Meet Murenzi, a poet with passion for culture

Alexis Murenzi is a famous pastoral poet renowned for poems about culture and cows. He is a specialist in parading and singing for the treasured ‘Inyambo traditional cows’. He also performs during Umuganura (national first harvest) ceremonies where he sings for the treasured cows. The cultural enthusiast says his poetry revolves around cows- a traditional treasure in Rwanda. His poems are about names of cows (Amazina y’inka), their traits and the Rwandan culture in general. Murenzi is a renowned pastoral poet. The 34-year-old says the cow-poetry and Rwandan culture epitomise the Rwandan values and should be upheld. Murenzi says he got the idea to engage in pastoral poet in 2006, while he was in senior five (S.5) at Institut Technique de Hanika in Nyanza District. “Engaging in such poetry is gratifying. Some people might not know the untapped wealth in it, but it pays,” he says. The self-taught poet says that interacting with elderly people also shaped his career as a poet. Although, he admits that his inborn talent also played a major role. Apart from being a poet, Murenzi hosts a traditional talk show - Igitaramo, on Community Radio (RC Huye). He is also a technician and a taxicab driver. Murenzi says there is a ray of hope that the pastoral poetry will not become extinct. “At traditional wedding ceremonies in the country, the old and young alike enjoy listening to my poems,” he said. Plan to establish poetry, folk singing clubs Murenzi says he wants to create Inkanikamihigo club next year, which will consist of skilled cow poets, performance extollers (‘Abivuga’) and traditional music singers. The word- Inkanikamihigo, which incorporates the name of a cow, means setting tangible targets at the same time improving their implementation. Murenzi sings for cows during a cow donation ceremony in Huye District on December 3. He says the club will ensure that concerted efforts are made to reinvigorate the cow poetry. The talented poet has appealed to the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) to facilitate cultural experts, and to put in place centres where people can find and learn about Rwanda’s heritage. “We want to educate people to learn the cultural norms and values. We ought to love and preserve our cultural heritage, and it is not only for the youth, even old people,” he concludes.

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Meet Murenzi, a poet with passion for culture