About
Biography
Munyakazi Deo is award nominee, Inanga player, Multi-Instrumentalist (Inanga, Bass, Piano, Guitar), singer, and composer who was born in 1992.
Munyakazi holds MBA in Business Administration, Project Management and Bachelor Degree in Arts & Creative Industry.
It’s rare to find young people who are passionate about traditional music. However, Deo Munyakazi is quite a head turner—he is a budding artist doing traditional music.
“I’m a proudly Rwandan traditional musician, and I play Inanga very well,” this is the first response you get when you ask him to describe himself.
As most youth look up to their urban heroes in Hip Hop RnB and EDM music, the young Deo turned to this rare instrument only elders and culture enthusiasts were familiar with.
Inanga, is a Rwandan traditional harp-like instrument made out of wood, with strings which run above a wooden trough, with a pentatonic scale, one of the most musical instrument which holds Rwandan music, culture and history.
The origin of the traditional musical instrument dates back from the time of kingdoms, as it was played during rituals, for the king in Palace to make him happy and sleepy, and in harvest celebration, among others.
Touted as a rising traditional music star, Munyakazi is bringing back welcome shine and relevance to the instrument, his unique skill were noticed by Rwandan cultural icon Cecile Kayirebwa who invited him to perform at her annual INGANZO YA KAYIREBWA in March 2015
His name is now on every live music promoters lips in most of Africa…
Joss Stone (England)
Saul Williams (US)
Henhouse Prowlers (US)
Cecile kayirebwa(Rwanda)
Jeff Neve (Belgium)
Guillaume Perret (France)
Nneka( Nigeria)
Keziah Jones (Nigeria)
Beritha (South Africa)
Danilo Rea (Italy)
Life and insipirations
He is always working hard, hoping to land many special and exclusive collaborations with various artists with the aim of connecting the INANGA sound with the universe.
