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License:
NOODL-1.0
Steward:
Institute of African Digital HumanitiesDataset ID:
cmqj78wl301kxnr07sjbgvr24
Task: OTH
Release Date: 6/18/2026
Format: WAV, XML
Size: 339.53 MB
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EMAC-Dataset-Rwanda is a digitised ethnomusicological audio collection dedicated to the documentation and preservation of traditional panegyric poetry from Rwanda. The dataset was constituted in the framework of the Ethnomusicologie d'Afrique Centrale (EMAC) project, initiated by CERDOTOLA (Centre de Recherche et de Documentation sur les Traditions Orales et pour le Développement des Langues Africaines) following the founding meeting held in Sangmélima, Cameroon, from 17 to 22 September 1979. The dataset comprises 3 high-quality WAV audio recordings representing a single genre — the panegyric poetry tradition (poésie panégyrique africaine, PPA), known in Kinyarwanda as ibisigo (singular: igisigo) or amazina. Two sessions are included: PPA_001 is distributed across two consecutive audio files; PPA_002 consists of a single file. The recordings were originally captured on magnetic tape and digitised in 2015 at CERDOTOLA in Yaoundé, Cameroon, under the coordination of Dr. Emmanuel Ngue Um, using Adobe Audition 3.0. Ibisigo are one of the most celebrated genres of Rwandan oral literature, comprising dynastic and clan praise poems that were historically performed at the royal court and on ceremonial occasions. They represent a sophisticated form of oral poetry with complex prosodic structures, high tonal density, and rich figurative language in Kinyarwanda. As an ethnomusicological and oral literature dataset rather than a linguistic one, EMAC-Dataset-Rwanda does not provide transcriptions or sentence-level alignments. Its primary value lies in the preservation and accessibility of a genre that is central to Rwandan intangible cultural heritage.
Licensing
Nwulite Obodo Open Data Licence 1.0 (NOODL-1.0)
https://licensingafricandatasets.com/nwulite-obodo-licenseRestrictions/Special Constraints
By downloading this dataset, you agree: - To use it for research, education, and cultural heritage purposes only - That you will not re-host or re-share this dataset without the explicit permission of the legal owner
Forbidden Usage
You agree not to use the data for: determining the identity of any performer in the dataset; attempting to clone any voice or train models that imitate any performer in this dataset; Generative AI; reproduction; duplication; modification; augmentation; copying; distribution; transmission; display; sale; transfer; publication or creation of derivative works without the explicit permission of the legal owner of the dataset.
Intended Use
(a) Ethnomusicological and oral literature tasks: - Ethnomusicological research: The dataset provides authentic recordings of the ibisigo tradition and is suited for the study of vocal delivery, rhythmic structure, prosodic organisation, and the musical dimensions of Rwandan panegyric poetry. - Oral literature research: The ibisigo tradition is one of the most sophisticated genres of Bantu oral literature. The dataset supports research into praise poetry, oral composition, and the relationship between text and musical performance in Central African oral traditions. - Cultural heritage archiving: The dataset contributes to the digital preservation of the ibisigo tradition, a cornerstone of Rwanda's intangible cultural heritage, supporting institutions involved in the documentation of African oral traditions. - Cross-cultural comparative analysis: Used alongside the other six EMAC country datasets, these recordings enable comparative studies of shared and divergent oral traditions — particularly between ibisigo and other panegyric or epic traditions in the region. (b) Computational and technological tasks: - Computational ethnomusicology and prosody research: Audio signal analysis, melodic and rhythmic transcription, and prosodic modelling of panegyric poetry delivery, with potential for cross-genre comparison with epic traditions in the wider EMAC collection. Ethical Review Process All recordings were collected with the knowledge and participation of the performers and their affiliated institutions. The dataset is made available for research and educational use in the spirit of the EMAC project's mission of documenting and promoting Central African musical and oral literary heritage.
