The Congolese rumba is a music genre and a dance that is predominant in urban areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It is a form of dance music that originated in the Congo area in the 1940s, and gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.
Congolese rumba is generally performed by a man and woman, and its origins are in an ancient dance named nkumba (waist in Kikongo). As a result of the use of language in the lyrics, it is called Lingala in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, due to the influence of Congolese music, it is called rumba and is also an individual dance form.
It is used for celebrations and mournings, and in places of worship. Congolese rumba is performed by professional and amateur orchestras, choirs, dancers, and individual musicians, and women have played an essential role in developing the religious and romantic styles of the music.
Though rumba has African roots, many think of the dance as being associated with Latin dance. Indeed, Cuban rumba was awarded UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status in 2016. To Africans, Cuban popular music sounded familiar, so Congolese bands began doing Cuban covers, using Spanish as a phonetic translation.
As a musical style developed in Cuba during the 19th century, rumba was a combination of African slave drumming and Spanish colonial melodies. Yet the rhythm had its distinctive characteristics, so much so that when vinyl records were exported to central Africa in the 20th century, it was immediately recognizable as the rumba.
Musicians pass down their tradition through neighborhood clubs, traditional training schools, and community organizations. Rumba musicians maintain clubs and employ apprentices to continue manufacturing instruments.
Congolese rumba is also an important economic force, as more orchestras have begun to develop cultural entrepreneurship to help reduce poverty. It is considered an essential part of Congolese culture and is seen as a means of conveying social, and cultural values, and promoting intergenerational and social cohesion.
"Rumba is still rumba, we try to add more harmony and more chords, but with the same Congolese rumba as its base," states Fred Kabeya. There’s no doubt that rumba has an impact on cultures around the world, and its champions claim it will benefit the next generation.