Culture of the Congo People
Culture of the Congo People
Culture of the Congo People is generally the way in which Congo people live and their historical norms and daily behaviors and interests. There are two Congo countries in Africa that is the republic of congo also known as Congo Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo which was formerly known as Zaire. Both these two countries are found in the western part of Africa. However much, these two countries might be governed differently and are two separate states, they share some cultures and some cultures differ as time went by. Culture of the Congo People is generally like any other, described as the way of living of people, their beliefs, norms, and practices. Culture has been a distinguisher of people since way back as the different cultures is the way you can tell different people apart. Culture also helps people identify with themselves and understand themselves better as to why they do things a certain way and if culture of a place is ignored by the visitors to the area, the natives would definitely not be amused that is why it is also important to check the culture of the people living in the area you are planning to visit.
The people in both Congos are French speakers however they have a number of different ethnic tribes within their borders. The republic of Congo was in the earlier years part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa and this French is widely spoken across the country. Congo was named after the ‘Bakongo’ people who were settling in the region. They are one of the Bantu speakers who were called ‘Bakongo’ in the earlier days. According to the Culture of the Congo People in DRCongo have a local dish that they also consider their national dish that is the “Moambe” moambe chicken is a delicacy in Congo and is chicken cooked with spices and palm butter giving off a thick creamy soup. It can be served with rice, saka saka that is basically the leaves of cassava plant crushed and boiled.
According to the Culture if the Congo People, there are about 250 different ethnic tribes in Congo that bring the languages spoken in the country to up to 250 languages inclusive of Kikongo, Tshiluba, Lingala which are considered as the national languages of DRCongo along with Swahili. The people from Congo also have the majority as Christians with a few Islam members. Almost 50% of the people are Roman Catholics, about 30% are protestants leaving the remaining 20% being Muslims and the non-believers. The Western side of Africa is known for a strong traditional network where they believe in supreme gods backed by small gods, spirits and ancestral powers. These small gods, spirits, and ancestors act as intermediaries between the living people and the dead. According to the Culture of the Congo People of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the republic of Congo, they strongly believe in these gods so try as much as possible not to insult their culture but just respect it. Other people are part of the authentic religions of the country that are known as the Kitawala and Jamaa that were led by religious leaders. These two religions attracted a great number of followers with time which put them at loggerheads with the authorities as they believed the leaders may be misleading the crowds with their own self concluded understanding of the Christian principles.
Culture of the Congo People is rich in the art sectors, music and clothing as they have the most authentic yet worldly recognized pieces. The art sector of Congo is rich in that they have a great number of authors that have been writing since the earlier years of the 1970s, for example, Leonie Abo, Thomas Kanza, Patrice Lumumba, Kama Kamanda, Elebe ma Mikanza Mobyem to mention but a few. Some other writers have been focused on writing about the 14-year Congolese war that has claimed almost 6 million Congolese lives, and also put the region at constant unrest. The theatrical arts are also growing and have been existent as long as the writing has been on the scene. The theaters are mainly based in Kinshasha where the talent is much more appreciated and practiced. The plays are acted by the locals and also the screen playwrights are written by the Congolese people. This place has such great talent and most of the shows are depicted to show the African ways and lifestyle and a few of these great shows are the Théâtre National, Minzoto Wela and Groupe Salongo that were widely played.
The music from Congo has been hitting different scenes both nationally and internationally and this music has had all types of people on their feet up and dancing. Most artists sing in their local Lingala language and a mixture of French with African beats that are easy to enjoy. The Congo music started in the colonial museums in 1947 with big musicians of the times like Joseph Kabasele one of the first on the scene but is still enjoyed in the 21st Century with names like Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide and Fally Ipupa who are internationally recognized artists. The music from Congo is also the origin of some of the popular dances like Kwasa Kwasa, Cavacha, Caneton, and the popular Ndombolo. This could be the richest and most widely recognized culture of the people of Congo. The musical talent in Congo is amazing and most of their songs are dancehall and you hear them being played in dancehalls or any celebratory gatherings.
According to the Culture of the Congo People, the famous Kitenge clothing is a West African brand and most of the people in Congo embraced this dressing and have been modifying the designs of this fabric with the current trends. The Congolese are fashionable people and take style seriously. Don’t miss your chance to buy a piece of this fabric from the souvenir shops in the places you may visit. There are also other Congo authentic pieces you may get like the masks and Picasso inspired art pieces.
