Zuba Ray, born Irahari Uwase Soleil, is a Rwandan singer building an early catalogue around melody, romance and Kinyarwanda expression. Her professional story began unusually: Kina Music did not discover her through a viral clip or a public talent contest.
The label selected her after visiting Nyundo School of Music in search of a new voice. She entered the industry with “Igisabo” in September 2024 and quickly moved into collaborations, reinterpretations and original singles. By August 2026, her catalogue had grown to include “Everyday” with Nel Ngabo, “Utuntu,” “Ikirezi” with King James and “Basara.” Her rise remains young, but it already joins formal training, a major Rwandan label and recognition beyond the country.
Who is Zuba Ray? Zuba Ray is Rwandan singer Irahari Uwase Soleil, a Nyundo School of Music graduate who joined Kina Music in 2024. Known for “Igisabo,” “Everyday,” “Utuntu,” “Ikirezi” and “Basara,” she represents a new generation combining trained musicianship, Kinyarwanda songwriting and contemporary Afro-pop.
A Classroom Discovery That Became Her Breakthrough
Zuba Ray’s defining first turn happened before she had a commercial catalogue. Kina Music visited Nyundo School of Music while looking for an artist to develop, and the student chosen from that search was Soleil. In a September 2024 InyaRwanda interview, she described the meeting directly:
“Kina Music yashakaga umuhanzi mushya wo gukorana nawe, icyo gihe rero baje ku ishuri ari naho twahuriye.”
In English, she explained that Kina Music wanted a new artist and met her at the school. The detail places training not internet celebrity at the centre of her entry into the industry. The label’s established roster also gave her access to experienced writers, producers and performers.
Her public launch followed on 28 September 2024 with “Igisabo.”
The New Times introduced her as the label’s new singer and described the single as the formal beginning of her career. “Igisabo” presents love as reassurance: one person promises not to repeat the hurt caused by a previous relationship. That emotional clarity became a useful starting point for a young voice whose first task was not reinvention but establishing trust with listeners.
The song also gave XTRAfrica readers the first entry in the evolving Zuba Ray songs catalogue. Her first two years then unfolded as a compact sequence testing solo work and collaboration.
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Zuba Ray Biography: Real Name, Songs & Kina Music Rise
Aug 4, 2026
Aug 4, 2026
12 min read
Published
Updated:
Zuba Ray, born Irahari Uwase Soleil, is a Rwandan singer building an early catalogue around melody, romance and Kinyarwanda expression. Her professional story began unusually: Kina Music did not discover her through a viral clip or a public talent contest.
The label selected her after visiting Nyundo School of Music in search of a new voice. She entered the industry with “Igisabo” in September 2024 and quickly moved into collaborations, reinterpretations and original singles. By August 2026, her catalogue had grown to include “Everyday” with Nel Ngabo, “Utuntu,” “Ikirezi” with King James and “Basara.” Her rise remains young, but it already joins formal training, a major Rwandan label and recognition beyond the country.
Who is Zuba Ray? Zuba Ray is Rwandan singer Irahari Uwase Soleil, a Nyundo School of Music graduate who joined Kina Music in 2024. Known for “Igisabo,” “Everyday,” “Utuntu,” “Ikirezi” and “Basara,” she represents a new generation combining trained musicianship, Kinyarwanda songwriting and contemporary Afro-pop.
A Classroom Discovery That Became Her Breakthrough
Zuba Ray’s defining first turn happened before she had a commercial catalogue. Kina Music visited Nyundo School of Music while looking for an artist to develop, and the student chosen from that search was Soleil. In a September 2024 InyaRwanda interview, she described the meeting directly:
“Kina Music yashakaga umuhanzi mushya wo gukorana nawe, icyo gihe rero baje ku ishuri ari naho twahuriye.”
In English, she explained that Kina Music wanted a new artist and met her at the school. The detail places training not internet celebrity at the centre of her entry into the industry. The label’s established roster also gave her access to experienced writers, producers and performers.
Her public launch followed on 28 September 2024 with “Igisabo.”
The New Times introduced her as the label’s new singer and described the single as the formal beginning of her career. “Igisabo” presents love as reassurance: one person promises not to repeat the hurt caused by a previous relationship. That emotional clarity became a useful starting point for a young voice whose first task was not reinvention but establishing trust with listeners.
