During the 70’s and 80’s, most people were listening to the likes of Diana Ross, Phil Collins and Prince, to mention a few internationally acclaimed artistes that dominated airwaves back then.

In Rwanda, ‘Orchestre Impala’ was arguably the biggest thing in music. The band stole the hearts of many people. They travelled extensively around the region and their songs captivated many. 

Youngsters might not know just how good these guys were, but the band’s first performance in a long time at La Classe Restaurant, Nyarugenge, last Thursday, proved they still have it. 

They played for over two hours, and songs included Anita, Mama Munyana and Urabaruta, to name a few. 

According to Mimi la Rose, real name Paul Sebigeri, one of the two remaining founding members of the band, the show was part of a series of events they are organising.

"We had a great performance, people liked it a lot and the feedback was positive. Despite the fact that we’ve been quiet, we can now say it’s the time we start entertaining traditional Rwandan and African music lovers. This is just one of the many events we expect to hold,” he said.

He added that they are expecting to hold a countrywide tour, to remind people of the good old days of traditional music.

"We are now thinking of reaching all areas of the country, especially rural areas, because we realised that many people who like our songs are located in these areas. And also, we want others to know about our music. It requires a lot of energy but we believe we’ll make it,” he said.

The group was established in 1974 and became increasingly popular in the early 80s for its distinctive and eclectic style, fusing elements of traditional Rwandan music with a bit of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Rumba, together with other genres of African music.

The group was originally composed of seven members; André Sebanani (Pepe la Rose), Jean-Félix Gasasira (Soso Mado), Paul Sebigeri (Mimi la Rose), Abdallatif Gasigwa (Toubi Lando), François Rubangura (Maître Rubangi), Jean-Pierre Kalimunda (Kali wa Njenje) and Fidèle Ngenzi (Fidèle la Jacard). 

Later, the orchestra recruited an eighth member called Jean-Berechimas Semu (Semu wa Semu) who died only a few years later. Five others would also die later, four of them during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

Currently, the group has only two original members - Paul Sebigeri and Fidèle Ngenzi, and others who joined them in 2012 and 2013.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw