I’ve already blogged about the fact that there is no tourism industry in Burundi, despite its marketable assets. Today, via my friend Carol, I gained an insight into why that might be. She works in microfinance and will have some bosses from the US visiting next week, and was trying to find out if there were any excursions from Bujumbura that she didn’t already know about, so paid a visit to the tourism office, also a gift shop that sells postcards (woohoo), that is next to our favourite cafe.

She asked if they had any maps of the country that she could use; they offered to sell her one for 10,000F – with no looking allowed! Then she asked if they had any leaflets on attractions in the country. No. Then she saw a leaflet on drumming performances; she asked if she could have one. She could – but at a cost of 2,000F. Since she didn’t want the leaflet, just their phone number, she asked if they had any contacts or if she could just take the number from the leaflet. Again, no – not unless she bought it. They suggested she wait till the weekend and go to Saga Plage, where they perform on Sundays, and ask them for her number themselves.

All in all, it’s clear that whatever the Burundian Tourism Office is doing, it isn’t promoting Burundi, and that if you’re a visitor in Burundi, you better have sources for what you need to know, because there’s no helping you once you’re here!

Everyone says it: Burundians love to party. On the plane out here I met a number of Rwandans who went all misty-eyed when I said I was going to Burundi, and told me about the amazing time they’d had on stag nights down in Bujumbura, giving the impression that it was the Ibiza of the Great Lakes region! I admit I was somewhat sceptical, but very soon after arriving it became clear that they knew what they were talking about; everyone wants to go for beer and brochette, all the time. But this weekend, while dancing with Eddie (of drummers fame) and his housemates in the newly renovated Havana Club (complete with 7 disco balls of varying sizes), I realised that it went further than I could ever have imagined. Quite simply: you know a nation loves to party, when everyone going to a club prepares by taking a small white serviette with them to wipe their foreheads as they dance the night away.

Tout le monde le dit; les Burundais aiment bien de fêter. Sur le vol à ici, j’ai rencontré plusieurs Rwandais qui ont exprimé une grande nostalgie quand j’ai dit qui irait à Bujumbura, et m’ont dit qu’ils ont passé les fêtes incroyables là bas – ils ont donné l’impression que Bujumbura est l’Ibiza de la région ! Je dois dire que j’étais un peu sceptique, mais immédiatement après avoir arrivée, j’ai réalisé qu’ils avaient raison ; tout le monde veut aller pour les bières et les brochettes, tout le temps. Mais ce weekend, quand j’étais à Havana Club avec Eddie (le tambourinaire), j’ai réalisé que les Burundais ont pris leur amour de la fête à un tout nouveau niveau. Tout simplement – on sait qu’un pays aime bien de fêter quand tout le monde qui va au club prend une petite serviette pour essuyer leurs fronts quand ils dansent pendent toute la nuit !

There aren’t that many capital cities in the world where you can be driving home and see a traditional dance troupe, made up of young students, practicing by the side of the road. But it happens in Bujumbura. It’s the first time I’ve seen any traditional Burundian music, but it is literally, jaw-droppingly incredible. They balance enormous heavy drums on their heads and march around with them, playing in rhythm while kicking their feet. Then for the second section, they put the drums down, and take turns dancing and jumping in the middle – jumping literally metres into the air; check out these videos, especially the jumping guy at the end of the second one. All I can say is that the world better watch out for the Burundian High Jump team!

Drums and Dancing in the City

After the practice Pierre Claver, who knows everybody, introduces me to one of the performers, Eddie. He tells me that the group was formed by students in secondary schools and at the university, and that they get paid upwards from 200,000 Burundian Francs (about $165) per performance, and that they are using it to support themselves, and in some cases their families as well, during their studies. Eddie himself finished secondary school last year, and has taken a year off, but plans to enrol in the university next year. He also tells me that they have been invited to perform worldwide – but have not yet been able to do so due to being unable to get visas, but that even if he could stay in the US, he would always come home.

Drums and Dancing in the City

However, perhaps the most inspirational part of the performance came at the end, when someone on crutches got up to dance, beating the drums and dancing on the crutches as a full part of the troupe. The to me demonstrated more clearly than almost anything else how people with disabilities can participate in almost anything – even activities that depend on enormous levels of physical fitness and ability.

Drums and Dancing in the City

Drums and Dancing in the City