Rwanda music legend Cécile Kayirebwa will be honoured for her contribution to the development and preservation of Rwandan music during the upcoming 2026 edition of ‘Kigali Dutarame’ concert, scheduled for October 3 at Kigali Convention Centre square. The concert will feature musicians including Massamba Intore, Muyango, Cyusa and Teta Diana, alongside Itorero Inyamibwa, Ishyaka ry’Intore and Indatirwabahizi. Kayirebwa will also attend the event, where her decades-long contribution to Rwandan music and her role in preserving and promoting the country’s traditional musical heritage will be recognised. Born in 1946 and raised in Kigali, Kayirebwa began singing during her childhood and started performing traditional songs and composing her own music while she was in secondary school. In 1973, Kayirebwa fled to Belgium, where she later began pursuing music professionally. After more than eight years in exile, she entered a recording studio for the first time in 1981, marking the beginning of her professional music career. ALSO READ: Kayirebwa celebrates 70th birthday with music show After arriving in Europe, between 1975 and 1980, Kayirebwa founded Itorero Inyange, an ensemble established to preserve Rwandan culture and teach it to young people in the diaspora. In 1981, while in Belgium, she released her first cassette, an 11-song collection that became widely popular. The cassette included songs such as “Ikizungerezi, Marebe , Igikobwa” and Uli Mwiza,” among others. She released subsequent cassettes in 1983 and 1986. In 1983, Kayirebwa also began studying Rwandan traditional music at the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. In 1990, she released her fourth cassette, “Ubumanzi,” which became highly popular. ALSO READ: Kayirebwa edges closer to winning top global music prize In 1994, she released an album titled “Rwanda” Through the album, Kayirebwa celebrated the beauty of Rwanda as a country whose children should work for and live together in peace. It featured songs including “Rwanamiza,” “Tarihinda, “Inkindi,” “Ndare” and “Umunezero among others She also performed at various concerts aimed at supporting orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS. ‘She is among the pioneers we still have’ Veteran singer Muyango Jean Marie thanked Kayirebwa for the years she has spent in music, describing her as one of the pioneers who remain an important part of Rwanda’s musical heritage. “We thank her for the years she spent as an artist. She is among the pioneers we still have. We thank her for her consistency, and for passing that legacy on to the younger generation. She did a lot,” Muyango said. He said young musicians should learn to love and promote traditional Rwandan music in the same way Kayirebwa has done, in order to ensure that the country’s cultural heritage is not lost. “The young generation must learn to love Gakondo songs as she did so that Gakondo does not get lost, because it is the country’s culture. They must follow the path she made and followed,” he said. Teta Diana, another singer known for incorporating Gakondo music into her work, described Kayirebwa as an exemplary artist and a major source of inspiration. “To me, Cécile Kayirebwa’s music is like a painting of Rwanda. It carries our sounds, our stories, our memories and so much of who we are. She has been, and continues to be, a great source of inspiration for me, and I know she has been the same for generations of Rwandan artists who came after her,” Teta said. “She is one of the great pillars of traditional Rwandan music, and one of the pioneering artists who actually recorded and carried that sound beyond Rwanda.” Teta said Kayirebwa’s music was among the first sounds she remembers growing up listening to. “As far back as I can remember, she is one of the first artists I grew up listening to. In fact, I would say she is one of the first sounds I ever heard on the radio,” she said. Teta said Kayirebwa’s contribution goes beyond promoting Rwandan music, noting that she also used her music to carry Rwanda’s identity. “ After the tragedy of 1994, she was among the voices that brought hope and encouraged a return to home, to culture, and to identity,” she said. “That is a legacy that goes far beyond music.” Teta added that Kayirebwa’s music has also helped her introduce Rwandan traditional music to audiences outside the country. “If I am sitting somewhere in Europe, America or anywhere outside Rwanda, and I have to explain traditional Rwandan music to someone who has never heard it before, it is almost impossible for me to do that without playing a song by Cécile Kayirebwa—or sometimes even an entire album, depending on how much time we have,” she said. She also highlighted Kayirebwa’s longevity in an industry she said can be particularly challenging for women. “The music business is not the easiest career path, especially as a woman. Cécile showed that it is possible to build a long career, remain true to yourself, and carry yourself with self-respect and dignity at every stage of your life,” Teta said. “What I personally learn most from her is courage and resilience. For me, she is truly someone to look up to.” Teta also expressed her personal affection for Kayirebwa, saying: “I love her and I am lucky enough to know that she already knows that.” In a message dedicated to Kayirebwa, Teta thanked her for pursuing her passion and believing in her dream. “I simply want to thank her—deeply—for following her passion and believing in her dream. Because by following her own path, she made it possible for so many of us to see a path for ourselves,” she said. “Cécile, thank you. Thank you very much!”Teta said. Speaking about the upcoming concert, Teta said the event will offer Rwandans an opportunity to reconnect with their roots, identity and culture through music. “We, Rwandans, are proud of our roots and of who we are. I feel like this is one of those concerts where you come in, and you leave feeling more connected to your identity, more in touch with yourself, and with a greater sense of belonging,” she said. “This is a one-of-a-kind show. The lineup speaks for itself, and I can simply encourage people to come and experience it.” She said the concert is also expected to bring different generations together through music, memory and culture. “It is an event that brings generations together through music, memory and culture. And I think we are all really looking forward to it.”
