PORTLAND – For two years now, 9-year-old Dan Ntwari has told his buddies at Ocean Avenue Elementary School about his homeland of Burundi.
On Thursday, he had a chance to show them a bit of his native culture.
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He and nearly 1,900 other school kids from Portland and around the region packed into Merrill Auditorium for a morning performance by the acclaimed Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi. The dozen or so robed men drummed, danced, yipped and yelled across the stage, delighting the kids with their sounds and pulsating rhythms.
Dressed in the red, green and white of their country, the touring troupe entered the auditorium processionally from the hallway, singing as they pounded out beats on waist-high wooden drums balanced on their heads.
For most of the students, it was a new and thrilling experience. For a smiling Ntwari, it was old hat.
“I like the drumming a lot,” he said. “Back in Africa, I went to parties where people played the drums. It’s fun to share our culture.”
The drumming represents traditions of the East African nation. In olden times, the drums were sacred. Today, they are more ceremonial, used to mark social occasions.
In addition to the school program, the Royal Drummers performed a public concert Thursday evening. Both were presented by Portland Ovations.
Aimee Petrin, the organization’s executive director, said Portland Ovations strives to bring performers to town who reflect Maine’s immigrant populations. She and her staff worked with community groups to build awareness of this show and put tickets into the hands of Burundians who live here.
Among the groups was the Portland Rotary. One Rotarian, George W. Crockett, serves on Ovations’ advisory board.
He went to work with his contacts to secure 350 tickets to the evening performance to distribute to Burundians. About 400 immigrants of Burundi are believed to live in Portland, Crockett said.
Another group provided tickets to students at Reiche Elementary School. The Council on International and Education Exchange — an international organization that promotes global cultural understanding through exchanges — marched with Reiche students down Congress Street, then hosted the students at its headquarters on Fore Street for a pizza party afterward.
Paul McGovern — “Dr. Mac” to his students — secured a grant to bring every student from Ocean Avenue Elementary to Thursday’s show. He teaches music at the school, and wanted his students to experience the Royal Drummers.
“These guys are coming from halfway around the world. They are a world-renowned ensemble, and I thought it was an excellent opportunity for the school,” he said.
On Thursday night, Burundian students from Portland High School visited with the Royal Drummers backstage before the show, thanks to a ticket donation from the Portland Mentoring Alliance. The students included members of the school’s Burundian drumming group.
Presumably inspired by the performance Thursday night, the group plans to play at the Portland High pep rally on Friday.
Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:
bkeyes@pressherald.com
Twitter: pphbkeyes
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