The song also gave XTRAfrica readers the first entry in the evolving Zuba Ray songs catalogue. Her first two years then unfolded as a compact sequence testing solo work and collaboration.
Nyundo Training and Formative Creative Roots
Public reporting identifies Zuba Ray’s full name as Irahari Uwase Soleil. In September 2024, InyaRwanda described her as the youngest of four children and reported that she was 20 at the time. No strong public record gives her exact date of birth, however, so a precise current age would be misleading. Her parents’ names and birthplace have also not been established by dependable original reporting.
What is documented more clearly is her education. She said she began studying at Nyundo in September 2022. The school offered a path into singing as a craft rather than only a dream: performance, musical discipline and time spent around other young musicians became part of her preparation before a label contract arrived.
Her movement from general secondary education into specialist music study also shows how she balanced two forms of achievement. A 2025 education report on her national examination performance said she scored 85.45 percent while continuing to develop as a Kina Music artist. The same report connected her early public visibility to a performance at the Vibranium album launch involving Nel Ngabo and Platini P.
When Kina Music arrived at Nyundo, it encountered a learner already investing time in technique. The signing created opportunity, but the school made her ready to use it.
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From “Igisabo” to “Basara”: Sound, Catalogue and Achievements
Zuba Ray’s music is still too new for a fixed genre label, yet its centre is clear: smooth Afro-pop and contemporary Rwandan pop, with romantic narratives carried primarily through Kinyarwanda.
“Everyday,” released with labelmate Nel Ngabo in 2025, placed her beside a more established Kina Music singer. “Utuntu” then expanded the solo catalogue.
Later that year, she revisited King James’s “Ese Warikiniraga,” a move that connected her generation to one of Rwanda’s recognised romantic songwriters.
In a December 2025 interview about that interpretation, she explained what she admired in his work:
“Nkunda imyandikire ye; irihariye, iragutse kandi iraryoshye.”
She was praising writing she considered distinctive, broad and pleasing. The remake therefore worked as more than an attempt to borrow a familiar title. It revealed the kind of songwriting tradition she studies. That connection became literal in January 2026 when she and King James released “Ikirezi.”
XTRAfrica’s “Ikirezi” song page records the collaboration as a romantic Afro-pop release, while the timing gave it extra meaning: Zuba Ray was singing beside an artist approaching the twentieth anniversary of his career.
Her Apple Music catalogue lists “Basara,” released on 4 July 2026, as her latest single. It follows “Ikirezi” without suggesting that an album has already arrived. As of August 2026, her verified discography consists of singles rather than a studio album.
Selected achievements include:
Joining Kina Music directly from Nyundo School of Music in 2024.
Releasing six listed singles or collaborations between 2024 and July 2026.
Collaborating with Nel Ngabo and King James early in her professional career.
Receiving a 2025 African Entertainment Awards USA nomination for Rising Star of the Year.
Maintaining her education while establishing a professional release schedule.
Kinyarwanda Heritage, Language and Artistic Identity
Zuba Ray’s identity in music is Rwandan first. The language of her songs and the artists she has chosen to work with place her inside Rwanda’s modern romantic-pop lineage rather than presenting her as a generic Afrobeats newcomer. “Igisabo,” “Utuntu” and “Ikirezi” carry titles and emotional meanings that speak naturally to Kinyarwanda listeners.
Her admiration for King James is revealing. He belongs to an earlier Rwandan R&B generation; she comes from one shaped by streaming and regional collaboration. Reworking his song and then recording with him creates a bridge between those periods without erasing the music she grew up hearing.
Zuba Ray’s emergence can be read beside artists such as Yampano, who also centres Kinyarwanda expression, and Marina’s Rwandan R&B journey. Their careers are different, but together they show a scene in which local language, studio polish and East African ambition can coexist.
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Between School and Studio: Her Personal Journey
The most credible personal story around Zuba Ray is not celebrity gossip. It is the pressure of becoming a recording artist while still completing her studies. Label sessions and public performances arrived alongside examinations and graduation.
Her early comments suggest that family support mattered. When discussing the Kina Music opportunity, she called it unusual good fortune for both herself and her family. She also said the label was one she had admired before joining it. That combination ambition with the relief of trusted guidance helps explain why her first interviews sound measured rather than triumphalist.
No dependable public reporting establishes a partner, marriage or children, and those subjects are not necessary to understand her work. What readers can see is a young professional learning how to carry an artistic identity in public without abandoning education. That is already a substantial personal journey.
