The Traditional East African Dance Known As "Igishakamba" (YouTube Videos, Online Information, & Comments)

Nazarite Image, Oct. 8, 2015

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents an embedded YouTube video of the Igishakamba dance.

This post also quotes several online sources about the history and performance of the  "Igishakamba" dance, including summaries or comments from other hyperlinked YouTube videos of this dance. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in this video and the videos that are given as hyperlinks below.
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I changed the title for this pancocojams post on Jan 5, 2021 to hopefully increase the possibility that viewers will find and read it. 

I'm interested in learning about any differences in the ways that igishakamba is performed by people in various East African nations and also about any contemporary changes in the ways that this dance is performed. Please share information and comments in this post's discussion section. Thanks in advance! 

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ONLINE ARTICLE EXCERPTS

These quotes are presented in chronological order by publishing date with the quote with no date given first, and then the oldest quoted information given next.

Excerpt #1
From https://www.inganzongari.com/music/ikinimba/igishakamba.html
"Igishakamba cultural dance is said to be portraying the beauty of long- honed Ankore race cows and the general way of life of the semi- pastoral inhabitants of the North-Eastern region of the country."

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This quote is from the website of "Inganzo Ngari", a Rwandan dance company. 

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Excerpt #2
From  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIj35gIR1z8&ab_channel=milk11honey Burundi traditional dance: Igishakamba published by milk 11 honey, April 2, 2011
"Burundian Students at Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) performing Igishakamba by Club du Lac aux oiseaux (Intashikirwa) at Vieux Clocher de l'UdeS."

[Selected comments; numbers added for referencing purposes only] 

Espe Gatako, 2011
"for me, personally i don't think that this is fully a burundian traditional dance, true burundians don't dance like that... and i'm also gonna say that it ain't Rwandan either..... it's just a combination of both....i like it BTW..."

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Mpinga Nzima, 2011
"@johnpascal77 This is a folkloric dance from Kirundo (Northern Burundi). The singer is part of the "Club du Lac aux Oiseaux/Intashikirwa", her name is Ciciri"

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Mpinga Nzima, 2012
"@ndayikeze Club Giramahoro ntiserukira uburundi bwose. "Igishakamba" is one of the folkloric dances of Kirundo. The proximity of Kirundo to Rwanda explains the cultural blend. But Kirundo being in Burundi, this is a Burundian dance. People who live in proximity with each will tend to be similar in so many ways despite political borders."

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mukeanne, 2012
"Why do you guys have to argue over nothing? Its okay just be happy about wat this girls are doing bcz it s a such good thing. For those who are saying it s not bundi dance, believe it or not this is burundi dance as some of u metioned it the dance from Kirundo. I myself can do the dance very well as i come from Kirundo, Commine Bwambarangwe. So this is completly burundi tradional dance as we have too many moves not only one moves. God bless u all."

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gwasam, 2013
"Thanks for this nice video my dear! Just a general comment,there are many similarities culture wise,way of living, etc btn Burundians and Rwandans.I am Rwandan but I have attended a function (urubanza as u say) in Kirundo in these back areas where people haven't traveled in order to say that they were performing what they saw somewhere else...for the ones who are bringing in here nationalities or whatever, just enjoy the moves of the Vanessa and others, the rest, leave it to God who created us!"

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Excerpt #3
From http://bericai.blogspot.com/2015/04/igishakamba.html Gutamba Ikirundi
Unknown, April 18, 2015
"Igishakamba is a burundian traditional dance originating from Burundi an African country located in the east central part of the continent. the dance originated from Kirundo a province found in the north part of the country. It is an all female dance like most of the Burundian traditional dances, it was performed for the king and his guests on special events like weddings."
 
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Excerpt #4 
From https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/202762 "Do You Know The Origin Of The Popular Traditional Dance "Igishakamba"? by Francis Byaruhanga, Published : August 20, 2016 
"Well, growing up in Tooro, in Western Uganda, I used to see young people - both girls and boys - gather in the neighbourhood after dinner to participate in folk songs, Igishakamba and share riddles, in what was known as Ugutarama in Kinyarwanda.

In the East African region, just like many parts of Africa, there are multiple ethnic groups with different music traditions, one of which is Igishakamba – a fusion of contemporary-music influences of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzanian and DR Congo.

The dance is performed during weddings, ceremonies and important cultural events. Notably, Igishakamba dancers and drummers, express communal desires, values and collective creativity.

Jean-Damascène Rwasamirera, a historian and an expert in the folk traditions says this type of dance is adaptive practice between the Ekitagururo from Uganda and Umuhamirizo from Rwanda- the two contemporary dances were merged and Igishakamba was born. It was introduced between 1960s-1970s and later spread to Burundi, Tanzania and DR Congo.

Today, Igishakamba is one of the most performed traditional dances in Rwanda and is very popular in Umutara, in the Eastern Province.

Dr Jacques Nzabonimpa, director of Culture, Research, Protection and Promotion unit, says that in the pre- historic Rwanda, people inhabiting a certain place would have their own style of dancing. He cites Ikinimba of the Bakiga people in the South-western part of Uganda, Gutsoma and Ikinyemera of Bagogwe people in north-western region and Igishakakamba of Bahima in south-western Uganda.

