When you mention the name Rebero to a ‘Kigalian’, the first thing that comes to their mind is Canal Olympia, coupled with imaginary appearances either in the cinema hall savouring on popcorn while watching their favourite movie, playing the escape game with friends, or in the soccer/basketball court showcasing fitness skills.
However, there’s more to this hilltop gem than just fitness and movies-a museum. In the green lush RDB garden, adjacent to Agaseke centre, is where king Ngabo planted his museum–such a thoughtful choice for an artist. Upon entering the studio, the first painting that ushers you in is the ‘Kwibuka flame’ (flame of hope) that symbolises the courage of Rwandans after the 1994 tragedy, hanging tall and beautiful. You did this? We asked in unison–“of course”, he replied boldly, before explaining to us the inspiration behind.
“So I was working on the importance of art to the community, but my key study was on the genocide. I was trying to show how art played a role in the genocide, yet it could have been used for a good cause”.
According to King, art is a powerful tool, capable of killing and destroying if used wrongly, as well as healing and unifying if used in the right way, which is why he chose to use it to preach the gospel of togetherness to the post-genocide generation.
Right next to the flame of hope, is a bunch of photos, written notes and newspaper placards backing up Ngabo’s statement of both the negative and positive side of art.
On the negative, Simon Bikindi a male Rwandan artiste by the time, took the spotlight. To Ngabo, he’s the best Rwanda has ever had when it comes to music, however, instead of using his talent for the good of the nation, he fueled a massacre, earning himself the title of ‘the most gifted yet worst musician ever’.
“The guy instead of using his music to entertain us, give us positive vibes, educate us, and give us a show, he created music that separates us”, he said, sounding disappointed at such a waste of talent. He brushed off that very fast though, when he started talking about Jeanne d’Arc Kaligirwa, a female Rwandan artiste who lived in Belgium as a refugee but immensely contributed to the country’s liberation.
His face brimming with pride, Ngabo narrated all there is to know about this superwoman. “She was born and raised in Rwanda but fled to Belgium during the genocide. This mother, when the liberation struggle started, championed art concerts in countries like France and Canada then used the proceeds to support the troops”, he remarked. You could tell she inspires him, and to show it, he’s following through the same footsteps–art.
Ngabo’s quest for a peaceful Rwanda, one that will not only heal from the genocide tragedy, but also ‘NEVER AGAIN’ experience the same goes way back. It all started with a letter he wrote to his unseen grandparents and posted on his social media. While he thought only ‘them’ would read it from heaven where they are, it caught the eyes of some officials from Rwanda who asked him to recite it for the whole nation to hear, a request he honoured.
This heartfelt letter is among the written hangings on the first floor of ‘Ingabo Corner Museum and Cafe’, the only place apparently, where whoever wants to hear Ngabo read it can get the pleasure, as despite being asked to read it again for the nation, the then writer-now turned artiste declined.
“How can I read the same poem every time? Besides, I didn’t write it to read it in front of people, whoever needs to see it, they can come to the museum”. Disclaimer, the statement wasn’t said from a place of pride, but from a place of heart brokenness, said by a grandchild who was deprived of the privilege of meeting, better yet, being ‘spoiled’ by his grandparents. One who would have loved to have cousins to play with while growing up, but all that’s a dream that will never come true, all because some ruthless individuals chose hate over love, and death over life.
Recounting each word from the letter made Ngabo so emotional, nevertheless, he continued to be bubbly, as he took us through his other creations-a ‘true’ Rwandan, no doubt (in spite of what happened to the nation three decades ago-it bounced back and made beauty out of ashes).
Ngabo’s art effect in commemorating the genocide was again witnessed during the ‘art of memories’ exhibition, held in 2023, where him and other artists, recreated portraits of the genocide victims with an aim of honouring and remembering them.
Additionally, the project intended to correct the role of artists during the genocide, Ngabo’s paramount ethical core. It further stretches to the second part of the exhibition in his museum, where he displays a group of youngsters, with one admiring to be a doctor, works hard and attains the goal. He named it Ishuri, inspired by the Martha Lee community effect. By so doing, Ngabo intends to teach young people to dream big, because everything is possible, once there’s a will.
To him, Rwanda too dreams big, and it works relentlessly towards those dreams, otherwise, it wouldn’t have recovered from its darkest chapter, which saw over 1 million lives lost in a life span of three months.
