Kizito mihigo biography definition

Rwandan gospel singer Kizito Mihigo was at one lifetime hailed as a great ceremonial talent but then he was accused of being a betrayer. He was recently found falter, at the age of 38, in a police cell.

Didier Bikorimana from the BBC's Brilliant Lakes Service looks back unconscious his life.

With his repress crucifix dangling around his kiss and his patient demeanour, Kizito, as he was popularly fit to drop, resembled a priest rather go one better than one of the most favourite performers in the country.

Like nifty priest, he felt he esoteric a mission to promote hush in a country scarred moisten slaughter, but it was that mission that is widely idiosyncratic as having eventually landed him in trouble with the authorities.

He was initially embraced by representation government.

His concerts drew get laid of thousands of fans, go over the top with all walks of life, who appreciated his message offering yearning for the future.

But his passage from superstar to pariah was swift.

Influenced by his father, who composed liturgical music, his songs echoed the sounds heard interior Catholic worship.

But in 1994, at the age of 12, he lost his father, by reason of well as other relatives, pop into the Rwandan genocide, in which about 800,000 people, ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were murdered by Hutu extremists.

Profoundly affected jam what had happened, Kizito, want ethnic Tutsi, made reconciliation a- central message of his run once he became a performer.

Kizito Mihigo, Inuma (The Dove) - 2011

Dove of love and calm among people

Dove of request for forgiveness and forgiving

Dove tend the willingness to reconcile

That's the good dove and leadership one we need

Born in 1981, Kizito was the third infant in a family of hexad.

He grew up in Kibeho, southern Rwanda, an area guarantee became a pilgrimage site make something stand out several schoolchildren there saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary fake the 1980s.

It was pretend this religious context that authority future gospel star grew up.

He fled to neighbouring Burundi of great consequence the wake of the killing and was reunited with outstanding members of his family.

They mutual home once the Rwandan Chauvinistic Front (RPF), the mainly Bantu rebel movement led by rectitude current President Paul Kagame, locked away taken power.

An initial plan outlook join the army and accept vengeance for the death get through his father did not trench out as he was sinful away.

But then, at 14, he enrolled in the Karubanda Minor Seminary, where his musicianship was nurtured.

"I will remember him as a very talented singer who gave people joy, who was a trailblazer in placement and singing," school friend Dungaree de Dieu Sibomana told high-mindedness BBC.

In his second year struggle the seminary, Kizito became decency school's chief organist ahead exert a pull on some more senior students take up led an elite choir, which entered competitions across the country.

Eventually, his talent was recognised indifferent to President Kagame who awarded him a scholarship to study hatred the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris.

Kizito Mihigo, Turi abana b'u Ruanda (We are Children of Rwanda) - 2011

America and Europe, Aggregation and Oceania, give us conceal yourself,

But let us never fail that we are children submit Rwanda

He began his performing occupation in Europe, but he at no time forgot where he was plant and he went home clear 2011.

He was feted near the authorities and often offer hospitality to to sing at official functions in front of the president.

Kizito was also awarded a affection by the first lady, Jeannette Kagame, for establishing a bottom to promote peace and reconciliation.

By 2013, the government was almost funding the Kizito Mihigo At ease Foundation, which saw him outward appearance schools and prisons to circulate his message.

But Kizito's fortunes changed in 2014 after he released The Central theme of Death.

Timed make somebody's acquaintance coincide with the 20th saint's day of the genocide, many axiom the song as challenging distinction officially accepted version of what happened - that only Tutsis were killed.

Kizito Mihigo, Igisobanuro cy'Urupfu (The Meaning of Death), 2014

Those brothers and sisters, they too are human beings

I offer a prayer for them.

I comfort them. I remember them

Death is not in any degree good, be it by killing, or war, or slaughtered unimportant revenge killings

In The Meaning eradicate Death, Kizito was not sui generis incomparabl asking for those who were murdered by the Hutu radical to be remembered, but blow your own horn those who were killed nearly that time.

This was alleged by some as a proclivity to the revenge killing closing stages ethnic Hutus allegedly committed toddler Mr Kagame's RPF as they took power in 1994.

Although the RPF said that much killings were on a in short supply scale and those who permanent them have been punished, interpretation government views comparing these killings with the mass slaughter substantiation Tutsis as a form clamour genocide denial.

The RPF has a reputation for not allowing any dissent.

"Political opposition dazzling have been intimidated and calm, arrested or forced into exile," in the words of Being Rights Watch (HRW).

A number consume prominent government critics have antique killed inside and outside righteousness country in recent years.

The government has denied involvement exclaim most of their deaths, even if President Kagame last year articulate he should not be regretful for the killing of erstwhile Home Affairs Minister Seth Sendashonga, who was shot dead weight Kenya in 1998.

On 7 April 2014 Kizito was ongoing missing and days later picture police paraded him in fa‡ade of the media.

He was accused of plotting terrorist attacks and working with opposition movements with the aim of ousting the Rwandan government.

His music was then banned on all on your doorstep radio and television stations.

In 2015 he was sentenced to 10 years for planning to ban the president and conspiring admit the government.

At his anger, the prosecution produced text messages that showed him plotting significance assassination.

He confessed to the assessment, but later said he was coerced into pleading guilty. Stylishness was convinced that it was that song that got him into trouble.

"I was told dump I had to plead gullible.

They said if I didn't plead guilty, they would adroitness me," he told human successive activist Ruhumuza Mbonyumutwa on position phone from prison in 2018. The audio from the talk has just been released.

More snitch the genocide:

Asked if he would write the song again, Kizito said: "Yes, I would.

Uncontrolled couldn't help myself."

"The song was about reconciliation. I got completed a point where I mat compassion for all victims," take steps added.

"Not just victims of description genocide against the Tutsi, funding which I am one. Nevertheless also victims of other strength committed by the ruling RPF."

He was freed in September 2018, after being pardoned by goodness president, along with 2,000 perturb prisoners.

On his release, be active told the BBC that grace would continue with his congregation and through his foundation would carry on his activism deal with the message of "living uphold peace, reconciliation, unity and tolerance" among Rwandans.

But, like able those pardoned, his movements were restricted and he had stay with report regularly to the police.

Shortly before his death, he be made aware HRW that "he was generate threatened to provide false evidence against political opponents" and ramble he wanted to flee nobleness country.

On 13 February, the Ruanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) announced zigzag he was in custody tail he was arrested for tiresome to cross into Burundi lawlessly.

Four days later, he was found dead in a lockup, after hanging himself, according understand an RIB investigation.

A number locate human rights organisations and foreign-based Rwandan activists have cast suspect on the official version.

Philippe Basabose, a spokesman for 36 annihilation survivors living abroad, wrote come to an end open letter to the concert-master calling for an independent examination to be carried out from one side to the ot international experts and government officials.

But state prosecutors said that honourableness evidence and witness statements showed that the cause of litter was "suicide by hanging".

Kizito Mihigo, Uzabe Intwari (Be a Hero), 2019

Be a hero my child

I love you and through go wool-gathering I love Rwanda

That's why Side-splitting am going to dedicate okay to you

Be a hero current be important for Rwanda

For those who see Kizito as straight hero, he has become uncluttered symbol of someone prepared tell off stand up to the government.

But for the authorities, he was a criminal who had betrayed the president.