This morning I went to a Congolese church here in Bujumbura. Many of the members at this church are either refugees, or young people who have left the Congo to study in Burundi. I learned that dancing is a big part of Congolese church services. I don't have a photo or video of this, but basically at one point during the service, the front of the church turned into something pretty close to a mosh pit. A lot of people jumping, and some running back and forth while the keyboardist played this rapid percussive riff for what must have been 15 minutes or so. I myself did not participate in said dancing, but it was pretty fun to be there. I was told (by a Congolese) that this is pretty much a fixture of most Congo churches across the board, and that they are influencing Burundian churches as well.

If we measured currency in terms of musical expression, instead of money, Africa would be a world superpower; think about all the musical styles, so influential today, rock, jazz, blues, motown, R&B, hip hop, rap, that have their roots in Africa. Paul Simon's album Graceland is like thousands, or maybe millions of churches here every Sunday. Really, if you only visited Africa on a Sunday morning (or afternoon for that matter), you might think that this was the happiest place on earth. Rhythms so uplifting, and harmonies so moving, it is almost like you leave this world for a while and go to a place where there is only perfection.

The service during one of the more sedate moments