He explains that Igishakamba originated from the Bahima of Nkole in Uganda and parts of Karagwe in eastern Tanzania as a result of adaptation that resulted from Rwandans, who lived with in these areas.

Stick, whistle and a drum

Sticks, whistles and a drum are important instruments when performing Igishakamba. While dancing, the male dancers use sticks and whistles, while the female dancers use whistles too.

Traditionally, the sticks are used to guide the performance and the whistles, which create a collective rhythm and allow linguistic meaning to be expressed non-verbally.

Apart from the Igishakamba, there are several other traditional dances in Rwanda like Amaraba, Intore, Ikinimba, Ikinyemera, Inkaranka and Umuhamiriz"

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Excerpt #5
From https://www.jstor.org/stable/26357872?seq=1
Journal Article: "Contemporary Dynamics in Rwandan Dances: Identity, Changing Creativity and the Globalisation of Affect" by Carine Plancke
Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research
Vol. 34, No. 2 (WINTER 2016), pp. 150-169 (20 pages)
Published By: Edinburgh University Press
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26357872
"Abstract
In contemporary Rwandan society, a revitalisation of 'traditional' dances can be observed which manifests in the proliferation of youth dance troupes, especially in urban areas. This revival is part of the drive, which has characterised Rwanda, to reconstruct itself after the traumatic 1994 genocide and to create a new, unified nation that strives to be 'modern' and integrated into the global market economy. This article explores the repertoire and dynamics of current Rwandan dance performances as they embody the new national identity, pointing to differences between the practices and views of dancers trained in the pre-genocide period and dancers from contemporary youth troupes. In this respect, two divergent views of creativity, found among these two categories of dancers, are distinguished: a perspective that privileges improvisation as a key creative process, on the one hand, and a view of creativity as innovation and the realisation of novel, pre-designed forms, on the other. With regard to the affective power of these performances, the article advances that contemporary dance shows generate affect, as bodily intensity, among the onlookers captured by the flow of spectacular, homogeneously performed dance forms. While evocative of Rwanda's new national identity, the latter neutralise connections with the dancers' subjective history and erase the dances' sociocultural background. In a final note, the changing dynamics in Rwandan dances are linked beyond this specific case study to the flow-closure dialectic of globalisation. It is suggested that dance's dual nature of both rhythmic flow and visual form is what makes it such a privileged marker of identity in our uncertain and violence-generating global times."

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Excerpt #6
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weJrwoxbILA&ab_channel=FiacreIgihozoAzerf

Igishakamba, Rwandan traditional dance [shot from the back]

Fiacre Igihozo Azerf, May 19, 2019

'Igishakamba is one of over 10 existing traditional dances in Rwandan culture based on the regions. It's originates from the northwestern part of Rwanda and the southwestern part of Uganda"

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Excerpt #7
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NtOwI-cy_U&ab_channel=YAWETV 
UMUDIHO NYARWANDA IGISHAKAMBA KIRYOHEYE IJIJO, published by YAWE TV, Nov. 28, 2019
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This dance was performed at a wedding. 

[Selected comments from that video's discussion thread]
1. Birungi Tibasima, 2020

"A’bahima?"

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Reply
2. Aha Ta, 2020
"They are bakonyine from North East Rwanda. Tutsi/Hima pastoralists culture."

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Eight Examples Of Traditional African Dances In Which Dancers Hold A Stick (Including A Fly Whisk)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: August 31, 2018

This pancocojams post showcases eight examples of traditional African dances that feature dancers holding a stick (including a fly whisk).

In alphabetical order, these examples are from Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda.

An Addendum to this post (added on August 30, 2018) includes information about Egyptian saida dancing (dancing with a one or two sticks/canes). One video of that style of dancing is also included in the Addendum. "Saida" may not be "traditional" African dancing, but it is African and it is dancing.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
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This is only a small sample of YouTube videos of traditional African dances that feature holding a stick (including a fly whisk).

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [revised September 6, 2018]
Article Excerpts Of African & Haitian Rara Sources Of Baton Twirling & Other Twirling Performances".

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [revised September 6, 2018]
My interest in this subject was recently whetted by reading several comments in discussion threads for historically (predominately) Black Greek letter organizations [BGLO} that stepping, the custom of carrying canes (or staffs) and cane tapping/cane twirling during step performances came from African cultures.

My position is that African cultures weren't the direct source for BGLO stepping with or without carrying canes. That is to say, I don't believe that stepping was created as a result of historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities learning about or being taught one or more forms of African dance such as South African gumboot dancing. Stepping is a performance art that has evolved over time and continues to change within different organizations and different chapters and regions of those organizations.

For instance, what is now called stepping has changed since I first pledged a historically Black Greek letter organization in 1967 (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Zeta chapter). I don't recall ever using the term "stepping" or hearing that term used, but I do recall doing a dance routine in a vertical line and/or a horizontal line while singing adapted R&B songs that praised that organization.

