn’ in English, while his most prolific place of inspiration is in the plane, in the air, “probably because it is close to where people believe the heaven is!”
That inspiration comes to him in many ways. For example, one of the first album songs, “Tebuka Yesu Tebuka”, based on Psalm 143, was revealed to him at exactly 1:43 a.m. as a response for a fierce attack from Satan to his soul, spirit and heart.
Songs’ Themes
His first album covers various Christian themes like the wisdom of God (Yesu Kristo Niwe Bwenge), the salvation plan (Akira Iyi Ndirimbo Ngutuye Yesu), true Christianity (Ninde Wabwira Bene Data), the resilience of Christians in the face of challenges (Urukundo Rwawe Ni Rwiza and Hari Imisozi Iruhije), the hope to see the promised land (Hari Igihugu Cyiza), the roles and titles of Jesus Christ (Reka Tuvuge Yesu), the proclamation that Jesus Christ is the light of the world (Yesu Ni Umucyo w’Isi), etc.
His second album released in January 2017 covers new Christian themes such as the upcoming wedding of the bride of Jesus Christ (Njye Ndi Umugeni Wawe Yesu), the soon coming of the Lord (Dore Igitondo Cyiza Gihoraho), the reason we long for God (Kuki Nkwifuza Nkahagizwa), the sad state of later days’ churches (Abantu Barakwanze Yesu), the need of calmness and quietness in adversity (Mutima Wanjye Tuza Rwose), the devastation of the tongue in the society (Ntukite Ku Magambo Yose), the preeminence of the Word of God (Mbere Na Mbere Hariho), the praising of the Lord for His wonders and mercies in our lifes (Ntawagereranywa Na Yesu, Nshima Ndirimba Ndanezerewe), the high call to love each other (Nyuzuza Urukundo) and the pray for God’s guidance (Fata Ubugingo Bwanjye Yesu).
Album Songs Based Strictly on the Word of God
The gospel albums of Corneille Karekezi are collections gripping songs and ballads drawn from all musical styles, from reggae, rhythmic African, Asian to country and modern jazz. Looked at closely, all the album songs have one central theme: ‘Jesus Christ’. CK likes to quote Colossians 3: 17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” and believes that Jesus Christ deserves the first place in any Christian worship as He is the ‘Revealed Word of God’ and ‘Son of God’, all powerful truths captured in 1 John 5: 20 “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life”, in Isaiah 9: 6 “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” and in Colossians 2: 9 “For in Him [Jesus Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, …”.
When you discuss with Corneille Karekezi, something is really striking: his attachment to the Word of God revealed in the Bible. He boasts to have double-checked each word of his songs to find a matching biblical verse, either literally, historically or prophetically, and confirms that all what he offers to the public is in full accordance with the Bible. Indeed, the songs “Bana b’Imana Mumenye” and “Mbere na Mbere Hariho” come to emphasize the preeminence of the Word of God over human interpretations, ‘politically correct’ or conformity to modern social trends and denominational sectarianisms.
A ‘Not For Sale’ Album CDs
Asked why his CD albums are ‘not for sale’, CK says that writing Christian songs or singing to God is a spiritual gift which ‘should aim at the benefit of all’ as 1 Corinthians 12: 7 says “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all …”. For him, exploiting any spiritual gift for commercial purpose equals to nothing less than ‘selling Jesus Christ’, which Judas Iscariot did by the way.
Corneille Karekezi, simply says that his intention, by releasing his album CDs to the public, is to apply the following biblical orders found in Colossians 3: 16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing Psalm and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”, in Ephesians 5: 19 “Addressing one another in Psalm and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” and in Hebrew 13: 15 “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His Name [of Jesus Christ]”.
Click to see all songs in a playlist 
