Congolese rumba
18 Dec 2021
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 2021
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.
Latest
1 day ago
Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.
1 day ago
The French-speaking province has become the latest wildfires hotspot in the country. Smoke from the fires has traveled as far away as New York, significantly hindering visibility and prompting air quality alerts.
1 day ago
The European Commission hopes that pushing ahead long-brewing trade deals with Latin American governments can boost the EU.
1 day ago
Feminists and human rights activists in Lebanon are speaking out against attempts to impose increasing restrictions on their lives in the name of "conservative values". This follows an attack on a woman at a beach in the southern city of Sidon, when an Islamic cleric and his followers told Mayssa Hanouni she didn't have the right to wear a bathing suit there before getting violent.
1 day ago
EU interior ministers are set to debate plans for stricter asylum rules. Will Germany throw a spanner in the works?
1 day ago
We look at reactions and videos after the devastating Kakhovka dam collapse that marks a new turning point in the war in Ukraine. The world of golf is rocked by a merger between rival Saudi-backed LIV and PGA leagues which is heavily criticised by the Western press. And: scientists have unearthed evolutionary links to human masturbation!