PeopleCentral Africa

Baluba

Great lakes-savanna people of the DRC; memory boards (lukasa) archive history.

Congo (DRC)Tshiluba

Customs they practice

1 recorded rite, each with its steps and its WHY.

Matanga · the Kongo mourning cycle

In Congolese practice, the wake and mourning period ends with matanga: a final gathering, often with music and dance, that formally lifts the mourning and releases the family back to life.

Bakongo · Baluba

What they eat

1 dish, what they mean and when they appear.

Celebrationmachine draft

Poulet moambe

Chicken slow-simmered in a rich sauce of palm nut cream, widely regarded as the national dish of the Congo, usually served over rice with saka saka on the side.

Bakongo · Baluba

What they wear

1 piece, what it says and who may wear it.

Regaliamachine draft

Finely carved royal stools, staffs, and beaded emblems associated with Luba kingship in the southeastern Congo basin, historically central to how Luba political and spiritual authority was displayed and remembered.