the VOICE OF AFRICAN MUSIC

a newsletter of the
St. Louis African Chorus
Volume 13 No. 1
January 2006
Voluntary contributions help us with
printing and mailing costs
the VOICE OF
AFRICAN MUSIC
Songs
of the
Sage
LIKE A SPIRIT
Music like a spirit permeates
And penetrates our psyche.
You can’t possess it;
It possesses you.
A musical work is a medium,
A token of our allegiance;
A symbol of our worship,
A sacrifice of our praise.
Music is not slave to traditions,
It enslaves the traditions;
Does not popularize the cultures,
It cultivates the peoples.
Music is a Spirit
Cloaked in many spirits,
Each with tailored design
Music like a spirit permeates
The universe, finds its course,
And entrances whom it desires...
What most demands our duty To make music at home, or
To make it for the public?
The answer floats in the wind:
Our home craves our music,
It’s got its reasons.
Our community needs our music,
Its got its reason, too.
Music is a spirit...
- ETA IVIE
Adapted from Kua-Nzambi’s
Papyrus de l'Artiste)
To reproduce or use contributions to this column,
simply send an email to the Voice of African
Music at [email protected], or a postcard
to 634 N. Grand Blvd., Suite 1143,
St. Louis, Missouri 63103 USA.
In This Issue
MUSIC FOR
SOCIAL
CHANGE:
African Chorus Marks
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
with Workshops
- story begins on Page 4
From Congo to Japan:
Choeur La Grace Bears the
African Tune - p.3
African Choral Music Workshops:
J. Muyale Inzai Joins FredO to
Mark Dr. M.L. King Day - p.4
Choeur La Grace: A Profile
- p. 5
Village Harmony Goes to Ghana
- p.7
the Voice of African Music
Editor: Fred Onovwerosuoke
Marketing: Asmeret Bezabeh
Contributors: Kua-Nzambi Toko
Design: African Greetings, Inc.
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the Voice of African Music
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Email: [email protected]
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The Voice of African Music-2
From Congo to Japan:
Choeur La Grace Bears the African Tune
By Kua-Nzambi Toko
Chœur la Grace boasts of a rich and varied repertoire
of choral music. It is one of those rare groups that
have successfully brought together choirs and their
conductors from different churches in both DRC and
south of the border in Angola. Together, these
groups have forged a common front to promote a
body of choral music that is as diverse in style as in
cultural content. Thus, in the Central African region,
and perhaps across Africa, Chœur la Grace is second
to none.
For the past 20 years, the group has remained faithful
to its allegiance to the Christian faith, and has influenced many choirs to champion the role of choral
music as a key component of Christian liturgy. Once
that goal became self-perpetuating Choeur la Grace
took their mission further by advocating the development and incorporation of Congolese traditional musical styles into worship. Needless to mention that
this met resistance from conservative quarters. However, over time, more and more people now reconcile
with the importance for African people to imbibe
Christianity doctrines, to borrow a phrase from African Chorus founder and Ethnomusicologist, Dr. Fred
Onovwerosuoke, “through
their own cultural
lenses .”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is made of
more than 200 distinct languages, with some 400
dialectic allegiances. These ethnic groups together
provide a very rich musical and cultural tapestry for
creative expression in choral music. For ages, melodies have been kept alive in the communities and
passed down by oral tradition. They have been perpetuated and preserved through performance at parties, naming and other ceremonies integral to traditional African life. Their richness in sonority, phonemes, rhythms and styles have also been preserved,
providing a mine of vast resource for the creative
artist desirous in defining and developing new genres
of Congolese cultural expression.
most diverse in melodic and harmonic sophistication.
From the complex polyphonic styles in most areas to
the truly advanced contrapuntal vocal gymnastics of
the ‘Forest Peoples,’ Congolese music readily lends
itself to harmonic development and amelioration.