That said, I believe that certain African dance forms -such as South African gumboot dancing- may have eventually influenced the performance BGLO stepping, but that performance style was probably influenced more by American military drills and Black drum major parade stances. It's obvious that some elements of certain African dance forms are quite similar to stepping, but I think that this can be attributed to the similar aesthetic preferences of Africans and of African Americans and other people in the African Diaspora.

More specifically, while it's true that a number of African ethnic groups have traditional dances that are performed with men and women holding sticks*, I believe that customs of tapping and/or twirling canes that are part of the stepping routines of certain historically Black Greek letter organizations [particularly Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.] can be more directly attributed to Haitian rara cane twirling customs, New Orleans (and other) African American parade traditions, and heavily African American influenced soft shoe and/or tap dancing with a cane performances.

*Some examples of African ethnic groups who have dances holding sticks are South Africans' Xhosa, Zulu, and Mpondo.
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I hold this opinion in spite of comments from some members of some BGLO organizations that stepping and/or strolling came from African cultures, and that stepping and/or strolling came from Africans who became members of their organizations.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/08/was-south-african-gumboot-dancing.html a pancocojams post entitled Was South African Gumboot Dancing REALLY The Main Source Of The Movements For Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Stepping?

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/08/similarities-differences-between-south.html for the pancocojams post "Similarities & Differences Between South African Gumboot Dance Performances & Performances Of Black [African American] Fraternity & Sorority Step Teams"

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Here's a comment exchange from the discussion thread for the video given as Example #5 below. This exchange can serve as an example of (probably) African Americans attributing stepping and other elements of African American culture to Africans:

jafairar collins, 2016
"I see alot of historical black colleges band moves in this well for drum majors...I see we really never lost our touch"

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REPLY
gmail user, 2017
"Only thing is they put the "greek" on it...smh"

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REPLY
1judahisrael, 2018
"It's in the DNA"

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Amza, 2018
"jafairar collins EXACTLY what I was thinking! Drum majors, marching bands, and Greek step shows❤"
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/08/was-south-african-gumboot-dancing.html a pancocojams post entitled Was South African Gumboot Dancing REALLY The Main Source Of The Movements For Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Stepping?

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest dated video given first.

Example #1: Oma Lore 6.6 [Yoruba culture, Nigeria (West Africa)



jensbraun, Published on Dec 23, 2008

Erin ogho, orin Yoruba lati Owo (Muibat Aladeniyi)
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"Fly whisks" are wooden sticks decorated with horse hair (and possibly other items such as colored beads). Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-whisk for information about the symbolic meanings of fly whisks in Africa:
"A fly-whisk is a tool to swat or disturb flies. A similar gadget is used as a hand fan in hot tropical climates, sometimes used as part of regalia, and called chowrie, chāmara or prakirnaka in South Asia and Tibet.[1][2]

[...]

Fly-whisks appear frequently in the traditional regales of monarchs and nobility in many parts of the African continent. This use has sometimes carried on into modern contexts: Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta carried a fly-whisk, a mark of authority in Maasai society,[5] as did Malawian leader Hastings Banda, while South African jazz musician Jabu Khanyile also used a Maasai fly-whisk as a trademark when on stage.[6]"

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Example #2: Botswana Cultural Night - Tokyo October 19th 2010



Dancing4kids, Published on Oct 19, 2010

Traditional Dance Troup Performance - Dipela tsa ga Kobokwe Cultural Troupe.

In support of the children of Botswana Dancing4Kids attended this extraordinary event which featured a traditional dance troupe, Dipela tsa ga Kobokwe (apparently translates as "The Rock Rabbits") as well as contemporary band Banjo Mosele & Veterans. Banjo was one of the original founding members of the Kalahari Band that recorded with Hugh Masekela in the 1980's and is active on the European jazz scene, so this should be fun! President Khama was also in attendance.
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According to several commenters, this is the tsutsube dance, the traditional dance of the San. In 2012 a commenter named avidave wrote that "they are slow , ahh , Tsutsube is nicer when at a higher tempo"

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Example #3: Botswana Tribe (Bushmen) Dancers In the Athletes Village Welcome Centre. Tsutsube Dance



Andrew Medlock, Published on Feb 11, 2013

Botswana Tribe (Bushmen) Dancers In the Olympic Athletes Village Welcome Centre
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread.
Steven Mmape, 2016
"Stop calling our people "bushmen" there's no such thing as you say. Would you just be respectful and enjoy the video."
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Here's information about the referent "San" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_people
"Sān or Saan peoples (also, Sākhoen, Sonqua, and in Afrikaans: Boesmans, or in English: Bushmen,[1] after Dutch Boschjesmens; and Saake in the Nǁng language) are members of various Khoesān-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer groups representing the first nation of Southern Africa, whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho[2] and South Africa.

[...]

by the late 1990s, the term San was in general use by the people themselves.[23] The adoption of the term was preceded by a number of meetings held in the 1990s where delegates debated on the adoption of a collective term."...

