Burundian music : improvement but still much to do

Burundian singers recognize that they have reached a remarkable step in music this year. However, they highlight they need strong support from the government, private institutions and journalists to produce the good quality music.-Yves Didier Irakoze

Bruno Simbavimbere nicknamed Member: “We are satisfied with the way Burundian singers have recently improved. They got a lot of opportunities to take part in different events and festivities and their performance was outstanding.”©Iwacu

“We are satisfied with the way Burundian singers have recently improved. They got a lot of opportunities to take part in different events and festivities and their performance was outstanding,” thanks Bruno Simbavimbere nicknamed Member, Chairman of Burundi Musicians’ Association. He goes on saying that singers have performed abroad and shared experience with other singers differently from the previous years; this has been done due to their will, determination and hard work. According to Simbavimbere, the great step has been made in all domains as in secular, traditional and religious music as well as Disc Jockey (DJ) type of music. “Thanks to Brarudi Primusic, Tusker Project, African Cultural Integration Stars (SICA), Foreign Cooperation Organizations, Walloon Brussels, musician artists have got much support and owe their success to these good Samaritans. I take this opportunity to wake up artists to work hard for benefiting much more assistance,” states Simbavimbere. Silas Damara, a Burundian singer also praises the initiative made by local institutions to integrate artists in various projects in order to improve their performance. “This year has revealed that Burundian artists are talented though they still need much support from everyone,” indicates Silas.

EAC countries should be a good example for us

According to many Burundian artists, the involvement of many people is required to achieve effective progress in music like in other EAC countries. Simbavimbere states that differently from Burundi, in Tanzania, there is a program on radios and TVs for criticism, whereby listeners or viewers give their viewpoints and comments about artists and their tunes for motivating them to improve their own career. For him, the audience is offered opportunities to select their best singers and tunes and this reflects the reason why Tanzanian singers are more advanced than Burundians. “In Rwanda, they have ordered all the radios to play more Rwandan songs than foreign ones. And this is the only way local music can grow. So, why not in Burundi?” wonders Silas.

Working in synergy, the only best way

According to some artists, there are musicians who negotiate with journalists so that their tunes may be often broadcast. About the issue of singers who corrupt journalists to play their music, Christian Nsavye, a journalist from Radio Isanganiro doesn’t deny it; he requests artists to denounce this bad behavior and attitude.
Pacific Nzitonda, a singer from “Etoile du Centre” Band, invites all journalists to even broadcast the few Burundian artists’ songs that have been produced to push people to love their local tunes. Bizimana Aboubakar, a Burundian singer nicknamed Sat B, points out that if artists work together with private people and different institutions, the Burundian music will develop at a high speed because Burundians singers are full of talents.
“For boosting Burundian music and artists, the government through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has to increase the budget to support musician artists as they do for athletes, football, volleyball and basketball players,” concludes Simbavimbere.