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ELKINS -- The Augusta Heritage Center will host an intriguing evening of rhythm and culture when three master Burundian drummers perform at the chapel of Davis & Elkins College tonight.
Burundi is a small East African nation known for its rich musical heritage, which the three drummers will go into detail about during a dialogue session with attendees. The event is free to the public and will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
"This event is a collaboration with Hans Hermanson and the Hermanson family," said Augusta Heritage Center Director Seth Young. "Gordan Hermanson was the president at Davis & Elkins College when Augusta first moved up there in 1981.
"His family has been working with an exchange program with young African students, so they reached out to us to see if we could help facilitate a concert and culture session. And of course we said yes, because it's a wonderful resource to bring to the community."
During the group's musical performance, they will play on large log drums that have been crafted from hollowed-out tree trunks. The drums are covered with dried animal skins that create a sound that is both powerful and deeply rooted in history.
"From what I understand, the drum they use is very sacred and viewed with the spirit of both the family and the living objects the drum is made out of," said Young. "Burundi is considered to be at the very center of all African drumming, so it's not only had a musical impact on Africa, but on World music as well.
"The first-ever sample in pop music was of a Burundian drumming group. And that sample has been recycled through countless songs and is even in some modern songs that have come out in the last two or three years. So they are kind of an unsung musical influence on American pop music."
For generations, the privilege of playing these drums has been passed down from father to son, preserving an art form that holds deep ceremonial and symbolic meaning. The trio will remain in town after Saturday's performance and will play during the morning service at the Presbyterian Church on Sunday.
"All three of the drummers are all high school-aged students," Young said. "The leader of the group has already addressed the U.N. as a cultural ambassador from Burundi. He has addressed the U.N. about the toll the fighting in the Congo has taken on Burundian youth. He's a really sharp guy and we are interested in listening to both his story, the story of the music, and also listening to the music itself."
For more information contact the Augusta Heritage Center at 304-637-1209 or visit the organization's Facebook page.