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Example #4: Dance performance in Belgian Congo 1956 [This title is incorrect. This is actually the Tutsi dance from Rwanda (Central/Eastern Africa)




MichaelRogge, Published on Jul 29, 2013

From a 16mm Kodachrome film when the Congo was not yet named The Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
btflWorld, 2014
"Hi, thanks for sharing this video. a shame though, the music you put in (drums etc) don't correspond to the dance itself at all, it is like to put a rock music on a classic dance. and the music on the video is certainly not from there. Probably from Congo.This dance is from Intore (Rwanda), that still exist till now(recent can be found type "intore dance" in youtube). Normally with this dance, there is no music with it. Dancers have small bells on their feet and the noise the bells make when they dance constitutes the rythm. sometimes there is a drum. for whoever knows this culture, sound matters a lot, I had to remove the sound to fully appreciate the video. But anyways thanks for sharing."
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Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Rwanda about the colonization history of Rwanda.
for information about the history of German and Belgian colonization of Rwanda.

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Example #5: INDLONDLO ZULU DANCERS SA



Indlondlo Zulu Dancers, Published on Dec 9, 2014

Ushaka Marine Zulu Dance Finals at Ushaka Marine World in Durban South Africa on 30 November 2014.

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Example #6: Imfene Traditional Dance [South Africa]



Nkanyiso Mathamba, Published on Nov 28, 2016

Kusile - Song by Nkunz'Emdaka from Bizana, Eastern Cape

#MpondoFestival2017 #Ntabankulu #MpondoKingdom
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Another example of the Mpondo's Imfene (baboon) dance is given as #8 below.

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Example #7: TOP 10 IGBO CULTURAL DANCE. (OFUOBI CULTURAL DANCE GROUP UDI 2) [Nigeria, West Africa]



UGWUMBA TV, Published on Jun 29, 2017

Dancing with fly whisk in hand
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Dances with fly whisks are shown at 10:14-11:34 and 17:39-19:23

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Example #8: Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival 2017 Thuluzobona perfromance



Princess Stella Sigcau, Published on Oct 10, 2017

Performance by Thuluzobona Traditional group which specializes in Mfene Mpondo Dance. Recipients of the Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcau Memorial Award (traditional youth, category)#MpondoFestival2017 #Ntabankulu #MpondoKingdom #EasternCapeProvince #RepublicofSouthAfrica
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Here's information about the Mpondo [ethnic group]. I've added this information because this ethnic group isn't as well known [in the United States] as the other African ethnic groups that are featured in this post.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpondo_people
"The Mpondo people, also called AmaMpondo and Pondo, are a Southern African ethnic group.[3] Their traditional homeland has been in the contemporary era Eastern Cape province of South Africa, more specifically what used to be the Transkei region.[2] They speak a Nguni / Mbo language called isiMpondo which is grammatically similar to both isiXhosa and isiZulu."...

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ADDENDUM August 30, 2018
Click https://www.worldbellydance.com/belly-dancing-with-canes/ for information about Egyptian belly dancing with a stick. Here's an brief excerpt of that article:
The idea of belly dancing with canes originates from Egyptian folkloric dances, in particular from the Saiidi region in Upper Egypt. The traditional male dance is called tahtib (also transliterated tahteeb) and it is a martial art, accompanied by music, in which the two fighters use a stick, called assaya in Arabic, to hit and fence each other’s hits. Tahtib as a martial art must have ancient roots as images of men fighting with sticks have been found depicted on ancient Egyptian stones.

[...]

Later, (from the 1960s and 70s) Tahteeb was adapted for the stage by Mahmoud Reda, an Egyptian dancer and choreographer who travelled across Egypt observing traditional dances, which inspired his choreographies that were adaptations of these dances for the stage.

Women incorporated the stick as a belly dance prop, and used it to imitate this typically masculine dance in a flirtatious and cheeky way. Nowadays, dancing with an assaya is often part of raqs sharqi shows. This dance is called in Arabic raqs al assaya, literally cane dance.

The stick used by women is usually a bamboo cane (thinner comparing to the one used for tahtib), which may have a hooked end, and it can be decorated with sequins. If the dance is folkloric, usually the assaya will be a plain bamboo cane; otherwise, for raqs sharqi performances, it can be sequinned. The performer usually wears a long tunic (also called in Arabic galabeya), a hip scarf with coins and a head scarf, which is traditional but it is also useful to keep the assaya in place when balancing it on the dancer’s head.

Saidi Rhythm
The rhythm that usually accompanies raqs al assaya is the saidi rhythm (read more on saiidi on our Arabic rhythms page), which is also used for tahtib. This is why, belly dancing with the cane is often referred to as saidi dance. Saiidi is a strong and earthy rhythm; hence, the movements associated with it must also be strong, very well grounded, with a proud posture and movements pointing to the earth (for example, movements are often performed on flat or semi flat feet rather the standing on feet balls)."...
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Here's a video of Saida dancing:

Saidi with cane - Jazíra Bellydance



mahajazira, Published on Jun 25, 2014
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Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heITzhaCLYs for a YouTube video of a woman dancing "raqs Al assaya with two sticks.

Also, click http://zumalayah.blogspot.com/2013/04/information-three-videos-of-egyptian.html for a post on my Zumalayah blog entitled "Information About & Three Videos Of Egyptian Saidi Stick Dances"


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Visitor comments are welcome.

