Drummer boys and men

The following photos are the pictorial evidence of yet another unbelievable and amazing experience here in Kigutu; an experience that rivaled, and maybe even surpassed that of watching the girls' dance class.

There is a group of male drummers in Kigutu, both younger and older, that get together and play 2-3 times/week. They are led by two men: Peter, who works here at the clinic, and is also Deo's brother (Deo is the Burundian who started the clinic); and the second is Mandela, who also works in the clinic, and is basically, from head to toe, one big muscle. The drumming went on for about 45 minutes, and was truly stunning.

The first two pictures are of the drumming group, first forming a circle, and, then, marching together with their large drums on their heads. They beat the drums with batons as they go, and simultaneously sing.

The drummers marched and drummed and sang for several minutes, drums fixed securely on their heads. They then formed a circle, drums on the ground, and continued their drumming. Anyone who wanted to do so then did a solo dance to the music of the drums. What you see below are two examples of solo dances.

This one is a very cute and self-confident little boy, who clearly enjoyed his time in the sun.

One of the children in the hospital took a turn doing a solo. What is remarkable about that solo is that this is a 6 year old boy with something called a cardiomyopathy. That means his heart does not function well. This is not a correctable condition. It is not a structural defect, meaning that surgery will not correct it. Even if it were correctable, it would not be correctable here in Burundi. There are no cardiac surgeons here. If he were in the United States, he would be on multiple medications to improve his cardiac function, and, almost certainly, he would, by now, be on a list to get a heart transplant. Here, he is on one medication: Lasix, to help control the fluid accumulation that occurs as a result of his poor cardiac function. However, even with the Lasix, the fluid accumulates so quickly, primarily in his abdomen, that he becomes very uncomfortable. In order to lessen his discomfort, fluid is drained from his abdomen every week (a procedure called a paracentesis); as much as 4-5 liters is drained at each paracentesis. Very recently, he was started on oral steroids to decrease the degree of cardiac inflammation. There seems to have been some benefit, because now he may go as long as two weeks without needing a paracentesis. The point of the story is that this 6 year old boy, even with his poor cardiac function, was out there doing his two minute dance all by himself, and he was doing it as energetically as any of the others.

This is a picture of Muganga Petero, among my many Burundian friends, as we watch the drumming.

And, then, with my friend, Melino, as we take a turn on the drums. I hope that, by the end of my time here, I too will be toting a drum on my head in the Burundian style. If that does happen, then I will truly have become a Burundian. Right now, I will have to be satisfied with my honorary Burundian status.