Ethnic Division, Music and Violence: The Case of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
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Date
2021-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
During the last 50 years, music has played a critical role in Rwandan ethnic unity, division, and inequality. Government sponsored radio stations broadcasted incendiary music that contributed significantly to mass participation in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. Notably, and since that time, music has also done the converse—i.e., it has become a major medium for the collective process of grief and reconciliation. In this project, I analyze the divisive versus solidaristic use of Rwandan music. In doing so, I address more general sociological questions surrounding racial/ethnic division, as well as how elite use of art and culture play a role. Specifically, I ask "How has music been used to create division versus solidarity in Rwanda over the past 50 years?". Using a data set of 40 Rwandan songs, spanning over 50 years and drawn from interviews with Rwandans, this study translates and analyzes their lyrical content in order to better understand thematic changes over time. This study finds that themes such as peace, unity, and kindness increased dramatically in the post-genocide period. It also finds that national identity was a salient theme prior to 1994 and was often expressed through the metaphor of family. Lastly, it finds that modern Rwandan music seems more catered to the international market, and in doing so, deals more with themes of romantic love and sadness and less with national identity and the events of 1994.
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Keywords
Rwanda, genocide, music, propaganda, content analysis, sociology