As a nun who has composed popular hymns and devotional songs in Rwanda’s music scene, Sister Febronie Kamana, Rwanda’s Oblate of the Holy Spirit, is a remarkable talent.
Kamana is one of the famous hymns titled “All is for those who love God” in the local Kinyarwanda language, and is a catechism song aimed at reaching more youth than ever before. It presents a gospel-centered message. The song has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on her YouTube.
Global Sisters Report: How did music come into your life as a nun?
Kamana: Initially in 2006, I started out as a learner as I had no formal music education except for a few piano and guitar lessons, which ultimately didn’t work out. I had an ear for music, but I wasn’t very good at playing the piano or guitar. My first songs were terrible, but now that I have more experience, I try to arrange worship songs that today’s youth want, that are mostly relatable, and that match the music they listen to every day. Masu.
Elena Guerra, founder of your Holy Spirit Oblates, is known for her lifelong dedication to education. How can your musical talent benefit you in educating young people?
Through my call to religious life, I began to realize that musical inspiration is a solution to problems. Music can be a powerful tool for education, especially for young people. Most of my work as a songwriter includes fast, upbeat hymns and hymns for young people. Young people tend to respond better to high-energy songs, so you want to make sure it’s relevant with relevant lyrics, a catchy melody, and an upbeat tempo.
Most of these worship songs give young people purpose and meaning in life. This leads to the strengthening of spirituality in education, which not only causes an understanding of the teaching content, but also strengthens the analytical thinking of learners.
As far as the missionary spirit of the Holy Spirit Oblate Congregation is concerned, could you give us a concrete example of how the intersection of music, education, and religion fits together?
Many schools have already been established in Rwanda named after the founder of our congregation, Pastor Elena Guerra. We believe that we have received a mission and a gift from God to be fully committed to the mission of uniting youth education, catechism and pastoral work.
As part of our spiritual journey, we provide a safe, stimulating and healthy environment where youth can reach their full potential. This way of communicating our spiritual concepts through teachings and hymns is a great motivator for students and youth to take appropriate action.
In our traditional music industry, there are very few female guitarists. How do you combine music and nun life with religious service to challenge stereotypes?
I engage youth through worship songs. This connection between music is very important to me and always will be. I have been involved in the composition of at least 30 famous worship songs that most parishioners across Rwanda are familiar with and sing together during church services.
The spiritual mission of the Holy Spirit Oblate Congregation is to help people prepare to receive God’s grace by learning how to appreciate and pray with liturgical music, using relevant catechetical materials. .
The mission of our congregation is ultimately based on enabling people, especially young people, to incorporate the Christian faith into their daily lives. Worship music is a very important part of being Catholic and an important part of learning.
As a songwriter, I sometimes hire volunteer musicians to add chords to my songs. Sometimes the piano works better, sometimes the guitar, and you have to play it yourself.