Five Gospel Videos From Adepr Cyarma Choirs In Huye (Butare), Rwanda

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases five Gospel videos from Adepr Cyarma (Association Of Pentecostal Church) choirs in the Cyarwa neighborhood of Huye (Butare), Rwanda.*

English sub-titles that are included in two of these videos are also given in this post. Sub-titles also included in two other videos that are found in this post.

Information about Rwanda is given in this post along with information about the Rwandan city Huye (Butare) and information about the Kinyawanda language which is spoken in Rwanda.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to these choirs for the musical abilities and religious messages and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Special thanks for including translations of these lyrics for most of these songs in English!
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* I used google search to find out the meaning of "Adepr Cyarma". Here are my results:
1. Where this choir is located:
From https://www.facebook.com/public/Adepr-Cyarwa-Parish gives the information Adepr Cyarma parish Huye, Buyare, Rwanda.

2. Here's information about the meaning of "Adepr" from https://www.allacronyms.com/ADEPR/Association_des_Eglises_de_Pentecote_au_Rwanda
"ADEPR stands for Association des Eglises de Pentecote au Rwanda"
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English translation of the French words: "Association of Pentecostal churches in Rwanda."

3. Here's information about the meaning of "Cyarma":
From http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Rwanda/Butare/_203017_Cyarwa.html "Cyarwa is a populated locality in Butare, Rwanda, Africa. Cyarwa is also known as Colline Cyarwa."

4. Since Wikipedia and other online sources indicated that Kinyawanda is the traditional language that is almost always spoken in Rwanda, I used http://www.kinyarwanda.net/ to look up the English translations for the titles of the songs in these featured videos.

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INFORMATION ABOUT RWANDA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
"Rwanda ... officially the Republic of Rwanda (Kinyarwanda: Repubulika y'u Rwanda; French: République du Rwanda), is a sovereign state in Central and East Africa and one of the smallest countries on the African mainland. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is in the African Great Lakes region and is highly elevated; its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year.
The population is young and predominantly rural, with a density among the highest in Africa. Rwandans are drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda, although within this group there are three subgroups: the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people descended from Rwanda's earliest inhabitants. Scholars disagree on the origins of and differences between the Hutu and Tutsi; some believe differences are derived from former social castes within a single people, while others believe the Hutu and Tutsi arrived in the country separately, and from different locations. Christianity is the largest religion in the country; the principal language is Kinyarwanda, spoken by most Rwandans, with English and French serving as official languages."

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INFORMATION ABOUT HUYE (BUTARE)
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/rwanda/huye-butare/introduction
"Introducing Huye (Butare)

Huye is one of the most distinguished towns in Rwanda, having served as the country’s most prominent intellectual centre since the colonial era, when it was known as Butare, a name most Rwandans still use for it. Home to the National University of Rwanda, the National Institute of Scientific Research and the excellent National Museum, Huye may be a step down in size after the capital, but it’s certainly no lightweight on the Rwandan stage. While Huye may have lost a bit of ground to Kigali after independence, today it still manages to maintain its political relevance, especially since it’s ruled by legions of Rwanda’s academic elite.

While Huye isn’t a tourist destination in the traditional sense, it’s nevertheless an interesting stopover and the heavy concentration of liberal college students roaming the streets makes for an interesting contrast to the chaotic whirl of mercantile Kigali."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE KINYAWANDA LANGUAGE
From http://www.nalrc.indiana.edu/brochures/kinyarwanda.pdf
"Kinyarwanda is the language most widely spoken in Rwanda. English and French are basically tied for second place linguistically, though French has the au-dessus main. Swahili is also useful in some parts of the country especially in Kigali and other towns; it is also used for commerce. According to the 2001 census, Kinyarwanda is spoken by 99% of the population, Swahili 20%, French 8%, and English 5%.

Kinyarwanda is a Bantu language spoken by approximately 20,000,000 people, with over 8,000,000 in Rwanda.
Kinyarwanda is part of the Bantu sub-group of the central branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is closely related to Kirundi, the language of Burundi. The Rwanda language is mutually intelligible with Kirundi, which is spoken in neighboring Burundi.

In terms of religion, Christianity dominates. It is practiced by two-thirds of the population. Due to the influx of Christian missionaries under German colonialism in the early 1900s, tribal religious beliefs occupy another 25% of Rwandans, while less than 10% of residents are Muslims."

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Sub-titles are included in the videos for all of these songs except Example #3.

Example #1: Sinzibagirwa by Chorale Evangelique ADEPR CYARWA



Boniface NSENGIYUMVA, Published on May 6, 2013
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Lyrics given as sub-titles in this video:

I will never forget God’s mercy nor forget his love
Jesus Himself lovd me though I was worthless
I was wicked
Jesus came from his holy heaven
to save me with his blood
I was wicked
Jesus came from his holy heaven
to save me with his blood
I will sing his love
by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim His mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim his mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.

I’ll never forget His suffering for me.
He was beaten severely
and mocked by criminals
He worn [wore] the crown of thorns
So that I get eternal life

I will sing his love
by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim His mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim his mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.

