Weaving music from her mother tongue Kinyarwanda, as well as Swahili, French, and English, Empress Nyiringango tells stories about her Rwandan Canadian experience. She is mostly influenced by the events of the genocide against the Tutsi people in her homeland, and the experience of being a Canadian immigrant who fled war. Empress Nyiringango uses music to heal herself and provide a space for others to heal alongside her, while transporting her audience to a peaceful vision of Rwanda. Her debut song “Agahinda”, translating to sorrow, is a tribute to the victims of the tragedy.

Nyiringango is a self-taught musician, even coining her own term, ‘Jablur’, to describe her unique synthesis of jazz, blues, and Rwandan. This musical fusion includes the use of a traditional Rwandan instrument, the ‘Inanga’ or ‘Zither’ along with modern sounds. She makes a point of highlighting traditional Imigongo art on her website.

Her musical journey began in Kigali, Rwanda, when Nyiringango was in high school. She explored several avenues of expression such as singing, writing, directing, acting, and stage managing. She earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa in 2020. Nyiringango supports her community in Ottawa by offering freelance interpretation and consultation in the arts scene and performs for long-term care residents through an organization called Radical Connection. With everything else on her plate, she is also a freelance actor and mother of two children.