Press and Accolades

"The first Rwandan musician to establish true international visibility."

                                                                ~ Banning Eyre,  Afropop Worldwide

"Fluidity and...passion in his voice are remarkable, also the elegance/imagination in his small-group arrangements, particularly the harmony vocals." - Rick Sanders, FRoots

"Samputu is an extraordinary gift! His performances enhance any event with their cultural significance, exuberant dance & drums, gentle and inspiring insights into the beauty and realities of Rwanda, and his testimony. He reaches all ages and extends people beyond their cultural boundaries. Samputu & Ingeli takes you to Rwanda through music & dance. His work is important and will complement any event. In my 10 years / 22 festivals, Samputu exemplifies WHY I produce cultural music & arts events."
- Jennifer Pickering, Executive Director & Founder, Lake Eden Arts Festival

"from...traditional 5/8 dance music of his native land to.... soul, gospel, and soukous/rumba...This man has a great future!" -Chris Nickson , All-Music Guide

"An amazing musical feat, borne of tragedy.....voice that recalls such mellow balladeers as Wasis Diop and Lokua Kanza." - Nigel Williamson , Songlines

"When they were playing the drums and dancing, after a while, it was like they weren't even playing the drums...but playing themselves." - legendary jazz bassist Keter Betts

On Testimony from Rwanda: "A small pearl of an album that deserves much wider exposure." - Global Village

 

United Nations
Mission of the Republic of Korea

March 31, 2005

Dear Mr. Samputu,

On behalf of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, I would like to sincerely thank you and your friends Jacques Nyungura, Donat Nyabyenda and Vincent Nsengiyumva, for your terrific contribution to the March 4 Commemoration of 30 Years of UN efforts to promote gender equality.

I hope you were able to feel the deep appreciation for your performance in the enthusiastic response of the participants in the room, including many cabinet ministers from capitals, as well as ambassadors representing their governments at the UN. Your performance was a key element in making the Commemoration a great success. In return, I certainly hope that the event has been a memorable experience for you and your group as well.

Please extend my thanks to Ms. Suzanne Gremaux and Mr. Michael Shanks for facilitating your participation.

Yours sincerely,
Kyung-wha Kang
Chair, 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Minister, Republic of Korea Mission to the United Nations

 

UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Haut Commisariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés
27 July 2005

Dear Mr. Samputu,

I wanted to thank you, on behalf of UNHCR, for participating in the 2005 World Refugee Day program. Your performance at the opening ceremony of this year's events was extraordinarily powerful and proved to be the perfect way to launch our celebration of refugees. The dancing, singing and drumming performed by members of Ingeli were noticeably appreciated by the audience, who were also joyfully compelled to join in the dance.

Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the great importance of performers such as yourself, dedicated to providing the public with a glimpse into the grace and talent that comes from your country and its traditions. In one way, it invokes a deep appreciation for the beauty of diversity, but also reminds us how interconnected we all are, how all our cultures have interesting histories of song and dance in times of celebration, and how contagious smiles are.

Thank you again for participating in World Refugee Day. Please convey our gratitude and praise to the entire Ingeli group.

With best regards.
Sincerely,
Kolude Doherty
Regional Representative

 

 

Jean Paul and Ingeli were the kick-off event for the Pace Law School Genocide Awareness Week from September 19th through the 22nd. The International Law Society arranged for panel discussions and presentations on genocide, along with documentaries and films showing throughout the week. The purpose was to raise awareness of students, faculty, and staff of the genocide now occurring in Darfur and to raise funds for the victims. It was a very successful event and the performance by Jean Paul and Ingeli was the high point of the week.

Gayl S. Westerman,
Professor of Law and Director of International Programs
Pace Law School