Surely Jesus took up our infirmities
He was pierced for our transgressions
He took our sins
He patiently accepted the cross’ death
hopeless death on the cross of shame

I will sing his love
by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim His mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.
I’ll proclaim his mercy
to those who live far and near
To strong and humble people
for them to know that love
I will sing his love by which Jesus saved me.
-snip-
These verses or the chorus may be repeated one time after they are sung.

http://www.kinyarwanda.net/ had no entry for "Sinzibagirwa" and instead gave this result" "kwibagirwa (-we) v "to forget"

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Example #2: Twiringiye Imana Chorale Evangelique Cyarwa



Boniface NSENGIYUMVA, Published on May 6, 2013

Nta wiringiye Imana uzakorwa n'isoni. Amen
-snip-
The English: Kinyarwanda Dictionary gives these results:
"kwiringira (-ye) v to trust, rely on, hope, expect"

"imana /imâana/ n god, God"

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Example #3: Revival choir Burundi


Ndanyuzwe Azarias Reagan Published on Oct 25, 2013

Revival choir at Burundi visit from Rwanda ADEPR Cyarwa
-snip-
I think this summary means that Rwanda's DEPR Cyarwa Revival Choir visited Burundi. (My apologies if I misunderstood this summary.

Although this video didn't include any sub-titles, I featured this video because I really like the song.

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Example #4: IBITANGAZA BY REVIVAL CHOIR ADPER CYARWA



IBYISHIMO .comTV, Published on Feb 21, 2017
-snip-
Lyrics given as sub-tiles in this video:

Let me tell you miraculous deeds of God, He helped Israelites to cross the Red Sea.
He was with David at his triumph over Goliath and also took Daniel out of the lion’s den.
Let me tell you miraculous deeds of God, He helped Israelites to cross the Red Sea.
He was with David at his triumph over Goliath and also took Daniel out of the lion’s den.

God is almighty and amazing. Let’s trust Him.

Yahweh’s deeds are countless. He smashed down he walls of Jericho. He revealed himself to Elijah at the Mount calmer.
That was true, leprous Namani was healed. Jehovah, ahhahh Jehovah.

He has done great things for us, ehhehh so glad are we.
Jehovah, ahhahh Jehovah
He has done great things for us, ehhehh so glad are we.
Jehovah, ahhahh Jehovah
God is almighty and amazing. Let’s trust Him.
-snip-
These verses or the chorus may be repeated one time after they are sung.

From https://glosbe.com/en/rw/miracle
"miracle in Kinyarwanda:
translation and definition "miracle", English-Kinyarwanda Dictionary online
igitangaza: an awesome and exceptional example of something"
-snip-
The man shown in the beginning of the video who runs to the front of the church to dance reminds me of the same or similar movements that occur in some American churches (especially in some Pentecostal churches) when people "feel the spirit" ("get happy".)

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Example #5: JINA LAKO YESU BY REVIVAL CHOIR ADPER CYARWA ( Official Video 2017 )



IBYISHIMO .comTV, Published on Feb 21, 2017
-snip-
No direct translation was given for these words by the English- Kinyarwanda Dictionary, but from the results that were given for the words "Jina" and Lako" my guess is that "Jina Lako Yesu" means something like this is the way that Jesus is. Corrections are welcome.
****
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Rwandan's Heman Gospel Choir- "Haleluya" (video, song summary, & other selected comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: November 26, 2018

This pancocojams post showcases a 2012 YouTube video of the song "Haleluya" by Rwanda's Heman Choir.

The original lyrics in Kinyarwanda are given in this post along with an English language summary of this song. Other selected comments from this video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

Added March 18, 2018: Portuguese translation for these lyrics and additional selected comments

This post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Rwanda's Heman Choir.for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube videos.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: HALELUYA By Heman Choir HD-RWANDA MUSIC VIDEO GOSPEL-Official HD Video



ProMukama Franco Published on Oct 20, 2012

HALELUYA By Heman Choir HD MP4/ A Gospel Video clip produced by Pro Mukama Franco from Freedom Studio, Kigali -Rwanda. Mob: +250 788 451322 My Productions Videos

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LYRICS: HALELUYA
(Heman Choir, Rwanda)

Yesu yarangije intambara
Kuko yanesheje satani

Tunezerwe tumusingize
Kuko yanesheje
Hallelujah

Imbaraga z’urupfu zose
Ni we wazinesheje zose

Tuvuze impundu twishimane
Tumutambire kuko ni we byose
Hallelujah

Kuri wa munsi wa gatatu
Nibwo yazutse afite icyubahiro

None ubu yibaniye (?) n’Imana
Uwiteka halleluyah
Hallelujah

Tumuhe n’imitima yacu
Ayitware Mwami Yesu
Hallelujah

(1) Jesus has ended battles as he has overcome Satan
(2) Let’s rejoice and glorify Him for he has triumphed
(3) He is the One who overcame all the powers of death
(4) Let’s elevate our voice in praise and rejoice together
(5) Let’s dance for Him for He is everything
(6) He rose up with glory from the dead on that third day
(7) Thus He is now seated with the Eternal God – hallelujah
(8) Let’s entrust Him with our hearts so He may lead them


These lyrics and the information that the song is sung in Kinyarwanda was posted by Rugamba Patrick (a member of this choir) multiple times in this YouTube video's discussion thread, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Zx6HwSCskz8

Update: November 26, 2018:
Here's a comment exchange that I participated in which refers to this choir's singing style:

Stanley Stamiri, 2017
"Rwanda sounds South Africa! Haleluya let Him be praised!"

