Royal drumming is an amazing spectacle involving ritual dance, and powerful drumming synchronized with dance, heroic poetry, and traditional songs. The ceremonial dance in the Republic of Burundi is known as the ritual dance of the royal drum and combines African drumming, dancing, and the singing of traditional songs.
There is no doubt that Burundi's entire population recognizes this as a fundamental part of its heritage and identity. Usually, about a dozen drums form a semicircle around the central drum where the dance is performed. Some of the drummers also dance to the rhythm when they play the drum at their performances.
Drums were considered sacred objects in ancient Burundi, reserved for use by people performing rituals. It was the drums that were used to mark major events, like coronations and royal funerals in the country. Used during feasts or as a form of welcoming important visitors, ritual drumming is also used to awaken the spirits of the ancestors and drive away evil spirits.
This type of dance required at least a dozen drums, all the drums in odd numbers, forming a semicircle around a central drum. Several drums are beaten continuously in a rhythmic manner while the others keep to a set rhythm determined by the center drum. There is then a dance done by two or three drummers synchronized to the rhythm.
Some of the drum sanctuary bearers are descendants of drum sanctuary guards and are recruited from all over the country. In addition to the ritual dance of the royal drums, the values they embody, as well as the specialized skills in the making of those drums are passed on primarily through practice as well as through formal education. The drum dance is now a rite of passage in many ritual rituals of the country.
In 2017, a decree of the President directed that only male performers would be permitted to perform the drums in the future. The drum dance is an opportunity to transmit cultural, political, and social messages to people of diverse generations and origins. These cultural and social messages encourage unity and social cohesion.
Despite the passing of the centuries, the drum has not lost its revered significance. Burundi still has ancient drum sanctuaries scattered throughout where drums have been kept over the centuries until it is time to play them.