Roots of Rwandan music should remain firm – Mighty Popo

RWANDA has to set up structures and networks that will help the youth discover and harness their talents and skills in music. The head School of Music and Arts in Rubavu district, Jacques Murigande aka ‘Mighty Popo’ has said. Murigande made the remarks during a stimulating and thought-provoking debate “The Old Songs-The Best Songs” that sought to compare traditional and modern music at Goethe Institut. “The youth are the custodians of our cultural heritage and we shouldn’t just sit back and watch them lose their rich cultural identity that’s preserved in music. We should rise up and break the walls that inhibit production of authentic Rwanda music,” Murigande observed. ‘Mighty Popo’ added that even a number of cultures around the world developed their modern music from their traditional backgrounds. Sadly, Rwanda has not followed this evolutionary path, and the country’s musicians are just aping the music of other cultures. “What we lack here is what we can call authentic Rwandan music, because modern musicians haven’t tapped into our rich traditional music. Instead, the music here is an imported breed that has alienated some section of the society,” he said. He added that something must be done to ensure that the roots of Rwandan music remain firm. “If that’s not done, we’ll continue to ‘borrow’ since our music cannot survive on a weak foundation,” the multi-award winning musician warned before adding that what is needed in Rwandan music is originality. “When you look at Tanzania, their music called Bongo has its roots from the traditional Taarab music and this has fused in well throughout its evolutionary path to create beautiful modern music Tanzanians can call their own,” he observed. He added that even outside the continent, modern music like American Rhythm & Blues had their origin from traditional music like the Negro Spirituals, which modern American society and the world in general have, come to appreciate. Mighty Popo, who was among four key debaters during the session, wondered why we should continue to have traditional music in its pristine form when it’s clear that society has changed and is now embracing modern forms of life in all sectors. The other members of the panel included veteran Rwandan traditional singer, Ben Ngabo, director of Centre for Multimedia Heritage, Assumpta Mugiraneza, and Jean Michel Habineza, a teacher at Green Hills Academy, who was the moderator. Ngabo said that he is a traditionalist, adding that traditional music has all the components of the culture in it and therefore it would be unfortunate if it too became extinct. “A society that kills its culture is killing itself within, and thus we all must make sure that traditional music survives this foreign onslaught,” he said. Dr. Peter Stefan, the Director of Goethe Institut, observed that Rwanda has no strong institutions to guard its heritage like music, saying that what’s required is a custodian to ensure that not only it’s cultural legacy survives but also progresses. “The Ministry of Culture should take a leading role in ensuring that the country’s rich cultural heritage survives by preserving it,” said Stefan. Andrew Kazibwe, a journalist, observed that the current generation of Rwandan musicians lack role models, saying that a number of musicians perished during the Genocide, cutting a crucial link through which contemporary music would have seamlessly evolved from its traditional counterpart.

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Roots of Rwandan music should remain firm – Mighty Popo