Maria Yohana thrills crowd at debut launch

She is one of the most loved public figures in Rwanda. Born 70 years ago, the tall, elegant and beautiful Yohana was recently crowned Mother of the Year. Maria Yohana Mukankuranga, commonly known for her victory song ‘Intsinzi’, is no stranger to Rwanda’s liberation struggle.She released her debut 12-track album, “Intsinzi, Intego ni Imwe” at an MTN sponsored launch on July 4 at Kigali Serena Hotel. Among the many fans that turned up for the show were the RPF Secretary General, Francois Ngarambe, as well as Senator Tito Rutaremara, among others.Supported by a group of female followers whom she has worked with over the years, Maria Yohana, who donned a series of colourful ‘umushanana’ throughout the show, gracefully went through a myriad of songs like ‘Urugamba rurashyushye’ and ‘Intsinzi’, as the crowd cheered her on.Also present were groups of people she has mentored over the years including traditional troupes such as Indahemuka, Inganzo Ngari and Amarere, as well as individual musicians like Ras Kayaga of the ‘Maguru’ fame.Yohana is remembered for her contribution to the liberation struggle, to which she also lost two sons. Most of the tracks on the album were sung during the RPF struggle.She is considered a leading inspiration, having mentored in exile most of the individuals that led the struggle. “I feel so emotional. I did not expect this kind of turn up. It gives me confidence that what we struggled for was not in vain,” she told The New Times shortly after her performance.She said her biggest dream was to leave exile and return home regardless of the state it was in or if the struggle had been launched. She would have done anything, including using her talent to motivate the fighters.Upon return, she dedicated her life to charity and music, particularly encouraging people to love traditional Rwandan music and culture. To date, it remains her cause.At the launch, her CD’s were auctioned and the money generated will be used to start a cultural centre to promote Rwandan culture and music.“My dream is to start a centre where people will learn different aspects of our culture, how our ancestors lived and also learn to sing the traditional way,” she told The New Times.She started her music career while teaching in refugee camps in Uganda. She composed songs for the students to sing and was very active in sensitising the youth about their Rwandan origin.In 1990 she composed her first song about the struggle called “Inkotanyi z’Amarere” and it was soon followed by the famous ‘Intsinzi’. During the Arusha negotiation in 1993 she composed yet another song called “Arusha”. She then helped form the Indahemuka Cultural Troupe.In 2007, she received the National Liberation Medal given to her by the President of Rwanda.

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Maria Yohana thrills crowd at debut launch