The

Rwanda Defence Force The Rwandan Defence Force (RDF, , , ) is the military of Rwanda. Prior to 1994, Rwanda's military was officially known as the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), but following the Rwandan Civil War and the Rwandan genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front ( ...

Military Band Regiment is the ceremonial band that serves both State and Military. Although it represents the defence forces, it falls under the command of the Chief of Defence Staff. Since 2009 the RDF Military Band is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Ndayisabye. The RDF Band is made up of Headquarter and four ensembles: * HQ/music training branch and workshop * Harmony Band * Brass Band * Ceremonial Band * Jazz Band (vocalists, dancers and drummers) These ensembles perform throughout the

Republic of Rwanda A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

and the larger

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n continent. Many of its musicians have been deployed in recent years on Rwandan

United Nations peacekeeping Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role of the United Nations's Department of Peace Operations and an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is ...

operations.

History

The RDF Military Band was founded in 1992 during Liberation war in 1990 to 1994 and had its first performance on March 8, 1992 at Mulindi RPF/RPA HQ when it only had 40 members. After the war in 1994, it was re-established with 120 members who were trained by Ghanaian Military Band that was part of peacekeepers under UNAMIR (United Nation Mission in Rwanda). In 2005, Lieutenant Colonel Lemuel Kayumba was appointed commanding officer of the band deputised by Major Gilbert Ndayisabye. Under his leadership, the band introduced intensive training and relationships with other foreign military music schools. In 2008, the RDF Army sent the first contingent of 20 musicians to attend the South African Army Military Music Course, presented by the South African Army Band Cape Town with the assistance of the

University of Stellenbosch Stellenbosch University (SU) (, ) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Sahara ...

. A year later, the 29 members of the band were participants in training conducted by the Uganda People's Defence Force Band at the Rwanda Military Academy in Nyakinama.

Liberation Day events

The band performs at the annual parade at

Amahoro Stadium The Amahoro Stadium (; ; Kinyarwanda for "Peace Stadium"), officially known as Amahoro National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda. With a capacity of 45,508, it is the largest stadium in Rwanda and hosts ...

during the

Liberation Day Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day, but differing from it because it does not involve the original creation of statehood. It commemorates the end of an occupation ...

celebrations. Wearing its standard red and green tunics, they perform the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

, ''

Rwanda Nziza "" (, "Beautiful Rwanda") has been the national anthem of Rwanda since January 1, 2002. It replaced "", which was the original national anthem until the Rwandan genocide, 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Background Rwanda's original national ...

'' as well as marching displays. They also perform traditional military marches and native music such as the

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

song ''Sisi Wenyewe''. The band released a new album called ''Ubudasa'' in celebration of the 25th anniversary of liberation in 2019.

Other events

Its

jazz band A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

has participated in joint performances with civilian jazz bands. It has performed with many foreign ensembles, the most notable of which is the

United States Air Forces in Europe Band The 686th Air Force Band, known also as the United States Air Forces in Europe Band (USAFE Band) is composed of 45 active duty Air Force musicians who serve under the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Command and work as mus ...

. It previously participated in the

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

Military Tattoo A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ' ('turn off the tap'), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeepers near military g ...

in 2010. The members of

Urban Boyz Urban Boyz is a Rwandan R&B Afropop Duo composed of 2 members James Manzi (Humble Jizzo) and Muhammed Nshimiyimana (Nizzo Kaboss). A reviewer for the Rwandan newspaper '' New Times'' described them in 2013 as "the country's leading music group." ...

(a Rwandan

Afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

group) and the army jazz band performed at the official opening ceremony of a military games in 2017.

Military Band Basic Music Courses

The regiment runs the Military Band Basic Music Courses at Kanombe Military Barracks. The courses include the following: * Basic Music Course * Drum Major’s Course * Ceremonial Drills Course * Duties Instructors Course

Sources

{{Authority control Military bands Rwandan musical groups Musical groups established in 1992 1992 establishments in Rwanda Military units and formations established in 1992

History

Liberation Day events

Other events

Military Band Basic Music Courses

See also

Sources