Trip to Congo DRC in August 2023 - 2024
A trip to Congo - Zaire in which we will discover many of the highlights the country has to offer that very few have had the privilege of exploring.
We will discover some of the best that remains of the ancestral world of Congo rituals, being privileged guests at a Mukanda initiation where we will have access to the initiation camp, where almost a hundred children will pass from childhood to the world of adults after being circumcised. This is a secret world, full of masks, rituals and symbolism to which almost no one has had access.
Pende tradition
The Pende people, although mostly evangelised, still preserve a large part of their ancestral culture. A culture clearly differentiated depending on the region visited, but always fascinating. We will stop in a small Pende village to witness a traditional celebration in which the Nganga (masters) and Kwila (teachers) will dance to the rhythm of drums and sacred balafons along with a number of Minjanji, solar and Mbouya masks.
Kinshasa, the capital of African street art
We will also explore the current and urban currents in the megacity Kinshasa. The Congolese capital is experiencing an artistic and cultural explosion unparalleled on the African continent. During the trip we will have access to different artistic movements and social denunciation with some great friends of ours, as well as having an interesting encounter with the fascinating sapeurs.
New religions, Tata Gonda
In the depths of the province of Central Congo, the followers of the now dead prophet Tata Gonda live in total autarchy. Today, several hundred voluntary followers from Congo and Angola continue to follow the spiritual path of their "guru", their aim being to fight against an unjust and sinful world through continuous prayer and an austere, monastic life.
Congo Central - Trip to Congo in search of forgotten colonial heritage
The passage of time and the chaotic situation in the country have left the country's colonial and historical heritage in a state of neglect that is close to disappearance. With the exception of the country's historic cathedrals and churches, which are very well preserved and well worth visiting, the rest of the buildings, palaces, stations and factories from the colonial and Mobutu eras are on the verge of collapse.
If you are a lover of abandoned or semi-abandoned places, the DRC could become one of your favourite places.
Our participation in Radio Nacional de España's "Nómadas".
You can listen to the radio programme by clicking here. The Congo River, a journey of life 28/01/2023 57:12
"It is the soul and main artery of central and west Africa, the river that gives name and meaning to the second largest country on the continent. A tortuous water highway that connects and feeds the main cities of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the company of the co-founder of the Kumakonda agency, Austerio Alonso, and the documentary director Jorge Saffie, we contemplate the populous and chaotic Kinshasa. The Congolese capital is the starting point for a journey that takes us in search of isolated communities in the middle of the jungle. Historian Luis Alberto Lugo introduces us to the followers of the Tata Gonda, a peaceful sect of Christian origin and military aesthetics. We are also interested in the rituals of passage of the Mukanda and the cultural expressions exhibited by dozens of tribal groups at the Gungu National Festival, the great event of masks and dance. Travellers Joxe Inazio Kuesta and Charo Rodríguez recall their experiences in this complex country of uncertain future and sad past. The terrible effects of Belgian colonialism cannot be forgotten, particularly the genocide perpetrated under King Leopold II, with echoes in Joseph Conrad's novel 'Heart of Darkness'.