Veteran singer Suzana Nyiranyamibwa will be remembered for using music to promote patriotism, unity and Rwanda’s liberation struggle.

The legendary musician died on Friday, October 16, aged 83, following an illness, leaving behind a musical legacy shaped by personal loss, exile and the defining moments of Rwanda’s history.

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Born in 1943, Nyiranyamibwa developed a passion for singing at an early age, a talent she believed she inherited from her father, Phillip Karahamuheto, a singer who also led a choir in the Catholic Church.

Music was part of family life, with relatives often singing together. However, her life was marked by loss and displacement. In 1963, her father was killed by the government in power at the time. In 1973, amid discrimination against Tutsi in Rwanda, she fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

While in Congo, she lost her husband and was left to raise their children alone, limiting the time she could dedicate to music. In 1989, she moved to Belgium, where she began pursuing music professionally despite being in her forties.

Music as a tool for liberation

Nyiranyamibwa was among the founders of Itorero Isamaza, a cultural troupe made up largely of Rwandan women and girls. The group used traditional songs and dances to preserve Rwandan culture among communities in exile and support the struggle to liberate the country.

She performed alongside artists including Jeanne d’Arc Karigirwa Ruboneka, Anonciata Gatera, Françoise Ruboneka and Anonciata Kayisire.

Her songs encouraged Rwandans to overcome hatred, embrace unity and contribute to their country’s future. Her repertoire included Ese Mbaze Nde, Gira Ubuntu, Nimucyure Inganji, Dorijoro Ryiza, Ndavunyisha and Uraho Rwanda Uraho, as well as social songs such as Nimuberwe Bakobwa.

Each song reflected the circumstances in which it was composed and the messages she wanted to convey.

‘Ese Mbaze Nde’: A song born out of grief

Nyiranyamibwa composed Ese Mbaze Nde, meaning "Who Should I Ask?”, after returning to Rwanda in 1995, following the Genocide against the Tutsi, to search for relatives who might have survived.

She was deeply traumatised by what she encountered, including graves of victims, dogs feeding on human remains and bodies left unburied.

Although she had intended to stay for a year, she returned to Belgium after two months because she could not bear the devastation.

Back in Belgium, her employers noticed her distress and advised her to rest. She declined, explaining that television coverage of the Genocide would expose her to further painful images.

She had no one to turn to for answers about what she had witnessed or to explain what had happened to her mother and other relatives.

The uncertainty and grief inspired Ese Mbaze Nde, a deeply personal song expressing the anguish of searching for answers when the people she would have asked were themselves among the dead.

‘Gira Ubuntu’: Mobilising support for liberation

Composed during the liberation struggle, Gira Ubuntu called on Rwandans, including those living abroad, to contribute financially to support RPF Inkotanyi soldiers.

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The song referred to meetings surrounding the struggle and highlighted the hardships soldiers endured on the front lines, including hunger and thirst.

Through its lyrics, Nyiranyamibwa encouraged Rwandans around the world to mobilise resources and support those fighting for the country's liberation, even if they could not join them directly.

‘Uraho Rwanda Uraho’: A message of hope

Composed after the Genocide against the Tutsi, Uraho Rwanda Uraho expressed hope for a country recovering from devastation.

The song called on Rwandans to unite, rebuild their homeland and restore its image internationally. Its message of renewal emphasised collective responsibility and the need to overcome divisions.

‘She did things no one can replace’

Fellow veteran singer Mariya Yohana praised Nyiranyamibwa’s contribution to music and the legacy she leaves behind.

"She did a lot of big things. Nothing remained that she did not do. She did a great job, and no one can replace her,” she said.

Yohana also acknowledged the personal losses Nyiranyamibwa endured and said younger generations had much to learn from her example.

Musician Jamarie Vianney Muyango said her songs offered valuable lessons, noting that some inspired young people to join the liberation struggle while others mobilised financial support from Rwandans who could not fight on the front lines.

Nyiranyamibwa’s passing marks the loss of an artist whose music went beyond entertainment. Through songs rooted in personal experience and national history, she helped preserve Rwanda’s cultural identity, support liberation and promote unity. Her voice may be gone, but her contribution remains part of the country’s collective memory.