GETTING TO KNOW THE DIFFERENT RWANDA CULTURES

Rwanda consists of 3 major tribes; Hutu, Tutsi and the Batwa. All these 3 tribes speak the same local language “Kinyarwanda” and share the same cultural heritage. Batwa people might have a small distinction from the rest Rwandese because they are pygmies and originally forest inhabitants.

The people of Rwanda are blessed with artistic knowledge and skills of making handcrafts like pots, papyrus mats and baskets, jewelry, wood carvings and among others. Rwanda today has a number of art and craft villages in both urban and village areas where any visitor on a Rwanda safari can easily buy souvenirs or any other art pieces. The craft villages in Uganda include Ivuka art center, Nziza, Caplaki craft village among others.

Music and drama local performances are common during social gatherings, marriage ceremonies and also for tourists on Rwanda Safari tours. The local people of Rwanda pass on educative information in their music performances and have two main traditional dances that is; the Intore dance for hunters or fighters and the Inkinimba dance performed by farmers to celebrate their harvest.

On a Rwanda gorilla tracking safari in volcanoes national park, traditional music performances are made to entertain the tourist as they take coffee in the morning waiting to go for gorilla trekking I this park. Bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, mashed cassava leaves and posho are the staple foods for local Rwandese people. Beef, goats’ meat and pork are widely eaten as stew or roasted especially in bars and other relaxing places in Rwanda.

The people of Rwanda are cattle keepers and produce milk as well which is fermented to form “Ikivuguto” a drink enjoyed by many local people.

Poems are told in relation to the Rwanda pre-colonial times, genocide and the current state of the country. Today, there are a number of Rwandese writers including the prominent Benjamin Sehene. While on Rwanda safaris and tours, you can pass by the various libraries in the country and read about the Rwanda’s history.

Female cultural dresses are called “Omushanana” and it was traditionally made from bark cloth and animal skin. However with various developments in the country, the “Omushanana” today is made using various synthetic fibers like cotton, silk and among others. “Omushanana” consists of a long skirt with a ribbon wrapped over one shoulder and worn over a blouse. Traditional male clothes consist of a wrapper skirt and beads. Men wrap the skirts around their waist and beads around their necks.

All the above cultural occasions and norms can be enjoyed by any tourist on a Rwanda tour and the best thing to do is to liaise with your tour prime Uganda safaris and tours limited to specifically organize a Rwanda culture safari  in the country. If not that, you can go for Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and then visit the major outstanding Traditional and cultural tourist centers.

By Sanyu Chris