Art was once a weapon of hate, used to spread division, fuel ethnic ideologies, and ignite violence that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. But today, that same medium is being reclaimed as a powerful tool for remembrance, unity, and healing. As Rwanda commemorates the genocide against the Tutsi for the 31st time, creative expression is taking center stage in telling the truth of what happened, honoring the lives lost, and inspiring younger generations to protect the peace the country worked so hard to rebuild. ALSO READ: Rwandan History: Unveiling an alternative perspective on political manipulation At Our Past Initiative’s annual commemoration event, which brought together over 8,000 youth at the Nyanza Genocide Memorial Garden in Kicukiro District on April 9, artists shared their creative message in line with commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. This annual gathering is dedicated to remembering the innocent victims of the genocide, educating young people about Rwanda’s history, and inspiring them to take up the responsibility of preserving peace and fighting genocide ideology. The event opened with a musical performance by renowned rapper Kenny K Shot, who performed his song “The Chosen Land.” A multilingual piece delivered in Kinyarwanda, English, and French, the song fuses traditional Rwandan rhythms with commemorative lyricism that narrates the country’s painful past, the world’s silence during the genocide, and the resilience that followed. “We honor their lives, with our tears and our cries. Our scars may run deep, but does our pride. In this land of a thousand hills where love can’t be denied, from a genocide, we rise. We may have been broken, but we were not defeated. We’re the land of the chosen, so the fruit of love we’re reaping. So let our voices rise up in song and in verse as we celebrate Rwanda’s rebirth,” K-shot sings in the song’s chorus. One of the standout performances was also a dramatic poetry piece titled “A Choice of the Rwanda to Be”, delivered by students from Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology. In the performance’s plot, a genocide survivor recounts her experience to her children, who ask difficult and curious questions about Rwanda’s past. The performance captures the emotional weight of passing on memory across generations while highlighting the transformative power of knowledge and truth. The play went beyond the immediate aftermath of the genocide, imagining children born as far into the future as 2035, grappling with the rise of social media and the spread of genocide denial. These fictional youth demand access to accurate historical knowledge and express their resolve to stand against hate and misinformation online. The piece concluded with a powerful call to action, urging Rwanda’s youth to preserve history, challenge denial, and commit themselves to building a united and peaceful nation. Closing the event was a spoken word with contemporary dance performance by Rwandan poet Malaika Uwamahoro, who presented ‘The Rhymes of Remembrance.’ Her poetry album, also titled Rhymes of Remembrance, is a tribute to Rwanda’s resilience and journey toward healing. Through a combination of words and contemporary movement along a number of performers like Manzi Mbaya, Uwamahoro explored themes of exile, identity, liberation, and the Rwandan people's unwavering commitment to unity and reconciliation. What the performances have in common is the fact that they all convey messages of resilience, recovery and hope for a better future through art.
