Frogtoon Music

Timbuktu Mon Amour (Album) by Jean Paul Samputu

Artist Biography For Jean Paul Samputu

Jean-Paul Samputu Born 15 March 1962 Is A Singer Songwriter And Musician From Rwanda. Jean Paul Samputu Has Established Himself As One Of The Most Prominent African Artists On The World Stage. A Winner Of The Prestigious Kora Award The "African Grammy" In 2003 Samputu Travels The World As A Cultural Ambassador For Rwanda Bringing To His Audiences Not Only Traditional African Singing Dancing And Drumming But Also A Message Of Peace And Reconciliation. A Survivor Of The Genocide In Rwanda Samputu Takes Us To The Most Positive Place Of Humanity Through His Spirit And Graciousness. More Than A Talented And Inspiring Musician Samputu Is A Model For Anyone Who Wants To Make A Difference In This World Today. Born In Rwanda In 1962 Samputu Began Singing In 1977 In A Church Choir And Was Influenced By Traditional And Contemporary Music Including Stevie Wonder Bob Marley Jimmy Cliff And Lionel Richie. After Winning The Kora Award For Best African Traditional Artist In 2003 He Arrived In The US In 2004 For Ten Years Remembering An Event Commemorating The 10th Anniversary Of The Genocide In Rwanda. He Continues His Efforts To Educate Young People About Genocide Through Panel Discussions And Forums At Colleges And Universities Across The Country. Samputu Has Been Honored With The Opportunity To Share His Message And His Music At The National Civil Rights Museum For The 2005 Freedom Awards Where He Performed In Front Of Honorees Oprah Winfrey And Ruby Dee As Well As The Ceremony's Host Golden Globe Award Winner Angela Bassett. He Is One Of Only Two African Artists To Perform For The World Culture Open At The Lincoln Center In New York And Has Also Performed For The UN High Commissioner For Refugees For World Refugees Day. Other Performances Include Duke University As Part Of Duke's Prestigious Performance Series The Lake Eden Arts Festival LEAF In North Carolina Pace University And Pace Law School And Many Other Universities Churches Schools And Communities.
His Latest CD Abana Showcases Samputu's Versatility. His Recordings Are Steeped In The Many Rich Traditions Of Rwandan Music And Dance And Include Influences From Uganda Burundi And The Congo As Well As Pygmy Voices And Traditions. It Is This Deep And Fertile Mix Of Songs Instruments And Dances That Embodies Samputu's Tremendously Varied Talents. Samputu Sings In 6 Languages Rwanda Swahili Lingala Ganda French And English And In Styles Ranging From Soukous Rhumba Vodou And Reggae To Traditional Rwandan 5/8 Afrobeat Pygmy And Gospel. He Combines Unique Musical Traditions From All Regions Of Rwanda Among Them Intwatwa Umushayayo Imparamba And Ikinimba. His Dance Technique And Style Demonstrates Why UNESCO Officially Declared Rwandan National Dance One Of The World's Unique Cultural Heritages. With His Dance Troupe Ingeli He Captivates Audiences Of All Ages. He Has Performed For The UN High Commissioner For Refugees At The National Museum Of Civil Rights Freedom Awards And At Many Colleges Universities Festivals Churches And Communities Around The World. In The 1980s Samputu Was A Member Of Popular Rwandan Band Nyampinga Who Produced Three Albums. In 1985 He Produced His First Solo LP Tegeka Isi. Throughout The Late 1980s He Was A Member Of Orchestra INGELI. Samputu Toured Europe In 1993 And Released His Twararutashye LP. During The Rwandan Genocide In 1994 He Lost His Parents And Three Siblings. In 1998 He Moved To Canada. In 2003 Samputu Was Awarded The Kora Award For Most Promising African Male Artist. In 2004 Samputu Moved To The United States Where He Now Resides In The State Of Vermont.
In 2006 Samputu Won The 1st Place Winner For World Music In The International Songwriting Competition With "Psalm 150". In 2007 Samputu Was Recognized As An "Ambassador Of Peace" By The Interreligious And International Federation For World Peace. In Allentown Pennsylvania In 2007 Jean-Paul Samputu Provided A Moving Interview On PierreTerre.Com Called Healing Rwanda Jean Paul Samputu And The Forgiveness Of Murder Which Can Be Viewed Here. Samputu Performs Songs In Six Languages Kinyarwanda Swahili Lingala Luganda French And English And In Various Musical Styles Such As Soukous Rumba Reggae Afrobeat And Gospel. Currently Jean Paul Samputu Is Signed To Mi5 Recordings And Distributed By EMI. He Is Working With Producer And Former Modern English Member Ted Mason As Well As Sandra Bernhard's New Afropop/rock Project. Collaborating On The Project Are Chrissie Hynde Papa Wemba Lagbaja Et Al. Samputu Will Join Sandra Bernhard And Guest Artists For A Tour In 2008.

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