Melodic greeting between women in Burundi is at risk of being lost

Prudencienne Namukobwa, 85, left, entertains her guests with akazehe, a Burundian traditional form of musical greeting performed exclusively by women, outside her house in Ngozi, Burundi, Sept. 20, 2024. Emelyne Nzeyimana, right, and Prudencienne Namukobwa perform akazehe, a Burundian traditional form of musical greeting performed exclusively by women, outside her home in Ngozi, Burundi, Sept. 20, 2024. Emelyne Nzeyimana, left, and Prudencienne Namukobwa perform akazehe, a Burundian traditional form of musical greeting performed exclusively by women, outside her home in Ngozi, Burundi, Sept. 20, 2024.

The hug between the two women looked like it would last forever. A spirited 85-year-old had embraced a younger woman she hadn’t seen for months, and she chanted a number of questions in the peculiar yodeling routine of her ancestors.