Kayirebwa thrills Huye music fans

HUYE- Last Saturday night, hundreds of traditional music fans thronged the National University of Rwanda (NUR) auditorium for an extraordinary concert as those in attendance were continually on their feet chanting, applauding and dancing. The traditional tone of the night grabbed the audience’s imagination generating a congenial excitement in the auditorium that was packed to capacity.Rwandan traditional songbird, Cecile Kayirebwa performed in a live concert at the Huye-based varsity backed by Indangamuco traditional dancers and Ikobe music group.The renowned Rwandan traditional music icon performed a number of her popular hit songs including “Umunezero”, “Twaza”, “Tirahinda”, “Ubumanzi” and “Iwacu”, among others.As the concert went on, shouts of “I Love you” rent the air.The concert, which lasted for about three and half hours, left the audience immersed. “It is so amazing. I could not imagine such a concert. I am out of words”, said an excited JMV Ntawuyirushamaboko, as he left the concert hall.“I was really impressed by how she [Kayirebwa] performed live. Her voice is incredible and exceptional”.The concert, which was organised by the University’s Centre for Arts and Drama (UCAD), coincided with Kayirebwa’s 30th anniversary since the release of her inaugural album “Interuro”, in 1981. A compilation of her six albums is being sold across the country to mark the anniversary.Speaking to The New Times shortly after the concert, Kayirebwa said she was moved by the audience.“The audience showed a great love for traditional music. It is a positive sign for our culture to see that young people are interested in this kind of music and how they really appreciate it,” she commented.“It is a pleasure for me and all traditional singers. The public is positive, receptive and participative. All along the concert, I had the impression of being part of the audience,” Kayirebwa proudly observed.The Director of UCAD, Gloria Magambo, said that she was pleased with the concert’s great success. “The audience overwhelmed me. It is joy for me to see how young people pay their money so as to see someone who is more than four generations before them. It gave me tears of joy”, she noted as she commended all artistes for their performances. “All the artists, including Kayirebwa herself, performed for almost free but they gave us a great concert. This offers me a lesson that even with little funds, artistes can do great things.“I argue artists to come together, support ourselves and then we shall develop. I thank everyone who contributed to the success of this concert,” she added. Director of Culture Promotion in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Lauren Makuza, observed: “We do support such initiatives and encourage them. It is something which safeguards our cultural treasures.”NUR Director of Quality Education Dr Bonfils Safari commented: “One of the NUR mission is to promote excellence in education. We cannot achieve this without the promotion of culture.”

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Kayirebwa thrills Huye music fans