In Kinyarwanda, there is a saying that goes like ‘Ijoro ribara uwariraye’ which loosely translates to ‘only the one who went through the night can tell its story.’ The adage has deeper literal meaning for legendary singer Cecile Kayirebwa, who has borne the brunt of the new coronavirus outbreak, perhaps more than any other artiste. In March last year, before Rwanda imposed a full lockdown to tame the spread of Covid-19, the highly anticipated concert in which Kayirebwa was supposed to be honoured, was among the first to be affected when the City of Kigali announced the suspension of all gatherings and concerts on March 18. The suspension which affected a number of concerts and events caused a bit of a stir but it didn’t take long before the country was put under a full lockdown as the virus ran riot across the globe. Even those who doubted the quick turn of events were hit by reality. Kayirebwa and others who had already invested a lot, including Gentil and Adrien Misigaro, who had organised the charitable “Each One Reach One” concert, counted their losses and moved on. Fast-forward in May 2021, the legendary singer bore the brunt of the virus again when she was found on the wrong side of law enforcement after attending a wedding of a fellow traditional artiste, Poet Olivier Tuyisenge, which Police said violated Covid-19 preventive guidelines. Literally, Kayirebwa has every reason to stand up against the pandemic and she could not do it any other way than the only way she knows -using her voice. The celebrated songstress has released a new single dubbed ‘Corona’ (Ijoro Ribara Uwariraye) a social awareness song against Covid-19 in which she urges everyone to put efforts together to get rid of the virus. In true Kayirebwa style, the song is consistent with the artistic and musical aesthetic she has built her reputation on over the years. The legendary singer-songwriter has called on other artistic talents to produce the single ‘Corona’ (Ijoro Ribara Uwariraye), a rich tapestry of traditional Kinyarwanda poetry, sophisticated vocal harmonies featuring her young twin sisters Ange and Pamela. Kayirebwa has been mentoring Ange and Pamela for a few years now. ‘Corona’ features light traditional instrumentation featuring Rwandan most ancient and mystical bluesy sounds of the ‘Inanga’ played by Deo Munyakazi. The song which is distributed by her brand CEKA urges everyone to stand up and fight the coronavirus, for it has disrupted our lives, changed the way we live, deprived us of our socio-cultural practices and forced us to wear masks. “In line with research findings stating that art, culture and creativity are effective tools to raise awareness, influence positive collective behaviour and promote prevention against the spread of the Virus, Rwanda supreme vocalist Cecile Kayirebwa is adding her voice and her poetry to the conversation,” CEKA online shop announced. “The disruption caused by Covid-19 in our everyday lives is not slowing down and Rwanda, like the rest of the East African region, is undergoing a resurgence in infections,” Kayirebwa announced through her brand. She adds that while Africa vaccination rate is way below than the rest of the world, the most basic and effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus is responsible behaviour by adopting social distancing, maintaining high levels of hygiene and wearing masks. “A fear, a pandemic, a death threat! So yes, I sing while chasing Corona and calling on my brothers, sisters and children to neglect nothing to avoid it,” Kayirebwa declares in a song, whose cover was produced by veteran artist Epa Binamungu. Kayirebwa believes that examining song lyrics can still be useful in understanding local attitudes toward Covid-19, as well as strategies for promoting preventive behaviours, adding, however, that extra multidimensional efforts are needed to increase awareness among the general public about the Covid-19 pandemic. Kayirebwa’s single is out now on Amazon Music, Spotify and all the main digital platforms and will become the starting point of a wider conversation on the positive role artistes can play in the global fight against the pandemic.
