Melodic greeting in Burundi at risk of being lost

(24 Oct 2024) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY: FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4528185 ASSOCIATED PRESS Gitega, Burundi - 15 October 2024 1. Various of 76-year-old Sylvie Mbonimpa and her daughter Melanie sharing the traditional Burundian melodic greeting known as Akazehe, where sings a series of questions to which her daughter answers 'ego' which is Kirundi for 'yes' VOICEOVER SHOTS 2/3/4: "This is a traditional form of musical greeting, known to Burundians as akazehe, performed exclusively by and between women on a range of occasions. The greeting between 76-year-old Sylvie Mbonimpa and her beloved daughter Melanie, who she hadn’t seen for months, looked like it would last forever. Sylvie launched her inquiry in the melodic greeting routine she has mastered over the years, while their shoulders touched. How are you? How is your husband? How are the kids? How are your cows? Are you on good terms with your neighbors? And so on. 'Ego,' Melanie repeatedly said in the local Kirundi language, meaning Yes.” 2. Sylvie and Melanie standing outside the house as they talk as neighbours ape their greeting in the background 3. Neighbours sharing a laugh and trying akazehe 4. SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Sylvie Mbonimpa, Mother: "Akazehe is full of love. When you greet someone and they respond to you spontaneously, it shows that it's reciprocal.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Ngozi, Burundi - 20 September 2024 5. Pan of the hilly countryside VOICEOVER SHOTS 6/7/8: "In Ngozi, a hilly province in Burundi’s north, akazehe remains familiar to some locals, and women such as 85 year old Prudencienne Namukobwa are impressive at performing it. She however laments the decline of a cultural practice that has been performed since time immemorial." 6. Close up of 85 year old Prudencienne Namukobwa sharing akazehe with her visitor, launching her inquiry in the melodic greeting routine 7. Prudencienne and her visitor interacting 8. +++TEXT ON SCREEN BLENDS WITH BACKGROUND+++ SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Prudencienne Namukobwa, Mother: "Younger generations of today find no interest in akazehe and as a result, if you ask me, I can say nowadays we do not have the kind of pure love our moms experienced with their families, neighbours and friends back in the day." ASSOCIATED PRESS Gitega, Burundi - 15 October 2024 9. Various of Sylvie teaching some young neighbors and children akazehe greeting VOICEOVER SHOTS 10/11: "Some academics have cited akazehe’s potential role in fostering peace and social cohesion in Burundi, a country that is now largely peaceful after a period of deadly civil war followed by political instability. Sylvie, is determined to keep the tradition alive." 10. SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Sylvie Mbonimpa, Mother: ++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 11++ "With modernization, this tradition greeting has lost value. But as elders, we fight to teach it to young people so that they continue the Burundian culture." 11. Various of young women practicing akazehe STORYLINE: The hug between the two women looked like it would last forever. A feisty 85-year-old had embraced the beloved younger woman she hadn’t seen for months, and she had a number of questions to go through while their shoulders touched. How are you? How is your husband? How are the kids? How are your cows? Are you on good terms with your neighbors? And so on. Prudencienne Namukobwa launched her inquiry in the melodic greeting routine she has mastered over the decades, pausing between questions to let her visitor respond with the chanted affirmation that appeared to propel their talk. “Ego,” Emelyne Nzeyimana repeatedly said in the local Kirundi language, “Yes.” Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...