Ibihame by'Imana, Ruti and Impakanizi thrill fans at concert
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Ibihame by'Imana gifting Buravan's family during the concert.

It was a night filled with so much energy and excitement when Ibihame by' Imana alongside Ruti Joel and Impakanizi entertained a sold out concert at Kigali Convention center on January 14.

Dubbed 'Rurasugiye,' the performances consisted of two phases that were both performed by this all-men dance troop that blessed revelers who attended with a lifetime experience and memories of how rich Rwanda's traditional dance really is.

The performance by Ibihame for phase one kicked off around 7:45pm with a play of a family that had a young boy who would soon join the country's army to protect it from enemies and any attack. He was guided by his grandfather on what he should do to make his country proud and be great on the battlefield.

The play continued to juniors of Ibihame by'Imana who swore an oath as they were officially made part of Ibihame by'Imana. Before the swearing they danced 'Imihamirizo' in front of the elder leader to prove that they are skilled and deserve to be part of the troupe. The dancers did not only prove to their leader but also to the guests who were enjoying these talented dancers that were beaming with smiles.

When the emcee announced that Ruti Joel was the next performer the guests couldn't hide their excitement and then decided to sing from their seats as they waited for Ruti to start doing what he does best.

Ruti has a way of bringing good vibes in the room without even forcing it. Coming up on stage while singing his famous single 'Intore' brought a whole different vibe into the full packed hall.

" I want to thank you all for the love you are showing to my new album 'Musomandera.' Meanwhile I am going to sing some of the songs on the album, " he said.

Performing some of his songs like 'Cunda', 'Amariza' and 'Ni Yesu' by Buravan among others were all welcomed by the revellers who were stunned by Ruti's talent and stage prsence.

Ruti Joel performed to the expectation of revelers.

Impakanizi was welcomed on stage and revelers were ready for him. As he stepped on stage singing in his breathtaking voice everyone quietly paid attention to capture the sensational and sweet moment.

His voice uniquely represents talent with so much ease and yet gives you chills everywhere when listening to him. Upon performing his last song he was joined by Ruti and then were joined by the kids who had been longing to join them on stage.

Ibihame by'Imana coming up on stage for the second phase things took a turn in a blink of an eye. First came young kids who looked like they have been dancing since they were born. The audience watched on with both shock and excitement as the kids danced perfectly with so much energy, smiles while making it look so easy.

Ibihame by'Imana then gave revellers what they came for. It was undeniably an epic performance as they danced in unison. As they danced the choreography was dominated by outstanding footwork that made the room shake.

It was a full house at the concert.

You could hear the echoes of laughter in the room as they kept dancing and fans were wowed by the amazing, eye catching breathtaking performance.

The troupe thanked the pioneers who founded the troupe and taught them what they know. It was founded in 2013, by Aimable Bahizi, Olivier Burigo and Emery Igihangange, who were famed dancers from Indahemuka and Imena troupes back in the ‘90s.

Before wrapping up the concert, they called the late Buravan's family to come on stage.

"Buravan was one of us and if he was still here, tonight we would have been with him because he was 'Intore' and he loved our culture and mostly dancing was his favourite. We want to honour him tonight by giving you an attire that is usually worn by Ibihame by'Imana while we dance, " said one member of Ibihame by'Imana.

After taking a photo with Buravan's family they thanked everyone for coming through and concluded with a prayer.