Rwandan Culture

The culture of Rwanda is varied. Unlike many countries in Africa, Rwanda has been a unified state since pre-colonial times with only one ethnic group, the Banyarwanda, and a shared language and cultural heritage.. The last Saturday of each month is umuganda a national day of  community service during which most normal services are closed down.

Music and Dance.

 Music and dance are an integral part of Rwandan ceremonies, festivals, social gatherings, and storytelling. The most famous traditional dance is Intore, a highly choreographed routine consisting of three components - the ballet, performed by women; the dance of heroes, performed by men, and the drums Traditionally, music is transmitted orally with styles varying between the social groups. Drums are of great importance, the royal drummers having enjoyed high status within the court of the umwami. Drummers usually play together in groups of seven or nine. 

The male dance, referred to as Intore in the Kinyarwanda language, were worriors in the past. On the other hand, the female’s dance is usually compared to ballet. It is meant to display the grace as well as the beauty of the women of Rwanda and emulating cattle’s movement . cattle is a kind of wealth for Rwandan people. From the Ikinimba through the Imishayayo up to the Intore, men dance to depict love and care.

Intore Dance

Clothing.

Clothing was traditionally made from barkcloth and animal skins. Traditional female dress, called the umushanana and udushabure, consists of a floor-length skirt with a sash draped over one shoulder, worn over a tank top or bustier .girrlas and single women contrarily,would put on arapper called Ishabure that was tighed below the tummy and reached down to the knees A traditional hairstyle consists of a bun decorated with beads and tied in place by two ribbons that pass across the forehead and over the bun, crossing above the ear. A comb is placed above one ear beneath the crossing point of the ribbons. This costume is often worn by female dancers in Intore dance troupes. It is no longer common daily wear but may be worn at weddings, church services and other formal events. At formal events, the traditional dress for men includes a Western-style dress shirt tucked into a wrapped floor-length skirt. A beaded necklace may be worn with this outfit, particularly during weddings or by the musicians during traditional dance performances. Male dancers may wear a wrapped skirt without a shirt; they wear beaded straps that cross over the chest.

Cuisine

Rwandan cuisine is based on local staple foods produced by the traditional subsistence agriculture. Rwandan staples include bananas, plantains (known as ibitoki), pulses,sweet potatoes, beans and cassava (manioc). Many Rwandans do not eat  more than a few times a month. For those who live near lakes and have access to fish, tilapia is popular. The potatoes thought to have been introduced to Rwanda by German and Belgian colonialists is now also very popular.ugali (or bugali) is a paste made from cassava or maize and water, to form a porridge -like consistency that is eaten throughout East Africa. Isombe is made from mashed cassava leaves and served with dried fish and bugali. Milk is also Popular particularly in a fermented form called ikivuguto, is a common drink throughout the country. Other drinks include a traditional beer called urwagwa made from sorghum or bananas, which features in traditional rituals and ceremonies.

example of one of Rwandan cuisine (ugali and greens)

Housing

 Traditional Rwandan housing was constructed from locally sourced sustainable materials. Historically houses were dome-like round houses made from cedar poles, linked with bamboo and reeds and thatched with grass or banana leaves. During the colonial period clay walling became common, at first for circular thatched houses, the walls of which were sometimes decorated with bold geometrical patterns, and subsequently as rectangular houses reflecting European influence but retaining the clay-filled timber framed walls. More recently, these have been replaced with adobe or sun-dried brick walling. Clay tiles, often baked locally, were used for roofs as well as thatching.

On the other hand, 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.

A traditional Rwandan House

If you want to know  more about the Rwanda culture you can contact Rwandan Eco-tours to give you a breath taking experience and hands on, on the Rwandan Culture in  the Iby'iwacu cultural village where you can best know local people, their culture and their ways of living. .