Jean paul samputu biography samples

Rwanda Rwiza redirects here. For the Rwandan national anthem, see Rwanda Nziza

Musical artist

Jean-Paul Samputu (born 15 March 1962) is a Rwandan singer, songwriter, and musician.

A winner of the Kora Award in 2003, Samputu travels the world as a cultural ambassador for Rwanda.

Jean paul samputu biography samples

Born in Rwanda in 1962, Samputu began singing in 1977 in a church choir, and was influenced by traditional and contemporary music, including Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Lionel Richie. He arrived in the US in 2004 for Ten Years Remembering, an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.^[1]

Samputu sings in six languages^[2](Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Lingala, Ganda, French and English) and in styles ranging from soukous, rhumba and reggae, to traditional Rwandan 5/8, Afrobeat, pygmy, and gospel.

He combines unique musical traditions from all regions of Rwanda, among them, Intwatwa, Umushayayo, Imparamba, and Ikinimba.

Early