VOA文化艺术2024--In Burundi, Women Learn Old Way to Say Hello

The hug between the two women lasted a long time.

An 85-year-old woman put her arms around a younger woman she had not seen for months. She asked her a series of questions in a song-like way.

How are you? How is your husband? How are the kids? How are your cows? Are you on good terms with your neighbors?

Prudencienne Namukobwa stopped the song to permit the younger woman to answer. The pattern is familiar to her because she has been doing it for many years.

"Ego," Emelyne Nzeyimana answered over and over in the local Kirundi language. "Yes."

The two women were performing a greeting of their ancestors.

A group of neighbors watched with surprise. Many were seeing their first performance of the traditional form of musical greeting, known to Burundians as akazehe. It is performed only by women.

Akazehe is becoming less common. But cultural officials, teachers and others say the greeting is worth keeping.

During disease¹ outbreaks, public health officials urged people to limit close contact. Such recommendations² affected³ the greeting.

Among young people in Burundi, it is hard to find those who know what akazehe means. It is even harder to find someone who can perform it.

Sandrine Kitonze is a culture advisor⁴ in the office of the governor⁵ of Ngozi province. She said people stopped doing the greeting, even though akazehe "made you feel that the person who greets you loves you."

Some experts have noted⁶ akazehe could help lead to a feeling of unity⁷ in Burundi. The country is now largely⁸ peaceful following a period of deadly civil war and political unrest.

Annonciate Baragahorana is a teacher in the province of Bujumbura. She told the Associated Press that when she visited the central plateau⁹ area as a young girl, she was surprised and a little uneasy¹⁰ when women hugged and greeted her in this song-like way. "I wanted her to finish quickly, even if it was sweet words to hear."

Baragahorana said she feared akazehe may disappear because of the fear of spreading diseases¹¹. Now, she said, "people greet each other from a distance."

Namukobwa lives in Ngozi a hilly province in Burundi's north. On a recent morning, she was sitting on a mat outside when she saw Nzeyimana, the visiting daughter of a former neighbor. She rose and welcomed the woman as if she were her own daughter.

"I felt that the first love she had when I was just a girl is kept until now," said Nzeyimana, a broadcaster in Ngozi. "This means that I am still her daughter."

Isaac Nikobiba is an anthropologist¹² in Bujumbura. He said a custom such as akazehe should be kept at all costs because of its role in protecting families. Among communities that practice it, women could tell elder women about any problems at home. That could bring support from the extended¹³ family, he said.

Nikobiba said the threat to akazehe is part of other effects of modernization¹⁴.

He explained how the custom worked to help younger women. "Normally¹⁵, before starting a home in traditional Burundi, the girl would first receive advice from her father's sister. She would tell the girl, 'I will come to greet you after a certain time.'"

Nikobiba added that during that greeting, the young woman could report any problems. Support from elders would help them develop better mental health for the young family, he said.

Floride Ntakirutimana was among the small group of women who gathered to watch Namukobwa greeting Nzeyimana. She said she grew up in a farming community where no mother could perform akazehe. She only heard of it through radio programs.

After watching, she wanted to learn akazehe herself. "I feel better, Ntakirutimana said, "and I saw that it was good."

Words in This Story

hug - n. the act of putting your arms around someone or something as a way of showing love or friendship

greeting - n. something that is said or done to show people that you are happy to meet or see them

plateau - n. a large flat area of land that is higher than other areas of land that surround it

anthropologist - n. a person who studies human races, origins, societies, and cultures

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 recommendations   

n.推荐( recommendation的名词复数 )；推荐信；正式建议；提议

参考例句：

• The board completely disregarded my recommendations. 董事会完全无视我的建议。
• Recommendations from two previous clients helped to establish her credibility. 两位以前的客户的推荐有助于确立她的诚信度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 governor   

n.统治者，地方长官(如省长，州长，总督等)

参考例句：

• The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters.这位州长是搪塞新闻记者的能手。
• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 largely   

adv.大部分，主要地

参考例句：

• It is largely dependent on the weather.这多半取决于天气情况。
• Their conclusions were largely founded on guesswork.他们的结论大部份基于猜测。

9 plateau   

n.高原，平稳，稳定状态；vi.到达平稳阶段

参考例句：

• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。
• As the river drops from the plateau,it forms great waterfalls.河水从高原上下落时，形成了巨大的瀑布。

10 uneasy   

adj.心神不安的，担心的，令人不安的

参考例句：

• He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
• She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。

11 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

12 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

13 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

15 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。