In the hills of Gishora, 10-year-old Noël Béni Manisengwe is learning the ancient art of Burundi's royal drumming tradition from his elders. With seven years of practice behind him, Noël Béni pounds the taut drumhead in time with the rhythm, following the footsteps of his master, Oscar Nshimirimana, who began learning to play the drum at the age of three. This oral tradition comes alive in the exchange between master and pupil, as children first practise on banana trunks before progressing to small drums.
The community of Gishora is home to about 40 seasoned drummers who bring ancestral rhythms to life, while an equal number of children practise in their wake. Their apprenticeship passes on more than technique; it carries the rituals, history, and responsibilities surrounding an instrument once central to royal power. Nshimirimana has led the Gishora drummers since 2017, succeeding Antime Baranshakaje, whose grandfather hid King Mwezi Gisabo in a sorghum granary during the Kilima rebellion. Historical and ritual knowledge has passed down through this family line.
Professor Elie Sadiki, an archaeologist and lecturer at the University of Burundi, places Gishora within a wider network of drum sanctuaries. According to Sadiki, King Ntare Rugamba and his successor Mwezi Gisabo founded sanctuaries at Higiro, Gishora, and Butegeye. In 2014, UNESCO inscribed Burundi's ritual dance of the royal drum on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Sadiki stresses the distinction between recognition of the living tradition and recognition of the physical site.
International recognition, however, has not resolved the community's financial difficulties. Nshimirimana says the site attracts Burundians, members of the diaspora, researchers, and other visitors, but numbers rarely exceed ten groups of visitors a month. Entrance fees are shared between staff, drummers, and the local council. The price of a 30-minute group performance is between 300,000 Bif (US$ 100) and 500,000 Bif (US$165), but the fee alone does not establish how much income reaches the performers or how regularly they earn it.
Amid the thunder of the drums, Salomé Congera, 50, performs a series of elegant dance steps, but never touches a drum. A presidential decree signed in 2017 prohibits women from playing the drum, a restriction presented by some at Gishora as a continuation of sacred tradition. Christella-Mariza Kwizera, a sociologist and lecturer at the University of Burundi, calls for an educational and institutional debate about women's place in the tradition, citing a history in which women exercised authority.
Kwizera argues that strengthening women's role at Gishora requires more than selling goods to visitors; she advocates for businesses grounded in local skills and knowledge. She proposes projects rooted in the local area, history, and ancestral women's knowledge, such as specialised basketry or pottery. This approach places women's knowledge alongside drumming as a resource that could support livelihoods.
The future of the tradition also depends on the wood from which the drums are made. Environmental scientist Célestin Havyarimana says population pressure, the conversion of forests to farmland, and demand for firewood are reducing the availability of suitable trees. A 2024 study recorded 86 Cordia africana trees across the surveyed area of Kirimiro, with more than half less than 20 centimetres in diameter. The study also found that drum-makers were turning to alternative trees, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the tradition.
Key points
- Burundi's royal drumming tradition is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
- The community of Gishora is working to pass on the tradition to a new generation while exploring ways to share the art's economic rewards.
- Women's role in the tradition is limited, with a presidential decree prohibiting them from playing the drum.
