Rwanda Nziza Rwanda Nziza "" (, "Beautiful Rwanda") has been the national anthem of Rwanda since January 1, 2002. It replaced "", which had been the national anthem since 1962. Rwanda's original national anthem, written when the country achieved independence from Belgium in 1962, was called Rwanda Rwacu ("Our Rwanda"). Independence was achieved at a time of high tension, following the Rwandan Revolution: centuries of rule by the minority Tutsi group had been overturned in just three years, the majority Hutu taking power in a violent upheaval, and forcing more than 100,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The subsequent thirty years,
Music of Rwanda Music of Rwanda The music of Rwanda encompasses Rwandan traditions of folk music as well as contemporary East African Afrobeat and Congolese ndombolo, and performers of a wide variety of Western genres including hip-hop, R&B, gospel music and pop ballads. Traditional music and dance are taught in "amatorero" dance groups, which are found across the country. The most famous of these is the Ballet National Urukerereza, which was created in the early 1970s to represent Rwanda in international events. Also famous were the Amasimbi n'amakombe and Irindiro dance troupes. The ikinimba is perhaps the most revered musical tradition in Rwanda.