**
REPLY
Rugamba Patrick, 2017
"Stanley Stamiri.. I guess you are right. That's Zuru style.. To God be all the glory.. God bless you Stanley"

**
Azizi Powell, [April] 2018
"Rugamba Patrick, I'm an African American (from the state of Pennsylvania) who also loves this song. God bless this choir. Thanks for including a summary of this song and an English translation of these lyrics.

What language is this?

Also, in your comment, do you mean "Zulu" instead of "Zuru"?

One love!"

**
Ari Rug, [November] 2018
"@Azizi Powell They imitated southafrican music, Zulu to be specific. That style of music is very popular in gospelmusic. 'L' is pronounced as 'R' in rwandan language, thats why the confusion hehe"

****
SELECTED COMMENTS:
Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread.

Comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date, with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.

2013
1. Mukama Franco, 2013
"This is my Video Production From Freedom Studio-Kigali Rwanda"

****
2014
2. grandson nt, 2014
"very beautiful song, a phenomenal clip congratulations'

**
3. GospelWitnessMedia, 2014
"Authentic African arrangement and inspiring praise song. Good work Heman Choir!"

****
2015
4. Pauline Foote, 2015
"Fabulous sound ...Keep the dancing "African".. graceful and so rhythmic.. please dont go Bollywood"

****
2o16
5. amos sitelu, 2016
"beautiful people beautiful song"

**
6. Jonny Mc'oguta, 2016
"Big up Rwanda singers choir"

**
7. MJ Sakeus, 2016
"I am proud to be an African! keep it up my ppl."

****
2017
8. Eng.Kipchililindet Keter, 2017
"kindly interpret....i like it.blessing my soul"

**
Reply
9. genubi, 2017
"(1) Jesus brought battles to an end as he overcame Satan
(2) Let’s rejoice and glorify Him for he has triumphed
(3) He is the One who overcame all the powers of death
(4) Let’s elevate our voice in praise and rejoice together/
Let’s dance for Him for He is everything
(5) He rose up with glory from the dead on that third day
(6) Thus He is now with the Eternal God -- hallelujah
(7) Let’s entrust Him with our hearts so He may lead them.

God bless!"

**
10. Glenn K., 2017
"What language is this? Regardless the vocals, music, and traditional dress are beautiful!!"

**
Reply
11. carlos nyayo, 2017
"kinyarwanda rwandan language"

**
12. ProMukama Franco, 2017
"This one is the big one too, "SIBABAIKI": that means "I'm not afraid" because I'm with God and I have a secret with him, that why I still strong."

**
13. ProMukama Franco, 2017
"The song mins: let's glorifies our king(Jesus Christ) and came all, give him our life, our hearts because he is our king, he give us life when he did for us, for the all nations! Come and sing for him, Gloria to him our Jesus Christ..."

**
14. Serviços de Tradução, 2017
"South African style. Well produced. Thumbs up"

**
15. Stanley Stamiri, 2017
"Rwanda sounds South Africa! Haleluya let Him be praised!"

**
REPLY

**
16. Rugamba Patrick, 2017
"Stanley Stamiri.. I guess you are right. That's Zuru style.. To God be all the glory.. God bless you Stanley"
-snip-
I think "Zuru" is a typo for "Zulu", a South African ethnic group (which here refers to the Zulu style of singing).

**
17. Malibongwe Sithelo
"Love from South Africa. Hello Rwanda. This is classic"

**
REPLY
18. carlos nyayo
"thank you we were inspired by south african rithm didn t you realise ? we love your gospel toooo..."
-snip-
"rithm" = rhythm

**
19. Rugamba Patrick
"Praise the Lord dear brothers and sisters...we are very sorry for not having our video song translated yet as many of you requested but we promise to work on it n have it translated as soon as possible. Thanks for loving us and the Almighty God that we serve.. We love you so much and we wish u all the best from God..Greetings from all Heman choir members-The Love of Jesus Christ church-Rwanda/AFRICA ..our Senior pastor John Ngoga and our video song producer Mr Franco..be well and be blessed!!! PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9..shalom"

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2018
20. Yaramyahu Yashra'al, 2018
"What tribe are they?"

**
REPLY
21. Rugamba Patrick, 2018
"We are Rwandese"

**
22. Orlando Costa, 2018
"I write as sing in Portuguese:

Kssui aranguiji nambará kukoi anexê geçatani
Kssui aranguiji nambará kukoi anexê geçatani
neze me tchumú ciguizê kukoi anexê ge
neze me tchumú ciguizê kukoi anexê ge

Aleluia, aleluia, aleluia, aleluia

Bára ia zuru kuzocê niuê uazinê xejezuce
TiKuzu mundo bixi manê tu munch anbirê kuku niu ebussen
TiKuzu mundo bixi manê tu munch anbirê kuku niu ebussen

Aleluia, aleluia, aleluia, aleluia

Viu amuci uanga katchu mikôi assutchê afi tchitchu aíro
Unôvu imandjê djin maná uiteká aleluia
Unôvu imandjê djin maná uiteká aleluia

Aleluia, Aleluia, aleluia, aleluia

**
23. Johnathon Wade Hudgins, 2018
"King David danced with joy before the temple of God and the Creator was pleased. I believe he is also very pleased by your beautiful singing and dancing in joy for the Lord."

