Rwanda’s talented Inanga player Deo Munyakazi to release debut album

Rwandan inanga player Deo Munyakazi will officially release his debut album Isoko Dusangiye at an online concert on June 12th.
The concert will be streamed live via the official Facebook page of Munyakazi (external link). The announcement comes after ‘Ndi Amahoro’ was released on 25 May.

“‘Ndi Amahoro’ is the last track of my album,” he told Music In Africa. “It is a gospel song on how God’s mercy triumphs over judgment. If the song doesn’t create in you a worshipful spirit, nothing will. I also hope this comforts people during this coronavirus pandemic.”
Besides religion, the themes of the album touch upon social life, culture , and traditions. The message on ‘Emirembe’ is humanity and peace, a collaboration with the traditional Ugandan musicians Ssewa Ssewa and Giovanni Kiyingi.
“The album arrays the beauty of the world in its diversity, and I thought these to be mature themes to tackle for the audience,” Munyakazi said. “When listening to this album, I would like my listeners to remember that it’s much easier to keep the right attitude in life and be compassionate about others.”
Munyakazi says he’s hoping the album will bring his art to a wider public. ‘Urakwiriye Mwami’ release in 2016 brought him national recognition as a young musician reviving the inanga, a six- to nine-string harp-like instrument that is also played in Burundi and Uganda.
Since then, Munyakazi has performed at major music events including the festivals I Am Kigali and Ubumuntu Arts in Rwanda, Ongea Music Summit in Kenya, Ongala Festival in Tanzania, and Pop-Kultur in Germany, amongst others.
“Before I took the Inanga, people thought that the instrument was for the older-generation musicians and not the young generation,” he said. “I am glad to have witnessed a shift in these thoughts. In the past few years, I have seen young artists incorporate the inanga in their work. I am glad to have inspired that.”
He also talked about his experience at a workshop in Zanzibar that put together electronic and traditional artists to create music in February.
“I was fortunate to be selected. I had the opportunity of meeting new musicians and discovering the techniques of electronic music. Fusing these two sounds is a good way of paying homage to our roots but at the same time it is appealing to the younger audience in reference to what’s trending,” Munyakazi said.