Burundi Dave becomes Aussie Dave on Aussie Day

Burundi Dave, as David Nduwimana is known at St Matthew’s, Manly, has become a fixture in the church after just a few short years.

Dave, as his nickname implies, arrived from Burundi as a refugee a decade ago and was taken in by St Matt’s, living with two church families over a period of four years.

His gifts as a musician and singer were soon recognised and he became music director at the church. His Christian gifts have also been a blessing to the Katoomba Convention ministries, as he has led the music at the Men’s Convention and Easter Convention.

In addition, he has worked with Anglican Youthworks to translate ministry resources into the Kirundi language to send back to Burundi. He obtained his permanent residency in September 2020 and, around that time, received rave reviews when he was invited to sing the Australian national anthem at a Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney.

But a greater honour was to come, as he was chosen to sing at the 2023 National Australia

Day Live concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

On the same day, friends from the church in Manly witnessed him taking the pledge and becoming an Australian citizen.

Aussie Dave performed the national anthem at the end of the concert after a brief interview, during which he thanked the members of St Matt’s for his welcome to Australia and expressed his joy at becoming a citizen and the freedom Australians enjoy.

Fittingly, after the anthem, he joined the other concert performers in singing “I am Australian” – for the first time as an Australian citizen. SC