Rwandan cultural troupe Ishyaka ry’Intore is in the final stages of preparation for a cultural concert dubbed Nzazicundira, a showcase exclusively dedicated to celebrating women and their heroism. Scheduled for January 31 at Intare Conference Arena, Rusororo, the concert will mark the troupe’s second major production since its founding in 2025. ALSO READ: Ubutwari Tour to take Rwanda’s music legends nationwide for Heroes Month Ishyaka ry’Intore made a strong impression with its debut production, Indirirarugamba, which earned praise for its disciplined traditional performance and deep cultural storytelling and, with Nzazicundira, the troupe says it is building on that foundation by centring women’s bravery—an aspect of heroism often overlooked in mainstream narratives. The concert will feature a theatrical production highlighting the heroism of Rwandan women, blending traditional dance, poetry, music, and narration to revisit historical stories of courage, sacrifice, and leadership. Explaining the inspiration behind the concept, Ishyaka ry’Intore member Edmond Cyogere said the production seeks to address long-standing imbalances in how heroism is portrayed. “When heroism is discussed, women are often not given much attention, yet they have always been heroes,” Cyogere told The New Times. “This is not something we are only discovering today; even in the past, women were trained in bravery.” He added that the concert also challenges the misconception that women’s courage was not recognized in traditional Rwandan society. “Sometimes the way we speak about heroism makes it seem as though Rwanda never acknowledged their heroism, which is not true,” he explained. “Their bravery was recognized, but they were assigned specific roles in which they stood out and even excelled beyond others. “We therefore returned to their stories of heroism to show that they have always been heroes, not just in modern times,” he added. According to the troupe, Nzazicundira is both a tribute and an educational experience, designed to inspire younger generations while preserving Rwanda’s cultural memory through performance. Tickets for the concert are already on sale, priced at Rwf 10,000 for Ishyaka (regular), Rwf 20,000 for Indirirarugamba (VIP), and Rwf 35,000 for Nzazicundira (VVIP).
