Similar to the Ocora releases I have posted, Bärenreiter –
Verlag in Germany
started their Musicaphon division in 1960 to collect & preserve traditional
World music, much of it Asian & African. This release features the three
main ethnic groups of Rwanda:
the Tutsi; the Hutu; & the Twa. These are field recordings where made in
1954 & 1954. The Twa are the oldest group to inhabit Rwanda. The are
pygmies & many are still tribal hunters. They make up only about 1% of the native
population. The next group to arrive in the region was the Hutu (or Abahutu) who were part of the great
Bantu expansion. They make up about 84% of the native population of Rwanda. They
are primarily pastoralists. The Tutsi (or Watusi) arrived about four or five
centuries ago in the second wave of Bantu migration. They make up the other 15%
of the native population. They have been since their arrival viewed as the
aristocracy of the three groups.
The Tutsi monarchy ruled Rwanda
(then called Ruanda-Urundi) until 1961, when Kigeli
V was exiled from the colony. The political power then was transferred from the
minority Tutsi to the majority Hutu. This led to the ‘Social Revolution’ &
Hutu violence against Tutsis. Tens of thousands of Tutsis were killed &
many others fled to neighboring countries.
The Tutsi & Hutu music has many similarities, as they
are both off-shoots of the Bantus. The Twa music is quite unique. This release
comes with a 10 page booklet with text in English, French & German &
many photos. I have included this in the file. Side A is all Tutsi music. Side
B, the first six are Hutu & the last three are Twa.
An Anthology of African Music - Music from Rwanda, Bärenreiter Musicaphon BM
30 L 2302, 1965.
decryption code in comments
Side A –
Rukina
Rurambo hand clapping song
Umuhara
Guhindura
Muberule
Kana
Chandali
Ikimanura
Side B –
Mugore W’Imgare
Induru Ni Ndende
Ikondera
Ntawundi Mwana Nkibyara Ndakuze
Kubangurira
Ingare
Agasambi
Nshoz’ Uruyange
Ibare
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Orchestre Impala de Kigali was one of the groups that
popularized dance music in Rwanda.
This did not even begin to happen until the late 70s. Rwanda has had a
tragic history. The Germans & Belgians colonized the area & then
established a Tutsi monarchy. The monarchy was overthrown in 1961 & by
1962, Rwanda
has gained its independence. In 1973 Juvénal Habyarimana took control of Rwanda in a
bloodless coup. He was well liked by most of the different ethnic groups &
a calm spread over the land.
Rwanda
was a very poor country. They exported few valuable resources, mainly small
quantities of coffee & tea. The capital Kigali was not much more than a large
village. Electricity was yet to make its way to the rural villages. The music
was mostly slow, acoustic, traditional.
The music of Rwanda
is primarily what was featured in the above anthology. Rwanda was not
a musical powerhouse. There was no record industry so bands just self-produced
their own cassette tapes primarily. The best known orchestra in those times was
Orchestre Impala de Kigali. By the 80s, popular dance music with electrified
instrumentation began to appear. Still there was not really much of a music
scene. There was no TV, only one state run radio program which played Rwandan
traditional music & French pop with a few tracks by Rwandan bands in the
mix. Cassettes were marketed by a handful of shops in Kigali, Butare, & Gisenyi. Many of the
Rwandan tapes appeared in a series under the logo ‘African Hits’. Orchestre
Impala de Kigali was one of the few groups that received much airplay. They
played a unique & eclectic style, which fused elements of traditional
Rwandan music with bits of Democratic Republic of Congo’s rumba & other
popular genres of African music of the day.
On April 6, 1994 President Habyarimana was killed when his plane was shot out of the sky. The following day, Hutu extremists began killing their political opponents. As the brutal killings continued, the world stood idly by & just watched the slaughter. Lasting 100 days, the Rwanda Genocide left approximately 800,000 Tutsis & their Hutu sympathizers dead.
Of Orchestre Impala’s original eight members: Andre ‘Pepe la
Rose’ Sebanane; Felix Jean ‘Soso Mado’ Gasasira; Paul ‘Mimi la Rose’ Sebigeri;
Abdallatif ‘Toubi Lando’ Gasigwa; Francois ‘Maitre Rubangi’ Rubangura; Jean
Pierre ‘Kali wa Njenje’ Kalimunda; Fidele ‘Fidele la jacard’ Ngenzi: & Jean
Berechimas ‘Semu wa semu’ Semu, only Paul & Fidele are still alive. Other than Semu, who
died in the 80s of natural causes, all the rest were killed in the 1994 Genocide
against the Tutsi.
There is a common saying in Rwanda: “Nakibuza Impala gucuranga”
that literally means ‘nothing can stop the Impala from playing music’. This
indicates how much people treasure & believe in the band even today. To
honor their fallen members & the bands name, the two surviving musicians
have recruited young men to take the place of the deceased & have restarted
the band again. These new members were recruited & Impalage (a group of
female traditional dancers) were added. The all new group is made up of nine
members plus the Impalage. They perform as Orchestre Impala de Kigali just like
before.
Here is one of the many cassettes from the original
“Nakibuza Impala gucuranga” Orchestre Impala de Kigali. It is their third
release with all eight original members in great form.
decryption code in comments
Side A –
Uribeshya
Umuqwaneza
Amavubi No. 1
Unaenda Wapi
Side B –
Ntugasaze
Soko kw’iteke
Anonciata
Goretti
Ngwino Mutimukeye
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Sabrina Iyadede is a modern Rwandan musician. She & her
family lived in Rwanda
until the 1994 Genocide began. Then she & her mother moved to Brussels for safety.
Out of that monumental pain & darkness emerged an
exquisite beauty & light. As a survivor of Rwanda's 1994 Genocide, Iyadede has
overcome pain, trauma & incredible loss. She has emerged with an
inspirational strength & spirit. She has recorded & performed with Zap
Mama in Belgium.
She currently resides in Brooklyn,
New York. Her passion & love
for her home country & continent is evident in her words. She
represents her home with soul, beauty, grace, funk, & fire.
Iyadede’s voice is at once delicate & powerful, but her style defies easy
categorization. Her free spirit & originality offer an alternative sound to
that usually expected of pop music. On this demo she presents an eclectic mix
of electronic pop & funkadelic hotness, her sound oscillates between
punk-rock, electronica, & jungle, with elements of Afro-beat &
Afro-funk.
She is the very picture of resilience & hope. She is a
multi-talented artist whose star is rising. I cannot wait to see what she does
next.
Iyadede – The Demo, 2011.
decryption code in comments
Greetings
Not the Same
When I was a Kid
Burnstone & Fire
Things that We Have
Pretend You’re a Square
The Love Mantra
African Thunder
Emergency
Let’s Stay Together
Make it a Song (feat Nineteenz)
Little Brown Girl
Enjoy, but always remember the pain of hatred,
NØ
Music from Rwanda
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Orchestre Impala de Kigali
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Iyadede
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