Mbalax, Ubuntu and Congolese rumba: African cultural phenomena make waves
18 December 2021 |
6:44 am
In this edition of Encore!, the king of African pop Youssou Ndour speaks to us about his new album "Mbalax", in which he goes back to his roots. We also talk about the quest to award UNESCO World Heritage status to Congolese rumba. Plus, we visit a Paris exhibition where 20 artists explore the African philosophy known as Ubuntu – a concept embodied by the likes of Aimé Césaire, Fela Kuti and Nelson Mandela.
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18 Dec
In this edition of Encore!, the king of African pop Youssou Ndour speaks to us about his new album "Mbalax", in which he goes back to his roots. We also talk about the quest to award UNESCO World Heritage status to Congolese rumba. Plus, we visit a Paris exhibition where 20 artists explore the African philosophy known as Ubuntu – a concept embodied by the likes of Aimé Césaire, Fela Kuti and Nelson Mandela.
17 Dec
Kinshasa residents welcomed on Wednesday UNESCO's decision to add Congolese rumba to its list of global cultural treasures, although some older fans felt the genre lacked the storytelling power it had in the past.
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