Dancing and Music is a very important part of Rwandan life. It is integral to the culture and how they
express themselves in social gatherings, storytelling and many other important
ceremonies. There are three highly
choreographed dances that include the intore,
a dance performed by men, the umushagiriro,
performed by women, and the ingoma,
drumming performed by men. The
traditions of this country are that the music is done orally with varies styles
within the different social groups. [1]
The people of Rwanda make beautiful baskets. The work is intricate and the patterns are
amazing. They used these baskets for
daily use but they are beautiful. Most
of their crafts are for everyday use and they are creative with the designs and
ways to make these baskets as well as other great daily tools. [3]
They also use what is
around them to create art. One famous
art style is the use of cow manure called imigongo.
The cow manure is mixed into soil of different natural colors, and then painted
into geometric shapes. This art work is
traditionally done by women.
“Rwanda does not have a long history of written literature, but
there is a strong oral tradition ranging from poetry to folk stories.
Many of the country's moral values and details of history have been passed down
through the generations.[244] The most famous Rwandan literary figure
was Alexis Kagame (1912–1981), who carried out
and published research into oral traditions as well as writing his own poetry.”[6]
Alexis Kagame was a great ethnophilosopher. He studied the indigenous
philosophical systems of the cultures in Rwanda. As theology professor, he studied the traditions, oral history, and
literature of Rwanda. He is credited as
being one of the most important historians of Rwanda. [7]
[2]https://youtu.be/5Ui91236OwY