Career Timeline: From Nyundo to “Basara”
Year | Event | Significance |
2022 | Began studies at Nyundo School of Music | Formal training created the setting in which Kina Music later discovered her. |
2024 | Selected by Kina Music during its Nyundo talent search | Turned a student pathway into a professional recording opportunity. |
2024 | Released debut single “Igisabo” | Introduced her romantic Kinyarwanda pop voice to the public. |
2025 | Released “Everyday” with Nel Ngabo and the solo single “Utuntu” | Expanded her catalogue through both label collaboration and solo work. |
2025 | Nominated for AEAUSA Rising Star of the Year | Marked her first documented international award recognition, although Oriyano won the category. |
2025 | Reinterpreted King James’s “Ese Warikiniraga” | Publicly connected her songwriting influences to Rwanda’s established R&B tradition. |
2026 | Released “Ikirezi” with King James | Converted that influence into a direct intergenerational collaboration. |
2026 | Released “Basara” | Extended her solo catalogue and became her latest listed release by August 2026. |
Emerging Impact on Rwanda’s New Pop Generation
It is too early to describe Zuba Ray’s legacy as complete. Her emerging impact lies instead in the route she represents. A specialist music school, an established domestic label and collaborations within Rwanda’s own industry formed the base of her rise. That model gives young singers another picture of how a career can begin beyond television competitions or accidental virality.
Her 2025 AEAUSA Rising Star nomination widened that picture. InyaRwanda’s nomination report placed her alongside a broader group of African emerging artists. The published results confirm that Oriyano won, an important distinction: nomination is recognition, not victory.
For a singer whose debut was barely a year old, the nomination showed early reach. Her task now is to turn visibility into a deeper body of work.
What Comes Next for Zuba Ray
Zuba Ray stated her ambition clearly in the interview that introduced her signing:
“Ndashaka gushyira itafari ryanjye ku muziki nyarwanda ngafatanya n’abandi kuwugeza ku rwego mpuzamahanga.”
She said she wanted to add her brick to Rwandan music and work with others to carry it internationally. The wording fits her career so far: collaboration has not been secondary, but one of the main ways she has learned and expanded her audience.
No verified studio album or album release date had been announced by 4 August 2026. The responsible next chapter is therefore not to promise a project that does not exist. “Basara” is the current endpoint, and the open question is how she will transform six early releases, formal training and a strong label network into a recognisable long-form artistic statement.
Zuba Ray FAQs
What is Zuba Ray’s real name?
Her full name is Irahari Uwase Soleil. Some sources reverse the order to Soleil Uwase Irahari, but her 2024 original interview identifies her as Irahari Uwase Soleil.
How old is Zuba Ray?
InyaRwanda reported that she was 20 on 28 September 2024. Because no dependable source publishes her exact birth date, her precise age in August 2026 cannot be calculated responsibly.
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Where is Zuba Ray from?
She is Rwandan. A more specific verified birthplace has not been established in strong original reporting.
Who are Zuba Ray’s parents?
Their names have not been publicly confirmed by a dependable primary or reputable original source. Reporting says she is the youngest of four children.
Where did Zuba Ray study music?
She studied at Nyundo School of Music, also described as Rwanda School of Music. She said she began the programme in September 2022.
How did Zuba Ray join Kina Music?
Kina Music visited Nyundo while searching for a new artist. The label selected Zuba Ray from among the students and began working with her in 2024.
What was Zuba Ray’s first song?
“Igisabo,” released on 28 September 2024, was her professional debut single under Kina Music.
What are Zuba Ray’s most important songs?
Her verified catalogue includes “Igisabo,” “Everyday” featuring Nel Ngabo, “Utuntu,” “Ese Warikiniraga (Remix),” “Ikirezi” with King James and “Basara.”
Has Zuba Ray released an album?
No verified studio album had been released as of 4 August 2026. Her public catalogue consisted of singles.
Has Zuba Ray won an award?
No major award win has been verified. She was nominated for Rising Star of the Year at the 2025 African Entertainment Awards USA, but Oriyano won.
What is Zuba Ray’s latest song?
Apple Music lists “Basara,” released on 4 July 2026, as her latest release as of 4 August 2026.
Why did Zuba Ray remake a King James song?
She said she grew up listening to King James and admired his distinctive songwriting. She later collaborated with him on “Ikirezi.”
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