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Ingoma Nshya (Rwandan Female Drummers)

Edited by Azizi Powell

(Updated June 24, 2017)

This is the second post of an ongoing pancocojams series on female drummers. This post focuses on female drummers from Rwanda, Central & East Africa.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/african-female-djembe-drummers.html for the first post in this series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-african-female-drummers.html for the third post in this series.

This post is presented for folkloric, entertaiment and aesthetic purposes.

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GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RWANDAN DRUMMING
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda#Culture
"Music and dance are an integral part of Rwandan ceremonies, festivals, social gatherings and storytelling. The most famous traditional dance is a highly-choreographed routine consisting of three components – the umushagiriro, or cow dance, performed by women; the Intore, or dance of heroes, performed by men; and the drumming, also traditionally performed by men, on drums known as Ingoma...

Traditionally, music is transmitted orally, with styles varying between the social groups. Drums are of great importance; the royal drummers enjoyed high status within the court of the King (Mwami). Drummers play together in groups of varying sizes, usually between seven and nine in number; the soprano drum leads, with others of various pitches providing back up."

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INFORMATION ABOUT NGOMA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngoma_drums
"Ngoma drums are musical instruments used by certain Bantu-speaking peoples of East Africa; 'ngoma' is, simply, the Swahili word for 'drum'. Different regions of Africa have their own traditions of percussion, with different names for their instruments. In kiSwahili-speaking Kenya and Tanzania, 'ngoma' is used by extension to signify specific dances, social occasions and rhythms."

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NGOMA TRADITIONS
Editor: The following information is about ngoma traditions in Uganda. However, it may not apply to ngoma traditions in Rwanda.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngoma_drums
"The Baganda people of Uganda have a special relationship with ngoma drums, so much so that it is thought by many people that theirs is the country where this type of drum actually originated. The Baganda are fondly thought of as the children of Ngoma. The ngoma is used for communication and celebration and is also a symbol of authority.

The Baganda ngoma are made of wood, which is covered with cow skin on both ends, although you’ll also find tourist versions of these drums covered with zebra skins. Typically, they are played in groups of seven drums, each drum having its own voice and function within the ensemble. Another popular configuration is made with at least four drums. Each of these drums are treated as individuals, thus they each have a specific name. The largest drum is known as bakisimba and makes a loud bass sound. The empuunya is a little smaller and also produces a higher-pitched bass sound. The nankasa is a small drum played with sticks and produces a very high-pitched sound. Last, but not least is the engalabi. The engalabi most closely resembles the original ngoma and is taller and more cylindrical than all the other drums in this set. It also has skin on only one side. All of the other drums are covered with cow skin on the top and bottom using an intricate lacing system, whereas the engalabi has a lizard-skin head attached with small wooden pegs. This drum makes the highest pitched sound in the ensemble.

All of the drums can be played with sticks or hands, except the Nankasa which is primarily played with sticks."

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FEMALE DRUMMERS FROM RWANDA
From http://www.powerofculture.nl/en/current/2007/november/drums_rwanda Rwandan women drum their way up [published in November 2007]

"We are the first female drummers in Rwanda," says Jackie Umubyeyi proudly. "It's a miracle. Whenever we perform there is always a lot of audience, because people want to see if women can really drum. Maybe the men are afraid that in the future we will play better than them."...

The goal of the drum group Women's Initiatives is not to create a breakthrough in the position of women in the country, eventually the goal of the group is to be profitable. "Some of the participants became widows during the 1994 genocide," explains director [Odile Gakire Katese]"

Odile: "We don't want to drum only old existing rhythms, but we try with the help of foreign influences also to create our own, new music style."

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: The Women of Ingoma Nshya



Uploaded by latasha1970 on Jul 25, 2009

These incredible women from Rwanda performed at Brooklyn Museum Saturday July 25, 2009.

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Example #2: Ingoma Nshya



Uploaded by Ta1an on Jun 27, 2010

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Example #3: RWANDA WOMEN DRUMMERS



Eugene Anangwe, Published on Jan 4, 2016

Watch my report on Rwanda's only all women drumming group!
-snip-
This video replaces one that is no longer available.

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Example #4: Ingoma Nshya - Rwandan Women's Drumming Group



Alice5467, Published on May 30, 2011

Their amazing practice session in Butare, Rwanda on May 19, 2011.

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Example #5: Women drummers from Rwanda open Wisdom 2 Summit with amazing energy



Gina Lazenby, Published on Feb 15, 2014

The only women drumming troupe from Rwanda with women from both sides of the conflict. POWERFUL !

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