DRC: Musicians work to preserve Congolese rumba
Here in Kinshasa, some musicians are keeping alive the traditions of Congolese rumba, a genre of music that experts believe dates back to the time before European colonialism.
The music is more than just the soundtrack to a night out – five years ago, rumba was added UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. But in spite of the move, some fear for the future of the genre due to its relative neglect among younger communities.
Thedeputy director of the Rumba museum hopes it will work to preserve artist’s work for generations to come. Glodi Nkiadiasivi says, “this bank, which is the National Rumba Museum, exists so that artists, even centuries from now when they are no longer alive, can continue to preserve the objects used by these artists as a record that will allow us to tell future generations about the history of these artists, about the impact they had, demonstrated during their artistic careers or during their performances.”
According to INA music teacher Christian Kayembe, Congolese rumba has been influenced by a range of different styles.
“Congolese rumba has been influenced by many different styles. So when we talk about Grand Kallé and Franco, you can tell that it’s really dance music. But today, when we talk about Fally [Ipupa] and Ferre [Gola], you can tell that this music has been influenced by outside influences,” says Kayembe.
In order to preserve the tradition, the museum hopes to draw visitors through guided tours, conferences and concerts.