Rwanda has a long and distinguished tradition of oral literature and music, rooted in the social and political life of a centralised kingdom. Among the most prestigious genres of Rwandan oral expression are the ibisigo (panegyric poems), known also as amazina (names/praise names). These are composed and performed poems that celebrate the deeds, qualities, and genealogies of kings, chiefs, warriors, and other notable figures. Ibisigo are declaimed in a heightened, semi-melodic vocal style with strong rhythmic patterns, making them a genre that occupies the intersection of poetry, music, and oral history. They were historically performed by specialised court poets (abacurabwenge) and are among the most complex and rigorously formalised genres of Central African oral literature. The ibisigo tradition was identified by the Rwandan representative at the Sangmélima meeting (1979) as one of the priority areas for ethnomusicological research and documentation, the country being said to have an exceptionally rich and complex traditional musical heritage.
Poésie Panégyrique Africaine / Ibisigo (PPA): Panegyric poetry performed in a declamatory semi-melodic style. Ibisigo are praise poems celebrating dynastic, clan, or heroic subjects. They are characterised by a dense use of praise names (amazina), genealogical references, figurative language, and sustained rhythmic delivery. Two sessions are represented: PPA_001 (2 audio files, parts 1–2 of 2) and PPA_002 (1 audio file, 1 of 1).
Ibisigo are transmitted through a highly formalised system of oral apprenticeship. Historically, court poets (abacurabwenge) underwent extended training in the composition and performance of panegyric poetry. The genre is inseparable from performance: its prosodic and tonal structures are realised in live delivery, with rhythm and melodic contour playing a central role in the organisation of the text. No standardised written notation exists for the musical dimension of ibisigo performance. The EMAC recordings document elicited performances in a controlled environment and constitute primary archival evidence of this tradition.
The recordings in this dataset were collected by researchers and technicians of the EMAC project in Rwanda, approximately between 1979 and 1982. The project engaged the Institut National de Recherche Scientifique de Butaré (which housed a department of ethnomusicology with dedicated equipment) and the Direction Générale de la Culture et des Beaux-Arts as institutional partners. Grégoire Hategekimana, bibliothécaire-documentaliste and librarian-documentalist for Rwandan libraries, represented Rwanda at the Sangmélima founding meeting. He reported that the Direction Générale was assembling a repertoire of traditional Rwandan expression, with approximately 3,500 magnetic tapes projected for completion at the time. The original EMAC recordings were stored on magnetic tape at CERDOTOLA and digitised in 2015 under the coordination of Dr. Emmanuel Ngue Um.
The recordings represent the ibisigo (panegyric poetry) tradition of Rwanda, an oral genre of dynastic and clan praise poetry performed in a declamatory semi-melodic style. All performances were elicited in a controlled recording environment at the request of the EMAC project.
Total audio duration: approximately 57 minutes (3,391 seconds), distributed across 3 WAV audio files. IMDI 3.03 XML metadata files: 1 (corpus-level only), in IMDI/ subfolder.
The dataset comprises 3 WAV audio files organised as follows:
EMAC_RW_PPA_001-1-2.wav — Poésie panégyrique 001 (part 1 of 2)
EMAC_RW_PPA_001-2-2.wav — Poésie panégyrique 001 (part 2 of 2)
EMAC_RW_PPA_002-1-1.wav — Poésie panégyrique 002 (1 part of 1)
File naming convention: EMAC_{CC}{GENRE}{NNN}-{part}-{total}.wav
CC = ISO country code (RW = Rwanda)
GENRE = genre code (PPA = Poésie Panégyrique Africaine / Ibisigo)
NNN = zero-padded session number
part / total = part index and total number of parts for multi-file sessions
IMDI metadata files (IMDI/ subfolder):
EMAC_Rwanda.imdi — Corpus-level (Ethnomusicologie du Rwanda)
| Audio file | Genre | Session | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMAC_RW_PPA_001-1-2.wav | Ibisigo / Poésie panég. | 001 | 1/2 |
| EMAC_RW_PPA_001-2-2.wav | Ibisigo / Poésie panég. | 001 | 2/2 |
| EMAC_RW_PPA_002-1-1.wav | Ibisigo / Poésie panég. | 002 | 1/1 |