Although an artist, Ngabo recognizes that art is not the only activity that played a role in the genocide, sports too did, but of course he demonstrates this through art. On the second level of his studio, is a gallery with an art piece titled ‘football saved a man’, in honour of Rwanda’s famous captain at the time-Eric Mu – rangwa Eugene, commonly known as Toto.
History has it that football saved Toto from death during the genocide. One fateful night, soldiers raided his house with an intention to kill him and whoever he was with. Amidst the scuffle, they landed on an album that had photos of him and his team mates, a thing that sent them back, withdrawing from their mission to kill, to discussing football and later protecting him. Interesting right? What’s even more interesting is how Ngabo had Toto agree to be featured in his art gallery.
The first time Ngabo heard of this Captain’s story, he was ‘moved’, hence embarking on a ‘treasure hunt’ for him via email–you know Ngabo, he knows what he brings to the table so he wants to dine with those like him, if not better than him. His efforts were not fruitful: “He turned me down,” he remarked. But like it is said, whatever is meant to be will be, this one time, during the CommonWealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Eric Murangwa while visiting the National Museum bumped into King Ngabo. “Are you the one that I saw in the Museum pyramid? he asked. Yes sir, that’s me. Can we meet? We met and the rest is history”, Ngabo narrated.
Art as a combination of passion and research
Ngabo’s artwork is one that surpasses talent, it is a combination of passion coupled with extensive research on whatever project he’s working on.
Let’s picture this, you walk into Ingabo Corner Museum and Cafe, a foreigner with no idea of Rwanda’s history and the then not so tall young guy is your tour guide, going on and on about the country’s culture, background and art, with no proof to back it up, but only paintings. Would you believe everything he says? My guess is as good as yours.
Well, to steer clear of this, a collection of books that tell Rwanda’s history has a place in the museum. Among these is, ‘Inside The Hotel Rwanda’, a memoir by Edouard Kayihura and Kerry Zukus, that according to reviews, paints a clear picture of what transpired in Hotel des Mille Collines during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Moreover, one gets to read these books at no cost, in the comfort of well-crafted sofas, sipping a cup of fee, and enjoying the coziest breeze Rebero has to offer, not to mention the icing on the cake–a magnificent view of Kicukiro, Kigali and Bugesera districts.
Although this balcony marks the end of Ngabo’s studio, it depicts more about Rwanda’s history than the inside, not to mention Ngabo’s creativity–how on earth did he even think of this, we pondered. The three districts viewed from this point all tell Rwanda’s transformation and resilience post-genocide; Kigali, from wrecks to the most beautiful city in Africa, Kicukiro, a testament of the tragedy that befell the country three decades ago harboring one of the biggest Genocide memorial sites in the country, and Bugesera, the true definition of beauty for ashes (it’s where the genocide was practiced, where thousands of Tutsi were settled, isolating them from the rest of the population, before they were later massacred; yet it is now going to be home to Africa’s biggest airport).
Well, that isn’t all for the ‘King’, this year, as the nation commemorated 30 years post-genocide, Ngabo launched his own version of ‘30 years of hope’ with an exquisite exhibition dubbed “the transformation of Rwanda in the vista”.
According to Ngabo, Rwanda has gone through a hard path to get to where it is now, a thing he illustrated with thirty empty water tanks, clad in Rwanda’s National Flag colors, joined together with chains. These were stationed at the entrance of his gallery and it is what visitors coming to the exhibitions will pass through, thus gaining a true understanding of Rwanda’s history.
Creating masterpieces
Ngabo’s creativity comes to life in an installation room located in his studio–a quiet office filled with most of his creations, pending and completed. He shares this space with young artists, providing them mentorship and materials like painting boards and paint to put their imaginations into canvas Ngabo’s work is not limited to Rwan – dan stories, but Africa as a whole.
The 28 year old believes that as artists, they have the power to sell the beauty of Africa to the entire world, by show – casing stories of hope and positivity. He stresses that art is more than paintings, rather books, poems, music, movies, and politics. Thus, President Kagame is the only artist he looks up to, for how he got the broken pieces of a vase(Rwanda), fixed them, and turned them into a dream destination for many around the globe.
Ngabo prides himself in coming from grass to grace–a kid from a humble background now known as Rwanda’s celebrated artist of the 21st century.
Ingabo Corner museum and cafe is open Sunday to Friday from 9:00am to 9:00pm, entrance is 10,000frw for adults, 7,000frw for children ages 10- 15 years, and free of charge for children below 10 years.
