Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Congolese culture has both traditional and foreign influences due to colonization. There are 242 languages spoken in Congo with almost as much ethnic groups. Bantu language is the most prominent, which is spoken by 80% of the population.

French is the official language used to conduct businesses, legal meetings, political meetings, and to teach. The languages considered the regional lingua francas are: Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba.

There is still evidence of indigenous traditional beliefs in Congo. There are also Christians, Muslims, and small communities of Jews and Hindus. In Congo, they believe that a creator spirit is sovereign of the spirit world, but is rarely the direct cause of events.

They also believe that when the life force leaves the body after death, it becomes an ancestor spirit. They believe in afterlife, which is said to exist under lakes, where ghostly replicas of Congolese villages reside. There are usually ceremonies to offer prayers to the ancestor spirits.

Congolese farm a variety of crops like maze, sweet potato, yam, taro, plantain and so on.

Congolese are known for their ancient sculptures and masks which are represented in various museums over the world. The Congolese have a profound impact on modern art like pottery, basketry, textiles and so on.

There are at least fifty different styles of sculpture that is usually named after the tribe that carved it. Some of these tribes are Kongo, Teke, Suku, Lengola, kuba and so on. Sculptures are mostly done with wood, ivory, bone and plant fiber while decorating with cowry shells, beads, feathers, animal skin and the likes.

SOURCE: Friends of the Congo