Music
- The ikinimba is the most revered musical tradition in Rwanda. Often accompanied by instruments like the inanga, it is a dance that tells the stories of Rwandan heroes and kings.
- The inanga, a lyre-like string instrument, is popular with many Rwandan musicians.
- Intore means “chosen one”. Intore dance groups are traditionally all-male and were initially established centuries ago to perform before Rwandan royalty.
- Choreography for “This is America,” a controversial but highly popular music video by American entertainer Childish Gambino was masterminded by Rwandan dancer, Sherrie Silver.
Architecture
- Kigali is home to the African Design Centre (ADC), an architectural institute that has been called the “Bauhaus of Africa”.
- In 2020, a Rwandan architectural team comprised of students and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was recognised at the 2020 Brick Awards for creating “The Prototype Village House”.
Tourism
- Tourism is Rwanda’s biggest source of foreign exchange.
- Gorilla trekking accounts for 14% of Rwanda’s $498 million tourism earnings.
- There are over 1,000 mountain gorillas living in the world, of which a bit more than half live in the Virunga Mountains, in the vicinity of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
- Akagera Park is the only park in Rwanda “to host “Big Five” megafauna: elephants, rhino, leopards, buffalo, and lions. It became the world’s first “Smart Park” in 2017.
Food
- Popular dishes include Ugali (a paste made from maize and water), Ibihaza (pumpkin that is mixed with beans and then boiled), Isombe (mashed cassava leaves with dried fish) and Matolie (baked or steamed plantains).
- Fruit juices, wine and beer are all popular drinks in Rwanda.
- Ikigage is a locally brewed beer made from dry sorghum and Urwagwa is a beer made from fermented bananas
Sports
- Football is the most popular sport in Rwanda. The national football team is administered by the Rwanda Football Association.
- The team bears the nickname Amavubi (Kinyarwanda for The Wasps).
- Outside of football, a number of sports are rapidly growing in popularity in Rwanda. cycling, basketball and cross-country are all popular, and an international cricket stadium has recently been built in Kigali.