Music
Distinguished
Jean-Paul Samputu
born 1962
Kora Award winner and Rwanda's travelling cultural ambassador
Distinguished is level 3 of 4 in the Rwanda Hall of Fame: sustained excellence over a career, widely honoured at home. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He sings in six languages across soukous, rumba, reggae, afrobeat and gospel, and has carried Rwanda's music around the world since a church choir in Butare took him in at fifteen.
Jean-Paul Samputu is a Rwandan singer, songwriter and musician, born in Butare in 1962. He began singing in a church choir in 1977.
He won the Kora Award for Most Promising African Male Artist in 2003, took first place for world music at the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, and was named an Ambassador of Peace in 2007. He performs in Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Lingala, Ganda, French and English.
He won the Kora Award for Most Promising African Male Artist in 2003, took first place for world music at the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, and was named an Ambassador of Peace in 2007. He performs in Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Lingala, Ganda, French and English.
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will check it.