An Interview with Kezi - Soulful Singer-Songwriter

Kezi is a singer/songwriter from Burundi who has lived in Canada for six years. The daughter of a great traditional musician, she learned everything she knows from him; her father says she could sing before she could speak. She began dancing at age six, learned piano at nine, guitar at thirteen, and started writing her own songs in 2020. Since then, she has performed in Kigali and Ottawa. Through open mic nights in Ottawa, she has connected with local musicians and developed a deep community connection, finding that home is where art is.

What does community and cultural expression mean to you, particularly within this multicultural event?

While navigating through life, I have always gravitated towards people who are their most authentic selves. I enjoy being in community with such folks because they bring a new perspective to my life and enrich it in ways I could never do on my own. This is the essence of multiculturalism; the coming together of different ways of living without forcing assimilation and conforming. In a world that tends to judge and discard us based on whether we adhere to an arbitrarily set standard/status quo, cultural expression is extremely important to keep alive the voices and histories of those we don't always get to see at the forefront of the world stage. Cultural expression within a community in a multicultural context honours the uniqueness and individuality of each member, celebrates difference and the richness this world has to offer. 

What musical and cultural influences from Burundi do you weave into your songs?

As a third-generation musician, I draw most of my inspiration from traditional songs, and Burundian legends such as my father, uncles, Khadja Nin & Canco Hamisi. I find Burundian music to be riddled with enchanting melodies and deep messages. I try to apply that to my own music by writing about deeply personal experiences using words that come to me most naturally, hence the mix of languages in most of my songs. It is my hope that the more naturally I express myself, the more impactful the message, the more I honor all those that have made me into the person I am today.

How has living in different countries with different levels of entertainment infrastructure shaped your worldview as an artist?

I don't remember much of my childhood, but I remember being a very sad kid. My family gave me everything I needed and more, but there was always a part of me that felt deeply misunderstood. I had a very rich inner life and I spent most of my time daydreaming about how the real me would move through the world: how she would walk, talk, sound, smell, etc. Perhaps living in three different countries before I turned eighteen contributed to that feeling of being alienated. My father, being an artist himself, ensured that I learn at least one instrument (the piano first and later the guitar), he enrolled me in dance classes, signed me up for the children's choir among many other after school activities. I was pretty bright academically but I thrived in the arts. However, I lacked the self-confidence to fully embrace my artistic side as it was rare for people around me to fully live off of their art. Therefore, my family strongly advised me to go to university for sciences, instead of performing arts like I had initially planned, despite landing a job at one of the only arts centers in Kigali straight out of secondary school.

When I went to the USA for university, I once again retreated into my own shell, only practicing my art in my bedroom, far from listening ears. I got signed to a small label in Houston, had one live performance but stopped completely when I transferred schools to finish my degree.

After completing my degree, working for a couple of years, moving to Canada and living through a devastating pandemic, I realized that I wasn't doing myself any favors by hiding away. I realized that to succeed in anything in life, I must learn and pursue what makes my inner child feel seen and heard. I started pursuing genuine joy and landed in the belly of the Ottawa music scene. I built the courage to try different things, show different parts of myself and examine the reactions: My most vulnerable songs, expressed in words that come most naturally to me, even in languages no one else understood were my most impactful. Suddenly, that sad child I was always carrying around inside felt seen. I felt like she finally found her place in the world; she finally felt like she belongs.

I am an artist because I don't know any other way to exist, and I only reached this point because I had the freedom to try, fail, learn and try again. I also believe that the privilege of living in a country where people aren't forced to live in survival mode creates space for the arts to be valued and funded, which gives me the confidence to pursue it fully. Finally, I believe that each human being, no matter how foreign or misunderstood, is a gift to their communities. By the simple virtue of being alive, we're all here for a purpose, even if that purpose is just existing.

What role do vulnerability and openness play in your creative process? 

Vulnerability and openness are the only ways to connect to our shared life force. We may speak different languages, see the world from different perspectives, come from different backgrounds, but at the very core of it all, we're all living the same human life. The only way to connect to it is to strip it all down to the deepest parts of our shared human experience. Being vulnerable exposes me to what my soul is aching to express, and openness allows me to be a vessel for this life force to move through me and create pieces that are real and honest. 

How do you know when a song is truly “finished”?

At the risk of sounding narcissistic, I know a song is finished when I can't stop replaying it. When I feel that I've communicated all I want to say on the matter, that my message connects with each musical note I've chosen, and most importantly, that I've laid my soul bare and left nothing uncovered, it's ready. It is a process that is as personal as it is fulfilling. I always know myself a little better after each song I write.

Can you share a moment when your music deeply connected you to someone unexpected?

Early this year, I performed a four-song set at an event in Ottawa that celebrated Africans and Afrodescendents. People from all walks of life attended the event; it was the largest crowd I had ever performed my original music in front of. Three of those songs were in Kirundi, and I even included some traditional Burundian dancing in the set. As I was heading backstage after my performance, a gentleman significantly older than me, came up to me and expressed how much he connected with my music and encouraged me to keep going. He is not Burundian, he didn't understand a single lyric I sang but he was genuinely overjoyed by my performance and went as far as advising me to copyright my music and create a website for my artistry. I was extremely touched because he was living proof that music goes beyond just melody and lyrics; it is a reminder that we have a shared human experience that can't be defined or quantified, it can only be felt.

Answering these questions gave me the opportunity to go on a journey within myself and my past. Thank you for allowing me to think deeply about what I do and giving me the chance to be even more intentional with my work. Please let me know if you need any clarification; I'd be happy to elaborate.

Meet Kezi at the ART+ Fall 2025 Showcase on 4th October at the (Studio) Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa. Grab your tickets on our website.