CULTURE
The Congo
Republic now occupies territory that was once ruled by the Loango,
Bakongo, and Teke Kingdoms. After the arrival of the Portuguese
in the 15th century, the coastal kingdoms profited more from the
slave trade than did the peoples of the interior, for whom the
trade created great turmoil. After the area came under French
protection in the 19th century, private companies licensed there
organized coercive labor systems abusive enough to scandalize
the French public, and the sympathetic explorer Savorgnan de Brazza
was sent to investigate. Because the capital named in his honor
became the center for all of French Equatorial Africa, the city
received more attention from the French government in such institutions
as schools and hospitals. Since independence, the Congolese history
of ethnic rivalries has continued, and while this has not undermined
the nation's vibrant culture, it has complicated efforts to democratize
the government.
The majority of the population are from Bantu societies, of which
the largest is the Kongo, with smaller groups of Sangha and Teke.
The Ubangi comprise the other major ethnicity, among whom the
Mboshi are most numerous, and the forests shelter a small number
of Binga Pygmies who are descended from the nation's original
inhabitants. French is the official language and is taught in
all the schools. Lingala is a trade language that is widely spoken,
as is Kikongo. Christianity is prevalent in the Congo Republic,
and the majority of Christians are Roman Catholic. Many Congolese
adhere to animist beliefs or combine these with their Christianity.
There are also several independent African churches, such as the
Church of Jesus Christ on Earth, developed by the prophet Simon
Kimbangu. The small number of Muslims are primarily immigrants.
The art of the Congo Republic is some of the best in Africa, and
the energetic traditions of both Kongo and Teke woodcarvers are
highly prized. Carved figures with realistic features often represent
ancestors. Some of the more stylized, stiffly posed figures are
fetishes, believed to be inhabited by a spirit. The country also
has a history of distinguished literary accomplishment. One of
the first important writers was Sylvain Bemba, whose career as
a journalist informed his novels and plays. His works explore
historical and contemporary questions of great importance in appealing
ways. For example, in The Man who Killed the Crocodile, a tyrant
who mistreats his wife and people is confronted by the local school
teacher, a story that deals with injustice and the power of education.
Sony Labou Tansi is a younger author whose explosive language
adds tension to his fictional accounts of local politics. Gerald
Felix Tchicaya U Tamsi is the greatest of Congolese poets whose
work also provides political commentary and recounts the disappointments
of contemporary African society.
Monuments to the leaders of historical societies exist near the
coast. Diossa was once the capital of the Loanga Kingdom, and
there is a mausoleum there to its kings. Just to the north, in
the city of Loango, is the Museum Ma Loango housed in a colonial-era
mansion. In the capital, Brazzaville, the most interesting landmark
is St. Anne's Basilica, built in 1949. The basic structural elements
of this church are those of the traditional African beehive home,
with supports arching toward each other in the center overhead.
Yet from the outside, the windows are supported by neo-Gothic
masonry, and the total effect of this combination is extraordinary.
The same architect designed a beautiful house for General Charles
De Gaulle when he stayed there during World War II. Also in Brazzaville
is the Poto Poto Painting School, where a distinctive artistic
style that features African themes, angular composition, and bright
color is taught, displayed and sold. The city's most visible landmark
is the Tour Nabemba, the 30-story tower that is the tallest skyscraper
in Central Africa.
