Inzozi by InangaTaxeem (4:25) Rwanda
Choreographed by: Hilde Cannoodt
Performers: Rosine Uwineza, Sangwa Aline, Hilde Cannoodt, Regis Mistry, Pappy Israel, Esther Niyifasha, Mazimpaka Prime
Videographers: Fayzo Pro
Music: Inzozi by InangaTaxeem
Additional Credits: audio production by Bob Pro
What dance styles are being fused?
flamenco dance, Rwandan traditional dance and Egyptian dance
Artist Statement:
Inzozi is a project created in May 2021 by the members of InangaTaxeem. Creatively fusing influences of Rwandan traditional music and dance with elements of Egyptian music and dance as well as Spanish flamenco influences, Inzozi is a project that celebrates culture. The song itself is sang in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda’s local language, and title of the song Inzozi means dreams. The song is about chasing your dreams no matter what challenges you face. It was created in response to the challenges we face here in Rwanda during the COVID pandemic, having no government support as artists and with most performances having come to a complete halt, we were inspired to create this song to keep ourselves as well as our audience motivated. We worked in collaboration with a wellknown Rwandan rapper called Mazimpaka Prime, adding an urban influence to our music. Traditional singer and dancer Sangwa Aline, one of the main members of InangaTaxeem is featured dancing traditional Rwandan dance in this video, while Hilde Cannoodt is mainly focusing on Egyptian dance techniques, accompanied by darkbouka player Regis Mistry. Rosine and Hilde are bringing Flamenco influences in their dance. Both music and dance is a transcultural exploration and one of the main aims of InangaTaxeem is to celebrate culture as well as put music and dance as equal arts within the mainstream Rwandan music industry.