Sunday, November 20, will mark a double celebration for Rwandan music legend Cecilia Kayirebwa, as she celebrates her 70th birthday and St. Cecilia Day, an occasion she has been marking since her early teens.
Sunday, November 20, will mark a double celebration for Rwandan music legend Cecilia Kayirebwa, as she celebrates her 70th birthday and St. Cecilia Day, an occasion she has been marking since her early teens.
Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians, and her feast day is annually celebrated in the Latin Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches on November 22.
VIDEO: Cécile Kayirebwa- Tarihinda
According to Eric Karengera, the organiser of the event, each year throughout her long career, Kayirebwa’s favourite day of the year has always been the St Cecilia.
"She was brought up in a catholic family and her father named her Cecilia in honour of the Cecilia from Italy, the Patroness of all musicians. On this occasion, fans, friends and musicians will be celebrating together. It will be a night of storytelling, songs, music and Rwandan poetry,” he said.
He promised an audience immersed in an interactive and generous experience with various performances, fond memories, spontaneous encounters, songs and story–telling.
"The event will be themed in an intimate and comfortable layout inspired by Rwandan traditional aesthetic. The content of the evening will be voluntary and generous and members of the audience will include high profile Rwandan musicians such as Ben Ngabo, Massamba Intore, Muyango as well as new generation artistes like Jules Sentore, Mani Martin and Deo Munyakazi,” he said.
Celebrated international musicians have also been invited to create spontaneous cross-cultural encounters. They include Tamfum from DR Congo, Tito from Argentine, and Tamon Oshimo from the US.
The event will also fundraise for the CEKA RWANDA, an ongoing campaign to safeguard and perpetuate Rwandan traditional culture.
Kayirebwa’s album, ‘Urukumbuzi’, is her last, offering of seven studio albums since 1981, and a number of high profile performances under her belt such as during the FESTPAD Kigali 1998; Mandela Millennium birthday, South Africa 2000; BBC Holocaust Day London in 2001; Womad in 2003; UN Commemoration New York 2005; and New Year’s Eve Kigali 2013.
#Kayirebwa70 + St Cecillia celebration/igitaramo will take place at Serena. Visit http://cekaonlineshop.blogspot.com to find Kayirebwa whole music collection.
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