In The Congo The People Celebrated Freedom With Music

A History Of The Congolese Dance Genre, ndombolo

Dance Music And Democratization

Ndombolo was made out of the expression of freedom and under the democratization process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the early nineties, when Mobutu Sese Seko, the Congo’s head of state, declared the third republic and constitutional reforms, the people gained hope in liberty. They celebrated this milestone with music. The Congolese people looked into the future with a smile by adding synth chords to traditional soukous music and trying out dances in local clubs.

At the time, record labels in the Congo primarily distributed music through cassettes. This low-cost, accessible method helped ndombolo spread to the masses quickly. Hits like “Loi” by Koffi Olomide and “Eputsha” by Papa Wemba were massive hits purchased mainly on cassette.

Several Congolese clubs were also responsible for the growth and impact of ndombolo music and dance. The venue, Le Versailles, allowed budding Congolese artists to spread their wings and make their start in the early 1990s. Le Calypso was a popular Congolese nightclub whose engaging atmosphere invited gigantic crowds from around The Congo to hear the nascent genre. Lastly, Chez Ntemba was a famous dance club located in the city of Kinshasa. Ndombolo legends like Koffi Olomide and Papa Wemba got their start there and performed many of their earliest live performances at the venue.

After a couple of years, ndombolo music became more than just music; it became a point of national pride. The music became a refuge from the country’s contemporary political and social turmoil and a commentary on the struggle for freedom. Therefore, when the second Congolese war began, and the Congolese diaspora started spreading further and further away from the DRC, the Congolese refugees and immigrants took ndombolo music with them. Not before long, ndombolo’s music and dance started popping up worldwide in different ways, adapting to the local culture and creating new genre fusions for local communities to get behind.

Growth Throughout Africa And The World

Throughout the next decade, Ndombolo was seen as the high-ticket party everyone wanted to attend but couldn’t afford. The music was fun and captivating, and the associated dance was as acrobatic as it was exciting to watch. The appearance of ndombolo artists like Koffi at shows with singles like “Embargo” elevated the genre’s status worldwide.

Not before long, similar genre movements were making waves in the Ivory Coast with Coupe Decale and in South Africa with Kwaito. These vibrant genres ushered in a new era in African music that was intentionally accessible and mimicable with a small video camera purchase.

With the further advancement of technology in the 2000s and later, in 2010, Ndombolo music made it onto music streaming platforms, playlists, YouTube pages, and other more significant music distribution sites and services. At this moment, Spotify has a fantastic and wide-ranging Ndombolo playlist that covers the entire genre’s history from the early Congolese days. In addition to technology, Ndombolo became more internationally famous thanks to culture-specific festivals like Africa Oyé and Festival Musiques Métisses. These festivals gave African artists a platform to perform their music in front of European crowds.

How The Music Sounds

Ndombolo is dynamic dance music from start to finish. The listener must quickly move their hips and feet to match the intricate chords and multilayered instrumentation. The boundless and liberating singing complements the uptempo and uplifting music in ndombolo. There are rarely any distinguishable verses and choruses in ndombolo songs. Instead, the singer is vibing out with different vocal runs while another person is talking on top of them. Even though this may sound strange or even distracting to the music, the results are marvelous.

I found Ndombolo to be the ultimate escapism music. People play this music to party and escape life. It is essential to put on the music and let it consume you. The diversified sound of each ndombolo song means that each track is a treat. Imagine witnessing an extended jam session just to be introduced to another with a new set of musicians shortly after. When you put on a ndombolo playlist, you will have this kind of experience. The rhythmic music twists the spirit into this dreamy, ecstasy-like state. Listening to ndombolo has brought me extreme happiness and uncontrollable joy. If you’re looking for a cheer-me-up playlist, turn on ndombolo.

Contemporary Ndombolo Music

Ndombolo music was already spreading worldwide thanks to the Congolese diaspora throughout other African and European regions. With the advent of the internet in the early 2000s, the dance genre exploded and grew exponentially faster to reach even more people worldwide. For instance, on TikTok, there is an unbelievably fun dombolo dance challenge called “Petit génie challenge by Loicreyel”. The thousands of cheerful people who jumped into the challenge helped spread the dance moves and international appeal of ndombolo. Across TikTok, you could also search ndombolo music, which had over 560 million views across all videos, and ndombolo TikTok challenge, which has over 39 million views. Excitingly, ndombolo is flourishing in the TikTok era of social media, and kids worldwide who enjoy dancing on TikTok are falling in love with an African dance that has united people through tough times in the past.

Academics and researchers have written extensively about the significance of ndombolo music for Congolese expats worldwide. For instance, Dr. Sara McGuinness made a fantastic presentation about the use of ndombolo music to help several Congolese ex-pats form a community in their new homes. From coming up with new dances to building new networks through song, McGuiness found that in several cities where Congolese move to, they created vibrant music hubs.

McGuiness wasn’t the only researcher who demonstrated the collective action associated with ndombolo music. Set back in the motherland, reporter Milau K. Lutumba’s 2013 paper outlined how Congolese music, including ndombolo, communicates the people’s political grievances with tyrants like President L. D. Kabila. Academia still has a long way to go before there are any serious archives on the history and breadth of ndombolo music. However, many young writers, such as the ones mentioned, are helping draw a picture of how ndombolo has impacted millions.

Dozens of institutions, schools, and cultural centers teach ndombolo music. If you are a student or just someone curious about learning more about the history and development of the genre, check out the music programming of The University of Kinshasa’s and the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. At the University of Kinshasa, in their arts ethnomusicology and musicology department, curriculums allow students to dive deeper into music’s historical and social context, including ndombolo. Further, the University of Cape Town’s Centre provides research opportunities for students interested in studying African music genres, including ndombolo. The future looks bright for ndombolo if more students take the leap and enter research institutions like the above to learn more about the importance of the genre.

Despite the beleaguered country’s political and economic position, the people’s spirit is still strong. Ndombolo music’s energy and ability to create community have helped tremendously as the genre continues to make huge waves worldwide on the online and in-person stages. It is essential to note the music’s founding and the people who made the music in the first place.

Thank you so much for reading! If you are unfamiliar with this awesome genre listen to a couple of the songs above and share your thoughts below. :)

This piece was originally posted on my Substack, If Ever You’re Listening.