The history of music in Rwanda
There are two dialects of music in Rwanda: traditional music and modern music, and modern music frequently incorporates foreign styles. Concentrating on traditional music also demonstrates how long ago Rwandans began singing.
Because they used to write their songs without using notes (les notes musicals), history demonstrates that Rwandans were extremely talented musicians. Rwandans of today used to write songs about a variety of topics, including agriculture, breeding, love, and war.
Professor MBONIMANA Gamaliere, a researcher, demonstrated in his 1971 book how Rwandan music possessed an amazing skill that was evident in its melody and rhythm. These Rwandan singers gave both a group and a solo performance.
As opposed to how we do it in Rwanda with foreign or contemporary music, the Rwandans of the past weren't required to express their sadness in a subdued way. Again, the lyrics of those songs made it abundantly clear that no one should express their joy by dancing as briskly as we do now.
Slower songs were dubbed hymns or hymns, and ABATERAMBABAZI is well-known for them. Other exuberant dances, such as the BAGORE BEZA y URUKEREZA, which gained popularity before the arrival of the white people, were frequently performed by the Atwatwa (the historically marginalised). In this genre, you can find an artist who tried to lead his art, called BIZIMANA RUTI, in songs like "N ta munoza , patoro " and others.
Due to the sounds that influenced the street style, such as in the songs of URUKEREZA, BAGORE BEZA, or BENIMANA, which are both more pure songs than others, according to research on Rwandan music, these songs used to be enjoyable dances.
Every region in Rwanda had its distinctive style, such as Rukiga, which was well-known, along with Kinimba and other styles like mushayayo. However, due to Rwanda's similar culture, it was discovered that these styles were similar.
You could discover these various styles—calm, quick, and others—in the concerts. No one will get bored because the rhythms are similar to clapping, drumming, and dancing. All the scales (5/8, 6/8, 3/3, and more) are available to musicians; for instance, the song MAHORO MEZA was published in 1938 and 1943.
Aside from the fact that the Rwandans copied the priests because they composed the tunes before they arrived, the Europeans who came discovered that their tunes appeared to match those of the Rwandans, especially the ones that used to match the tunes of the church.
Polyphony was present in this music as well, particularly in the sword's rhythm, as well as in the drums, such as the umtimbo and manuka drums, among others.
When the priests came to Rwanda, these songs hardly changed at all. The priests started teaching Rwandans European music, using guitars, accordions, and other instruments as accompaniment.
As a result of their propensity for copying other people's music over time, Rwandans have developed similar imitation techniques for music from Zaire (Congo Kinshasa), the IMPALA orchestra, and other musical genres.
There are also Jamaican reggae styles like Benjamin RUTABANA's, as well as African originals like KITOKO BIBARWA, KAMISHI, and others. The sounds that can be heard in Rwandan music today are dominated by music from across the ocean. Later, Rwandans began to imitate American and European music. Hip-hop and R&B are popular in Rwanda and originated in the United States. Among the musicians are Miss Jojo, The Ben, and others.
Traditional Instruments
A traditional stringed instrument resembling a lyre or harp is possibly the most well-known. Its resonator is made of umyungu wood, and it has nine or twelve strings made of cow skin. Other traditional chordophones include the icyembe (a music box with acoustic strings on it), the inigiri (a violin-like instrument played with a bow or umuchiri), and the umuduli (a single-stringed traditional bow).
The heads of the drums, known as ingoma, are made of cow skin. The umwirongi (a flute made of lobelia), amakondera (a horn used to play a smooth, long-drawn echoing sound), and amahembe (trumpets made of antelope horns) are examples of aerophones. Urusengo is a bamboo flute. Idiophones include the ikembe, a localised version of the mbira or kalimba, the ikinyuguri or urunyege, the urutaro or intara, and the amayugi, small spherical belts fastened to dancers' ankles. The development of musical bows and instruments with metallic strips dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Traditional music today
1994 saw the beginning of the Tutsi genocide, which completely upended the music business. In 1994, numerous traditional musicians and other Tutsis perished. Early in the 1990s, the genocide caused a large number of Rwandans to emigrate, bringing their nation's music to places like Brussels and Paris. Even though Rwanda now has a variety of musical styles, traditional music is still a vital component of Rwandan culture.
The traditional music of Rwanda is advancing and becoming more and more influenced by western music. Traditional instruments, for example, are frequently accompanied by more modern instruments today.
It's significant to remember that all Rwandans share a common musical heritage in addition to a common language, set of values, and rituals. It is an accurate representation of the country as a whole and is not connected to any specific ethnic or geographic groups.
