Burundi Steiphenson Black

Burundi Steiphenson Black is actually a pseudonym used by French pianist, arranger, and producer Michel Bernholc, who was classically trained and had worked with notable French pop artists like Michel Berger and France Gall. Under this name, he created the 1971 hit "Burundi Black," which reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart and number 74 in Australia. This track is a unique fusion that samples traditional drumming performed by 25 members of the Ingoma people of Burundi, originally recorded by anthropologists in 1967 and featured on the album *Musique du Burundi*. Bernholc layered his own piano and guitar rock arrangements over this tribal drumming to produce a captivating and hypnotic experimental sound.

The original Burundi drumming sample has had a lasting influence, being referenced and sampled by artists such as Joni Mitchell and the Beastie Boys, and even inspiring Def Leppard. A notable remix of "Burundi Black" was released in 1981, turning it into a dancefloor hit in the UK and US. Michel Bernholc passed away in 2002, but his work under the name Burundi Steiphenson Black remains a fascinating example of early worldbeat and experimental fusion in popular music.