Who is Ceka I Rwanda?
Ceka I Rwanda is a non-profit (non-profit) organization founded by iconic Rwandan traditional music artist Cécile Kayirebwa. Founded in Belgium in 1996, the organization aims to protect, preserve and transmit the rich Rwandan cultural heritage and its expression through music, poetry and dance in order to keep it alive.
Why should traditional Rwandan
culture be preserved?
In Rwanda, it is not only globalization and modernity that play a role in
endangering its cultural heritage, but also Rwandan history, from colonialism
to war and genocide. When a nation loses its culture, it is like losing its
sense of unity and sense of self as the famous historian Alexis Kagame wrote in
1969:
"A nation without intellectuals is a nation without a soul, a
nation without guardians of traditions is a nation without personality of its own".
How does Ceka I Rwanda address
the problem?
Ceka I Rwanda aims to collect cultural data from elders and traditional
knowledge holders to collect and preserve traditional Rwandan music and poetry
as well as dance. The intention is to work with seniors, historical knowledge
holders, and other gifted people like musicians, composers and storytellers in
the mission of preserving Rwandan culture now - for the future.
What are the benefits for the
Rwandan society?
Thanks to the work of Ceka I Rwanda, the traditional cultural treasures of
Rwanda will be kept alive, digitized and adapted for consumption in the new
digital era. This will benefit all Rwandans who have access to it, this work
promotes understanding and is also an opportunity to connect with their own
traditional cultural past and use that as cultural capital in the future. It
would also be a valuable material for research, history and education on
Rwandan culture for Africans and the rest of the world. Moreover, it will
benefit Rwandan understanding as a unified nation built on the basis of a deep and
rich cultural heritage that is beyond our imagination.
How to help make a
difference?
Today, no Rwandan organization is working intentionally
to preserve Rwandan traditional culture, especially with regard to music and it
is essential for our society to gather and unite their efforts to this end
today. The tangible commitment of Rwandan society will help ensure that the
vision and mission of Ceka I Rwanda are implemented and the Rwandan culture is
kept alive. You can also help by signing up and following our upcoming crowd funding
campaign.
FB.com/Cécile Kayirebwa
Twitter @KAYIREBWA
Email ceka.i.rwanda@gmail.com
To Support CEKA I RWANDA asbl
via bank transfer: ACCOUNT: BE22 2100 5822 8647 // BIC: GEBABEBB
