Till the last Beat

Our history is long and difficult. While we choose not to dwell on the hardships of the past, our journey as a group took a dramatic and defining turn on August 23, 2018, captured by the Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten:

„28 artists from Burundi disappear in Fribourg.“

Behind this headline lies the reality of our escape. We fled a dangerous situation in our Homeland, the RFI Fribourg festival our light at the horizon—our only chance to reach safety.

But we had no plan for what would happen after the festival. Fearing immediate deportation back to Burundi, our group had to dissolve in panic and chaos. One by one, musicians disappeared into hiding to seek safety—until only three people were left on stage for the final show.

After a brief, uncertain escape to Belgium, most of us returned to Switzerland to officially seek asylum.

Once protection was granted, we faced a new challenge: we had no instruments. The heavy, traditional drums used at the festival had only been borrowed from another European Batimbo group.

In 2019, we managed to import new, authentic drums from Tanzania. With our own instruments finally in hand, our band started training intensely and looking for stages.

AfroPfingsten, the biggest African Festival in Europe, was one of the first major festivals to welcome us with open arms. We had the honor of performing not only at the opening ceremony but also bringing our energy directly to the people in the streets.