Congolese rumba
Does rumba come from Cuba or the Congo? Historians have debated and agree that Congolese rumba originated from a dance called "kumbia" (a word meaning "navel"), which was practiced in the Kongo kingdom during the pre-colonial period. This "navel dance", which invited men and women to dance "navel to navel", crossed the Atlantic with the slaves torn from their land, some of whom landed in Cuba. The geographical shift also led to a mutation in the name of this famous dance. The "kumbia" became the "rumba" in Cuba, and made its mark in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair, when the descendants of Cuba's former black slaves presented the dance for the first time, generating a worldwide echo.
Brought back to Africa by cargo ship during continental trade, rumba then traveled through the "coastmen", African nationals who worked on the ships and borrowed an artistic style from European "crooners" such as Tino Rossi and Dario Moreno, influencing their interpretations once back in Africa.. Artists such as Serge Essou, Célestin Kouka, Nino Malapet and Edo Nganga brought rumba to Brazzaville in the 1950s, forming the Bantous de la Capitale, one of the country's first orchestras. The project was launched in Brazzaville's first bar-dance hall, Le Faignond, in the Poto-Poto district. It remained in place despite the political ups and downs of the Congo. Others were not so fortunate, and songwriter Franklin Boukaka was assassinated in 1972 after one of his songs called for the unification of the two Congos.
One of the most emblematic Congolese artists to impact the entire country's culture at this time was Papa Wemba, recognizable by his Molokai beret and the use of the lokole, a traditional musical instrument, in his songs.
In the 1980s, rumba gradually evolved towards more international styles, with jazz, reggae, funk and West Indian influences making their appearance. Rumba also gave rise to new Congolese aesthetics, soukous and ndombolo, which have become very popular today.
Since 2021, Congolese rumba has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site... alongside Cuban rumba.
Musical styles influenced by rumba
A broader jazz scene emerged in the 1990s, directly descended from Congolese rumba and the orchestral tradition. A few groups stood out, including the New Jungle Quartet. Events such as the Brazza jazz fusion festival are also appearing, and a number of jazz clubs are trying to make their mark in the country.
Ndombolo. It was in the late 1990s that we first heard of ndombolo, a style derived from Congolese rumba, characterized by an "atalaku", which chants vocal animations to the rhythm of percussion and guitars. Originating in Congo-Kinshasa, the style quickly made its way to Congo-Brazzaville, where some of the biggest names in ndombolo became household names: Extra Musica, Koffi Olomidé, JB M'Piana..
Soukous also derives from Congolese rumba and comes from "sébène", which is the most rhythmic, instrumental part of rumba, embodied in particular by guitars. With its fast, danceable tempo, soukous takes its name from the French word for "shakes". Musically, brass, drums, bass and a few guitars make up the orchestra.
Urban music
Congolese rumba, ndombolo, jazz and soukous have interfered with the emergence of other styles: urban music incorporates "gimmicks" (snatches of notes). In the 1990s, hip-hop took hold among the younger Congolese generation, thanks to cassettes received from "cousins" living in France. The first group to appear in Brazzaville was Warriors for the Peace, followed in 1997 by Bisso Na Bisso, a collective founded by rapper Passi. It was not until the end of the civil war that events such as the Festival panafricain de musique (Fespam) in Brazzaville gave legitimacy to this new movement. Many of the hip-hop and rap artists who have made a name for themselves in Europe come from Congo-Brazzaville.
For several years now, the Institut français du Congo has been organizing the Congo-B festival, highlighting urban music from Congo and Côte d'Ivoire.
Dance
In the Congo, dance is a matter of course. Styles intermingle: traditional folk dances mingle with more "modern" dances, combined with Congolese musical sounds. What they all have in common is that they're all technical and taken very seriously by the Congolese!
For each musical style, there's a corresponding dance in the Congo: Congolese rumba is a languorous couple's dance, soukous is based on energetic swaying, and ndombolo calls for coordinated movements of the arms, legs and pelvis. And let's not forget coupé-décalé, whose simple, popular movements have taken the style all over Africa. All these dances have been practiced by Congolese youth in nightclubs for several decades.
Traditional ethnic dances also exist, and have always fuelled the Congolese people's passion for dance (and music, since one can't go without the other). Each region has its own emblematic choreographic practice: you'll find stilt dancing in Niari, the ekongo of the Batongo, the sanza or olelanga of the Bateke... the rituals of the Pygmies, ethnic groups living in the forests of the north of the country, are particularly well known. Using their own polyphony, they combine bowed harp, zither harp, musical bow and flute to mark a precious dance performed for ceremonies.
In Lékoumou, in the west of the country, the Yakas and Lalis ethnic groups perform the mukissi, a ritual dance intended to heal the sick. Men and women perform a choreographed dance in which they swing their feet back and forth and turn around. The mvuli and mungala, performed by the Kota people, feature solo dances with acrobatic movements. Sometimes, a chair appears as a prop for this performance. Among the Punu, it's the twins' dance that's the talk of the town: it's performed to venerate twin siblings, considered to be water geniuses. Like a trance of possession, the dance is intense and carried along by lively music. It is led by women, placed in a circle, striking the ground with their feet to the rhythm of recited chants.
Theater
In the Congo, the art of theater is inherited from the colonies. With a particular affection for oral transmission, this practice, although a latecomer to Congolese culture, managed to spread significantly throughout the country. In the early 20th century, when the country was under colonial rule, propaganda issues were the main focus of plays, followed by entertainment. In the 1960s, Segolo Dia Mahungu, a young soldier who had studied in France, made a name for himself with his imitations of Louis de Funès. He founded the first Congolese theater company, Kongo Lungueni. Other troupes sprang up in Brazzaville. The plays evoked Congolese culture, although they were mostly performed in French. It was not until the end of the civil war that Congolese theater was given a new lease of life. In 1997, director and actor Dieudonné Niangouna set up his own company, Les Bruits de la Rue. In July 1999, the man of the theater Matondo Kubu Turé, president of the Nouvel'Art association, entered into a partnership with the French Cultural Center in Brazzaville to host a monthly cultural activity.
These events are extremely well attended by the public, and many artists are making a name for themselves, including Sylvain Bemba, playwright, politician and man of letters. Festivals such as Mantsina sur scène and Maloba have sprung up in Brazzaville as a result.
Puppet theater
Derived from theater and dance, the art of puppetry also has its roots in the Republic of Congo. Masks and wooden sculptures were created as early as the 17th century for purposes of worship, divination, medicine or funerals. Some of these masterpieces are kept in African art collections and sometimes in museums. The "nganga", tribal healers, sometimes performed theatrical medical sessions to ward off bad luck... Puppets were staged at the kiébé-kiébé, a major event in Congolese puppet theater. This art form resembles a dance, naturally enhanced by music, and is also reminiscent of a competition between the protagonists embodying the puppets. Several ethnic groups are associated with kiébé-kiébé: the Kuyu, the Mbochis and the Makua. Legend has it that kiébé-kiébé was first invented exclusively for women as a form of entertainment, but after it was taken over by men, it became a war dance... It is for this reason that this traditional art form may initially have been seen as a dance, rather than a puppet theater.
In the 1960s, itinerant troupes performed throughout the country, but today only a few puppeteers remain to impress tourists on the streets of Brazzaville.
