Ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo: Congo River and Culture

Discover the highlights of this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo

We will meet the most traditional tribal groups

Lokele tribe

On the way to the ‘heart of darkness’, we will stop to meet the Lokele people. They are a Bantu-speaking fishing tribe that had the tradition of tattooing their bodies. Today this practice can only be seen in the bodies of old women.

Balumbe tribe

During this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo, we will go up the Congo River to the isolated territory of the Balumbe people, the so-called ‘sorcerer pygmies’. Their reputation as healers is known up and down the Congo River. They are a semi-nomadic people from the Congolese jungle, with very little information available about them. After 3 hours of climbing up the Congo River and a 1-hour walk through the jungle, we will arrive at a Balumbe Pygmy village, where we will spend the night. We will bring gifts appreciated by the Balumbe (salt, oil and fabrics), which will probably start a frenetic welcome party. During this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo, we will enjoy a whole day with the Balumbe. We will accompany them in their activities of collecting food and medicinal plants, as well as in their hunting activities. At sunset, we will enjoy their music and songs. At sunset, we will enjoy their music and songs.

Ntomba tribe

This hunter-farmer Bantu ethnic group has a peculiar tradition that affects women who give birth to their first son or daughter. After becoming mothers for the first time, young women from the Ntomba tribe become ‘walés’ (breastfeeding women). This is when a life of seclusion begins, during which they will spend several years caring exclusively for their children. You can read more about the Walé women in our blog post, 'The Walé women of the D.R. Congo'.

Batwa tribe

During this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo, we will visit a village of the Batwa tribe. This ethnic group depends on the agricultural products of the Bantu peasants of Mooto and the latter depend on the animals they hunt and the medicinal plants that the Batwas gather. It is a total symbiosis between both peoples. We will learn aspects of the lives of these jungle people. It is a total symbiosis between both peoples. We will learn aspects of the lives of these jungle people.

Yaka tribe

On this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo, we will go deep into the Kwango Highlands, to visit a Yaka village and attend an audience with the Yaka king. The Yaka migrated from Angola during the 16th Century and settled under the control of the Kongo kingdom.
Yaka society is highly structured and is led by a king of Lunda origin, theKiamfu, who delegates responsibilities to ministers and lineage heads, Unkwagata. Young men are expected to go through several stages of initiation, including circumcision.
The tribe lives mainly from hunting, although women are involved in secondary agriculture. The artistic tradition of the Yaka is rich and varied, and we will be able to see their art during a royal ceremony involving masked men and the dance of the young initiates.

Kuba tribe

We will end this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo with a visit to an important cultural group of the Congo, the powerful Kuba or Bakuba people. Their royal capital is in Mushenge, in the Kasai province, but since the civil warthat affected their territory, some Kuba groups have moved to the Kwango region and settled there. We will meet a Kuba chief, related to the royal family of Kasai. Also, we will admire his unique art: masks, drums and the famous royal raffia cloths. After a tour of the village, we will have a talk with the chief and attend a traditional dance performed by the Kuba initiates.

Meeting with 'Sapeur' members

On this ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo we will enjoy a photo shoot with members of the group ‘Sapeur’ (Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People), also known as the Dandies of Congo. The sapeurs’ style and relationship to clothing are unique: it’s a throwback to a lost world of post-colonial elegance and decadence, and at the same time it’s futuristic. Members have their own code of honor, codes of professional conduct, and strict notions of morality. The movement began when the Congolese military, who fought in France during World War II, returned home to Africa and brought Parisian fashion with them. They regularly met at parties that they themselves created to be able to show off their outfits, until in the end they created the Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People (SAPE) to recreate the myth of French elegance. This urban cultural experience will be animated with some Suku music, the so-called Congolese rumba. You can read more about the Sapeurs in the post of our blog 'Sapeurs, urban fashionistas'.

© Photos by Jordi Zaragozà Anglès, Ingrid Koedood and Xavi de las Heras taken during an ethnographic trip to the D.R. of the Congo.

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