Music from
Central Africa

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"Gitari na Congo"
Bow harp (kundi)
Courtesy Hugh Tracy

The Zande peoples are best known as blacksmiths. This song is about a blacksmith who sings as he pounds on his anvil: "My anvil is the true guitar of the Congo and I play on it to show how I love my work."

 

Pictured above

Ceremonial axe (kibiki or kasolwa)
Luba peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, iron, copper
H. 31.1 cm. (12 1/4 in.)
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, gift of Lawrence Gussman, New York, to American Friends of the Israel Museum in memory of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, B98.1061

Status and Power
Every culture has its own emblems of status and power. In central Africa, the symbolic significance of these emblems relies on knowledge that is either commonly shared by the group or is reserved for the elite. Among the Mbole peoples, members of the Lilwa society use a hanged man figure as a warning against betrayal of group secrets. Luba staffs, ceremonial axes, and adzes all feature female imagery that recalls a woman's role as founder of the lineage and keeper of the secrets of kingship. To the more knowledgeable among the Luba, the composition of each unique staff reads as a detailed chronicle of a local political and family history.

Image: Mask (lukwakongo)Objects used by the Bwami society of the Lega peoples or the related Butoko society among the Metoko peoples are associated with promoting moral values. The interpretation of each object or figure must be revealed by high-ranking members who control their use and explain their meanings.

Image: Lega man wearing the hat and necklace of a Bwami society elder, near Kalima, Democratic Republic of the CongoFor the Fang and Tsogo peoples, fans and gongs signal membership in a male association of orators, judges, lawyers, and diplomats. The musical instruments of professional musicians or storytellers among the Holo peoples provide both sound and visual interest. Some whistles are elaborately carved and decorated to convey both status and protection. Others suggest membership in a society or use in warfare or by a healer-diviner. As undecorated whistles are associated with the practical aspects of hunting, these more elaborate ones refer to a spiritual quest.

General concepts of artistry or craftsmanship reflect local aesthetic sensibilities. Personal objects that refer to an individual's importance tend to be particularly well made and embellished. The patina (surface wear) of the spoon, vessels, and headrest indicates that these objects pleased their owner. For many of the works, the quality and value of the materials--ivory, copper alloy, and well-forged iron--are culturally significant. Ivory is not only beautiful but also implies the formidable strength of the elephant. Although metals are made into useful objects and important trade goods, the process of working metal, with its transforming use of fire, is itself highly symbolic of the powers of creation that formed the earth.

Pictured above (from top to bottom)

Mask (lukwakongo)
Lega peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th-20th century
Wood, kaolin, raffia
H. 43.2 cm. (17 in.)
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, gift of Lawrence Gussman, New York, to American Friends of the Israel Museum in memory of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, B97.0016

This object is associated with Bwami, a prestigious association to which all Lega men and women aspire to belong. Each grade or level of the Bwami hierarchy is identified with particular emblems that express the teachings of the society. Wooden masks like this one were never worn; instead, they were owned and displayed by male members of the second highest grade. The ivory head, another emblem of an upper-level member, features a small fiber skullcap, an important Bwami insignia. The cowrie-shell eyes suggest the heightened vision of an initiate who is in the process of moving to a higher level of Bwami.

Lega man wearing the hat and necklace of a Bwami society elder, near Kalima, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Photograph by Eliot Elisofon, 1966
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

 

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