As a nun on the Rwandan music scene who has composed popular praise and worship songs, Mr. Febroni Kamana of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit in Rwanda is a talent to watch out for.
In one of his famous praise songs titled “Everything is for those who love God” in the Kinyarwanda vernacular, Kamana presents a gospel-centered message designed to reach more young people than ever before with catechism songs. The song has hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Global Sisters Report: How did music come into your life as a nun?
i’m going: In the very beginning, in 2006, I started as a student because I never had any formal music education, except for a few piano and guitar lessons that didn’t end well. I had an ear for music, but I wasn’t a good piano or guitar player. My first song was terrible and now with more experience I try to adapt the worship songs that today’s youth are looking for that are mostly relatable and consistent with the music they listen to on a daily basis.
Elena Guerra, the founder of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit to which you belong, is known to have dedicated her life to education. What are the benefits of your musical talents in educating the youth?
During my call to religious life, I began to realize that musical inspiration is a solution to a problem. Music can be a powerful tool for education, especially for young people. As a songwriter, most of my compositions include fast and upbeat praise and worship songs for youth. I have to make sure that they are associated with relevant lyrics, a catchy melody and an upbeat tempo because youngsters tend to respond well to high energy songs.
Most of these worship songs give young people a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives. This leads to a stronger sense of spirituality in education, which not only leads to understanding of educational content, but also enhances analytical thinking among learners.
Can you provide specific examples of how the intersection of music, education and religion can be harmonious in terms of the missionary spirit of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit?
We now have many schools established in Rwanda named after Mrs. Elena Guerra, the founder of our congregation. We believe that we have received from God the task and the gift to put ourselves entirely at the service of the mission, uniting the education of the youth, catechetical and pastoral work.
As part of our spiritual journey, we provide youth with a safe, stimulating and healthy environment in which they can reach their full potential. This way of communicating our spiritual concepts through teaching and worship songs can be a great motivation for students and youth to take appropriate action.
In our traditional music industry, we see few female guitarists. How do you combine music and the life of a nun with religious services to challenge stereotypes?
I engage the youth through my worship songs. That connection between music is so important to me and will remain so. I had a hand in writing at least 30 famous worship songs that most parishioners in Rwanda are familiar with and sing along to during church services.
The spiritual mission of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit is to use appropriate catechetical resources and help people prepare to receive God’s grace by learning to appreciate the music of the liturgy and to pray with it.
The missionary mandate of our congregation is ultimately based on enabling people, especially the youth, to integrate the Christian faith into their daily lives. Worship music is such an important part of being Catholic and also an important part of learning.
As a songwriter, I sometimes hire a volunteer musician to put chords to my song. Sometimes the piano works better and sometimes the guitar and I have to play by myself.
