The Good Ones

World Music Institute presents Rwandan duo The Good Ones, a band formed in 1987 as a healing process after the Rwandan genocide – an active attempt to seek out “the good ones,” after having endured and witnessed unthinkable horrors. Their vocalizations are based on the singing traditions of their local agricultural district and the primary songwriter, Adrien Kazigira interweaves intricate harmonies with co-singer, Janvier Havugimana, in a style frequently referred to as “worker songs from the streets.” With the musicians’ rural and very remote hilltop origins, their vocalizations are harmonically similar to American bluegrass music. The ensemble also utilizes one-of-a-kind instruments in their music, often incorporating their own farming tools as percussion. The Good Ones released their fourth studio album Rwanda…You See Ghosts, I See Sky in 2022.