On July 4,I got the honour to be part of thousands of participants in Rongi Sector – Muhanga District in Southern Rwanda to celebrate Liberation Day.
This time, the liberation day was different. The songs sounded new to my ears, for I understood the lyrics better, and the testimonies of joyful survivors deeply touched my heart.
Brenda Kalinda
The ecstasy of the crowd was immensely beautiful. The elders and young could only be differentiated by age.
They all danced to liberation songs and, while watching this, a crazy feeling rose in me and I was like this is it! This is what liberation looks and feels like.
Amidst celebrations, my friend who lives abroad asked me to describe the mood and of all words – peaceful was the most accurate one.
I was reminded that there was a day when peace was way far from being the best word to describe Rwanda and its people.
But that’s not really my point. The point is how music was used as an important component during the liberation struggle and how it still reminds people why and what they were fighting for.
According to testimonies, during the struggle, some people fought physically, others rendered material, logistical, and moral support.
The bottom line here is that whoever was there did their part to put to an end the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
And as the country reflects on the journey it has travelled since 1994, it is important to point out that the heroes and heroines are not only those who lay at the Heroes Square at Remera cemetery in the capital Kigali.
Musicians, for instance, were part of the cornerstone of the liberation struggle.
They sang, vociferously inspired, encouraged and taught the values of liberation as given by the then leaders of RPA/RPF. They therefore expressed not only their thoughts, but those of the fighters but their superiors.
The contribution music made can never be overemphasized. The musicians then, composed songs with a deep lyrical meaning like, Maji Maji, Intsinzi, Twararutashye, Impundu; Izagishe Zitashye Cya Cyicaro; Tufurahi, Abagabo Nyabo, Majeshi Makali, Dushengurukanye Isheja, Mirongo Urwenda Ziravumera are some of the songs that come to my mind when one talks about the liberation.
Artistes like Maria Yohana, Jean Marie Vianney Karinganire, Florida Mukabaranga, Venancie Mukade, Inshuti Ndanga, Masamba Intore and others who made up Indahemuka troupe chose to sacrifice the commercial side of music for liberation and that fact alone deserves recognition.
"Everyone offered what she had at the table and we offered music which made people understand what they were fighting for and why they were fighting. Our music added to the amount of information that was already available,” Maria Yohana told me recently.
Music therefore played an important part as it pushed the values of liberation struggle and also served as a morale booster. It was the energizer. Up to today, the songs continue to remind people especially the youth where and how the country was reborn.
When Ntoniya Musabyimana testified how her life has been transformed over the last 24 years, thanking President Paul Kagame for the development he has brought to the Rwandan people, she raised her voice and sang while dancing with energy.
That part was emotional and made me teary, something that reminded me the power of music.
President Kagame has said it so many times that everyone’s contribution to the development of the country is needed, especially from the young generation.
What people fought for should be protected, at all costs.
"The liberation struggle on the battle field succeeded because those who were fighting worked with citizens. It is this spirit of unity that we want to transform this country,” Kagame said on Liberation Day.
It’s been 24 years since Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF)-Inkotanyi liberated the country and stopped the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. The next step is to liberate it in terms of development. And that should be everyone’s responsibility.
The views expressed in this article are of the author.