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The culture of Burundi is based on local tradition and common influence with its neighbors.

People

Although referred to as ethnic groups the Hutu, the Tutsi, the Twa, and the Ganwa all share the same culture, language and land. In Kirundi, the national language of Burundi, these ethnic groups are called miryango, which can be translated to clans or tribe.

Pre-colonial society

Before colonization Burundi and Rwanda formed one kingdom, Ruanda-Urundi. The Burundian part of society was ruled by Kings also called Mwami. There are no records of discrimination during this time. Every clan was involved in royal duties, for inclusion purposes. While there were physical differences between clans, they all shared to same customs and beliefs.

Colonial society

Burundi's colonization started in the early 19th century, which is later than most African countries. Christianism is the main religion in the country, there are two main groups catholic and protestant, but there is also Islam, and different types of animism.

Music

Burundi has a wide range of music, from traditional percussions to modern music. Drums are the main instruments in Burundi, because of the heritage of the Royal Drummers of Burundi, a group of musicians that play the instrument, sing and dance. In the precolonial period, the drummers would often play for the Kings and royal families, Royal drummers would announce the beginning of the day and the ending of the day. They would also play during special spiritual events such as enthronements or the beginning of the agricultural season. To this day, Burundians still celebrate important events with drummers. The Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2014 added the drummers' practices to their list.

thumb|Burundian Drummers

In 2017, a decree was passed by the government, legally banned women from beating drums as it was explained to be a men's activity, despite the centuries-long tradition of female drum-players in the country.

Media

In the 1990s, Burundi had several private media companies that started broadcasting government events and started to publish subjects considered taboo like political violence and corruption.

Cuisine

Burundian cuisine utilises maize and bananas as staple foods and often contains red kidney beans. Meals are not usually accompanied by sweet foods or dessert. During celebrations and gatherings, Burundians drink homemade banana wine and beer, sometimes drinking through straws from a single large container.

In some areas, brochettes and frites are a popular remnant of the Belgian colonial period. The presence of Lake Tanganyika adds fish such as ngangara and mukeke to Burundian cuisine. A national brewery produces Primus and Amstel beers.

Education and language

thumb|left|Central Bujumbura, capital of Burundi

In the public education system of Burundi, only one student out of 100 will be able to attend university. The public elementary schools are mostly taught in Kirundi with a few French classes, and secondary schools and universities are taught in French. It creates difficulties that result in the alienation of local communities, affecting girls more than boys. &nbsp;Recently Burundi has added Kiswahili and English to the curriculum, creating an even wider gap in the population. For the past decade, there has been a shortage of staff, faculty, and material in the public sector as well.

  • This is an encyclopedia book that was published by an independent publisher. It should be reliable. It covers the topic of Burundian culture and music and dance, it can be used to establish notability.
  • Mbonyingingo, Audace; Ntiranyibagira, Constantin (2020). Beating Drums or Beating Women? An Analysis of the Drum Universe in Burundi. (2020). Journal of Postcolonial Writing and World Literatures, 1(1), 15–30. <nowiki>https://royalliteglobal.com/world-literatures/article/view/50</nowiki>
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the historical inequalities of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Jackson, T. (2000). Equal Access to Education: A Peace Imperative for Burundi. International Alert.
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the access to education of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Juan, A. D. (2017). Traditional” Resolution of Land Conflicts: The Survival of Precolonial Dispute Settlement in Burundi. Comparative Political Studies Volume 50, Issue 13. Peace and Conflict Management Review.
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the media culture of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Rwantabagu, H. (2011). Tradition, globalisation and language dilemma in education: African options for the 21st century. Int Rev Educ.
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the traditional language culture of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Mabweazara, H. M. (2018). Newsmaking Cultures in Africa. Penryn, UK: palgarve macmillan.
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the media culture of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Ntiyanogeye, A. (2008). Burundi Media and Good Governance. Peace and Conflict Management Review.
  • This article was published by a peer-reviewed journal, it should be reliable. This article takes a deep look into the media culture of Burundi, it should help establish notability.
  • Jamar, A. (2022). Accounting for which violent past? transitional justice, epistemic violence, and colonial durabilities in Burundi. Critical African Studies.