Akazehe

Akazehe (also known as agocoya or, regionally, akayégo or akahibongozo) is a traditional Burundian form of chanted extended musical greeting, sung exclusively by and between women. The polyphonic form is practiced among rural women as a quotidian greeting between pairs of friends or relatives, irrespective of time or occasion.

Within Burundi, akazehe is generally understood as conversational rather than musical, with the practice (whose name derives from the Kirundi root -zehe, meaning to chat) typically referred to in terms of speaking rather than of singing. Though it was noted in 1996 as being in decline, the practice has been identified as recently as 2014 as a source of well-being for conflict-affected women in Burundi. Akazehe has been noted by UNESCO for its promotion of peace and traditional cultural values in Burundi.