Friday Night in Heaven

Last Friday, the girls and I met in Heaven. Luckily, the trip there was relatively painless and didn’t involve anyone dying (although there was the usual confusion over exactly why Katie paid one fare for the bus and I paid nothing at all). Heaven, touted as Rwanda’s first international quality venue produced by Rwandans (but owned by Americans), is an absolutely gorgeous restaurant in Kigali, overlooking the valley between Kiyovu and Kacyiru… Great wine, great food, and a great view. This was mine and Katie’s first trip to Heaven, and we were there for a silent art auction organized by Ivuka Arts Studios, a Rwandan-owned arts cooperative of young Rwandese artists producing contemporary Rwandese art. The whole night was spectacular.

We started the evening off with a great glass of wine (at the happy hour price of 1500 RWF, making it a not totally unreasonably treat), which we enjoyed while watching Intore dancers! These ones were more special than others I’ve seen – because they were mostly children! The man who started Ivuka Arts also organized a dance troupe, RwaMakondera, made up of former street and other disadvantaged children. The troupe is hired out for events, and the money earned goes to the children in order to pay their school fees and other expenses as a means of keeping them off the streets. The kids were fantastic – and I was delighted to see that dance recitals are the same the world over, with kids eagerly grinning at the crowd, a beat or two off from each other, looking at the child to their left or right to see if they’re doing the right move at the right time. It was wonderful. There were beautiful little girls, including one tiny child that couldn’t be more than three years old; the boys were dressed in traditional Intore costumes with bells and shields and headdresses. Adults also danced, and played and sang the music the children danced along to.

And then there was the art… Traditional Rwandan art (such as imigongo, which are geometrical designs made of cow dung… seriously) doesn’t really appeal to me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect of ‘contemporary’ Rwandan art. I was more than pleasantly surprised by what was on display at Heaven that night, and had to really hold myself back from making a purchase. There were two artists doing live painting at the restaurant as well, which was lovely to watch. I was particularly drawn to one artist’s work in particular – a lot of themes of women and motherhood and women’s bodies. None of the paintings I loved were auctioned off that night, and I’m hoping a trip to the studio in Kacyiru might result in me coming home with one of the ones I loved the most. The talent of these young artists was overwhelming and I can’t wait to see more.
Much to my and Katie’s delight, we stayed at Heaven for supper – great service and wonderful food… minus the fact that Katie got food poisoning! Regardless, it was a great night out in Kigali and a repeat trip to Heaven is in the works to celebrate Logan’s birthday in October.