One More Cool Thing We Did

On Friday evening, we went to see the Royal Drummers of Burundi. It was fantastic. They were preceded on the billing by a group called Mombasa Party. That group played a set of fairly pleasant, low-key, and mostly forgettable African songs. As they finished their last number, the Burundi drummers came slowly sauntering onstage, clicking their sticks with each step. Each one took his spot behind a drum, and then without much warning, they laid into their drums. It sounded like a cannon going off. There was an audible expression of shock in the row behind me. And it was glorious.

The picture included here shows the central drum, carved out of a tree trunk. The others looked just like it, which is to say, heavy. That made their entrance after the intermission all the more impressive, because they came out carrying those things on their heads! And not just carrying them, but playing them and dancing at the same time.

I can't imagine how loud it was onstage, because it was plenty loud twenty rows back in theater. All in all, a fantastic show. Reminiscent of the Kodo drummers of Japan. See either group whenever you get a chance--you won't be disappointed.