Testimony revisited

Song plays an integral part in our formation of memories as well as modes of their recollection through association. The cultural values and language affiliated with songs also mean that they perform a key function in shaping our sense of identity. This article examines the use of song in Annick Kayitesi-Jozan’s testimony Même Dieu ne veut pas s’en mêler [‘Even God Doesn’t Want to Get Involved’], which was published thirteen years after her first collaborative testimony with Albertine Gentou. Comparative analysis between Kayitesi-Jozan’s first co-authored work and her self-authored second testimony reveals extensive differences in terms of chronology and incorporation of Kinyarwanda and Rwandan cultural references. Central to these changes is the inclusion of songs in Kinyarwanda. Examination of their lyrics in the source language and in translation uncovers Kayitesi-Jozan’s volition to retell her story as she remembers it that, by extension, redresses the epistemic imbalances present in her first work.