The Royal Drummers of Burundi, commonly known in recordings as The Drummers of Burundi, is a

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

ensemble originally from

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

. Their performances are a part of

ceremonies A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...

such as births, funerals, and

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

s of ''

mwami ''Mwami'' () is an honorific title common in parts of Central and East Africa. The title means ''chief'' or ''tribal chief'' in several Bantu languages. It was historically used by kings in several African nations, and is still used for traditi ...

'' (Kings). Drums (called

karyenda The ''karyenda'' is a traditional African drum. It was the main symbol of Burundi and its ''Mwami'' (King) and had semi-divine status. The ''Mwami'' was said to interpret the beatings of the karyenda into rules for the kingdom. History Wh ...

) are

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

in Burundi, and represent the mwami,

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...

and regeneration. The Royal Drummers use drums made from hollowed tree trunks covered with animal skins. In addition to the central drum, called ''Inkiranya'', there are ''Amashako'' drums which provide a continuous beat, and ''Ibishikiso'' drums, which follow the rhythm established by the Inkiranya. The performance of the Royal Drummers has been the same for centuries, and their techniques and traditions are passed down from father to son. The members of the ensemble take turns playing the Inkiranya, dancing, resting, and playing the other drums, rotating throughout the show without interruptions. At the start of their performance, the drummers enter balancing the heavy drums on their heads and singing and playing. There are some extra members who carry ornamental

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

s and

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

s and lead the procession with their dance. They then perform a series of rhythms, some accompanied by song, and exit the stage the same way, carrying the drums on their heads and playing. Beginning in the 1960s, the Drummers have toured the world. They have recorded at least three albums - ''Batimbo (Musiques Et Chants)'' in 1991,''The Drummers of Burundi'' (1992, recorded 1987) ''Real World'' (retitled ''Live at Real World'' in 1993) and ''The Master Drummers of Burundi'' (1981 lp, 1994 cd). They have also appeared on

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

's '' The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' (1975), and on "Zimbo", the B-side of the Echo & the Bunnymen 12" single of "

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" (1983). It is often claimed that they perform on the

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...

single "

Rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

", but this is a misattribution. They have influenced artists such as Adam and the Ants and

Bow Wow Wow Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band behind 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. They released their debut EP '' Your Cassette ...

, and inspired

Thomas Brooman Thomas Brooman (b. 1 April 1954) is a festival organiser and promoter of music, best known for his role as co-founder and artistic director of the WOMAD (World of Music Arts & Dance) festival organisation. Early life Born in Bristol in 1954, he ...

to organize the WOMAD festival in 1982, which shaped the burgeoning world music genre. The Drummers were featured inn Werner Herzog's film '' Fitzcarraldo'', as the "drumming of the bushmen".

References

External links

* * statistics and tagging at Last.FM * Real World Records artists African drummers Burundian monarchy Percussion ensembles Burundian musicians Year of establishment missing African rhythm Music organisations based in Burundi {{Africa-band-stub