Jean paul samputu biography books

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In 1982, he helped set up the Nyampinga Band and made a few albums with this band. In 2004, he arrived in the United States. His recordings are steeped in the many rich traditions of Rwandan music and dance, and include influences from Uganda, Burundi, and the Congo, as well as pygmy voices and traditions.

He is one of only two African artists to perform for the World Culture Open at the Lincoln Center in New York, and has also performed for the United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees for World Refugee Day. Other performances include Duke University; the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) in North Carolina; Pace University Law School; National Geographic Society; United Nations Day of Rememberance; AfroFest; and many other festivals, universities, churches, schools, and communities.

His latest CD, Voices from Rwanda, features the distinctive sound of exclusively tradtional Rwandan instruments and showcases Samputu's versatility.

Besides Samputu, only Cécile Kayirebwa released an album in the 1990s that was distributed worldwide.

Exposed to both traditional music and modern western music, such as Stevie Wonder and Bob Marley, he enjoyed singing in choirs. After winning the Kora Award for Best African Traditional Artist in 2003, he arrived in the US in 2004 for Ten Years Remembering, an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.

A winner of the prestigious Kora Award in 2003, Sampututravels the world as a culturalambassador for Rwanda, bringing to his audiences not only traditionalAfrican singing, dancing, and drumming, but also a message of peace and reconciliation. Samputu sings in 6 languages (Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Lingala, Luganda, French and English), and in styles ranging from soukous, rhumba and reggae, to traditional Rwandan 5/8, Afrobeat, pygmy and gospel.

Jean Paul Samputu is Rwanda's most internationally exposed singer, with a musical career of more than 20 years. From the 12-string inanga, to the amakondera bamboo horns, to ingoma drums built from indigenous materials, Jean Paul brings the beauty and magic of Rwandan music to an international audience for the first time. Soon, he formed his own band called Ingeli.

However, he came back and started working on a humanitarian level to help his country. More than a talented and inspiring musician, Samputu is a model for anyone who wants to make a difference in this world today.

Born in Rwanda in 1962, Samputubegansinging in 1977 in a church choir, and was influenced by traditional and contemporary music, includingStevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Lionel Richie.

His latest album « Testimony from Rwanda » is his first acoustic recording and also his first American-produced CD. He is accompagnied by Aron Niyitunga on guitars, keyboard, bass, and vocals, and Jordan Mensah on percussion.




   Jean Paul Samputu   


Born: 15 March 1962, in Butari (Rwanda)
Style: Vocal Rwandan music, gospel, rumba





Page added September 2006, updated February 2024

Jean-Paul Samputu

Born in Rwanda in 1962, Samputu began singing in 1977 in a church choir, and was influenced by traditional and contemporary music.

His stardom was rising in the early 1990s, he toured in Uganda together with Cécile Kayirebwa, and in Europe in 1993.
The tragedy of the Rwandan genocide put a temporary stop to his career, he lost 6 members of his family, his father, mother, three brothers and a sister. He combines unique musical traditions from all regions of Rwanda, among them, Intwatwa, Umushayayo, Imparamba, and Ikinimba.

Afterwinning the Kora Award for Best AfricanTraditionalArtist in 2003, he arrived in the US in 2004 for Ten Years Remembering, an eventcommemorating the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.

Born
Mar 15, 1962
Rwanda
Profession

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on July 23, 2013

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His dance technique and style demonstrates why UNESCO officially declared Rwandan national dance one of the world's Unique Cultural Heritages.

Who is Jean-Paul Samputu?

Jean-Paul Samputu is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Rwanda.

He recorded regularly again and eventually in 2003, he won a Kora Award for Best African Traditional Artist. He continues to educate young people about genocide through panel discussions and forums at colleges and universities across the country.

Samputu has been honored with the opportunity to share his message and his music at the National Civil Rights Museum for the 2005 Freedom Awards.

A survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, Sampututakes us to the most positiveplace of humanitythrough his spirit and graciousness.

jean paul samputu biography books



Samputu sings in 6 languages (Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Lingala, Luganda, French and English), and in styles ranging from soukous, rhumba, and reggae, to traditional Rwandan 5/8, Afrobeat, pygmy, and gospel. When he recovered from these horrific events, he dedicated his life to using his music to further the causes of peace, healing, and reconciliation.