Summer camp festival rocks Musanze

It was a bouquet of art and crafts, sports, live painting, food, drinks, and live music as the Red Rocks Backpackers’ Campsite in Musanze launched its Summer Camp Festival last weekend. Throngs of tourists, backpackers and bikers joined locals to partake of the various cultural activities on offer at the three day festival. Tourists were taken through basket-weaving sessions, banana beer brewing and testing, traditional dances, and a host of sports activities like volleyball and football. Festival goers keenly follow how local banana beer is made. (All photos by M. Opobo) Locals from Nyakinama village where Red Rocks is located walked to the hostel with handmade crafts and baskets of fruits to sell to festival goers. Guests were also invited to join in on interactive live painting and cooking sessions, while others bought paintings from the Red Rocks Art Center. Entertainment came by way of energetic performances from the Rocky Boys, an upcoming music group from the village of Nyakinama, and Haj B, a veteran guitarist from Musanze town. A tourist buys a basket at the craft shop. There were DJ mixes from DJ Fizo, and guests were able to join the singers on stage for live singing sessions. Frederick, a tourist from Kigali who was visiting Red Rocks for the first time could not hide his excitement: “This was my first weekend biking trip to Musanze with friends. Most weekends we take a trip to the countryside. This time we came to Musanze and explore new things. We heard about this place from a friend who saw a sign in Kigali –Red Rocks Backpackers Musanze,” said Frederick. Kids learn some painting. “I Googled it and we came here to stay one night then back to Kigali. Of course it’s nice, the live music …you feel like you’re invited. If you want to sing a song, dance, you take a drink, there’s a fire and all the crowds. There are not many places like this, where it’s a bit wild and there’s lots of nature,” he added. According to Greg Bakunzi, the owner of Red Rocks, the festival will run from Fridays to Sundays until September 6. Frederick, a tourist from Kigali on day two of the festival “The main reason for the Summer Camp Festival is the tourist high season. We thought of something that’s ongoing and engaging to keep tourists busy while also benefitting the local community as we wait for the gorilla naming ceremony (Kwita Izina) in September. It’s our way of promoting and showcasing our culture during this summer season. Locals enjoy the locally made banana beer.