More than that, melodies especially in instrumental
music lend well to polyphony treatment that is peculiar to common European harmonic practices.” One
area where Choeur la Grace excel is their deep
knowledge and appreciation of the musical wealth in
that region. Their repertoire thus richly draws from
folk tales, mythology, rituals and diverse traditional
life of the Congolese peoples.
Participating in the 7th World Symposium on Choral
Music is a golden opportunity for Choeur la Grace,
albeit one that comes with the huge responsibility of
not only presenting music from the Congo region,
but also a sampling from across Africa. Nonetheless,
the group is up to the challenge, and the international
community that will congregate in Kyoto, Japan, is
certainly in for a treat— a unique opportunity to discover and experience the vitality of Congolese choral
theatre. Choeur la Grace also sees Kyoto 2005 as an
occasion to interact with the world’s extended family
of choral music. For repertoire (see tentative list on
page 6) they will bring the lively and captivating
rhythms of the Mbunza warriors, the melancholic
songs of the Bamaniangas, the charming and attractive melodies of the Luba, the pilgrimage songs of
Kongos, the sacred lullabies of the Tetelas, to name
but a few. To these they will add selections from
East, West and Southern Africa. See you in Kyoto!
Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko
President FCMC, Conductor of Chœur la Grace
Edited by Fred Onovwerosuoke, Ph.D.
[See page 4 for same report in French]
According to Dr. Fred Onovwerosuoke, “music from
the Central African region is perhaps among Africa’s
The Voice of African Music-3
En Français
Chœur la Grâce est l’un de rares chœurs ayant réussi à
rassembler en son sein différents chefs de chœur et choristes en dehors de leurs églises respectives pour échanger et pratiquer le chant choral.
Durant ses 20 années d’existence, le groupe a influence
plusieurs chœurs et a pu prouver que le mouvement choral avait sa place tant dans l »église qu’en dehors de
celle-ce. Ayant énormément contribué au réveil du mouvement choral au Congo, Chœur la Grâce milite pour le
développement, le désenclavement et la promotion de la
musique chorale congolaise.
Le Congo Démocratique compte plus de 400 groupes ethniques partageant 200 langues vernaculaires et possède
un patrimoine musical riche. Les innombrables mélodies
provenant du fonds des âges, d’essence fonctionnelle et
circonstancielle, conservée jusqu’à ce jour par traduction
orale, se révèlent riche en sonorité, phonèmes, rythmes et
styles. Elles constituent sans le moindre doute, une polyphonie vocale originale et typiquement congolaise.
La particularité de la musique congolaise est son extraordinaire malléabilité ainsi que sa facilité à se combiner à
d’autres styles et modes d’expression. L’un des plus
grands succès récoltés par chœur le grâce en République
Démocratique du Congo, est le fait d’avoir réussi a d’étoffer un répertoire choral original à partir des chants
tirés des fables comptes, des mythes donc du patrimoine
culturel ethnique Congolais.
sa propre musique, est surtout fier d’avoir réussi à s’adapter à d’autres musiques et à y exceller même. C’est
notamment le cas de la musique euro-américaine. Il a
donc besoin d’entrer en interaction avec d’autres musiques non pas seulement pour les découvrir au plus profond d’elle mais surtout pour se découvrir et s’affirmer
au plus profond de lui-même.
La musique africaine n’a encore rien dit de ce qu’elle a à
dire au monde et l’africain lui, n’a pas encore assez entendu de ce qu’elle doit entendre. Ainsi, le monde a aujourd’hui besoin d’écouter l’Afrique, et l’Afrique aussi a
besoin d’écouter le monde. L’africain, plus que fier d’être
lui-même de façon incontestable, le meilleur interprète de
sa propre musique, est surtout fier d’avoir réussi à
s’adapter à d’autres musiques et à y exceller même.
C’est notamment le cas de la musique euroaméricaine. Il a donc besoin d’entrer en interaction
avec d’autres musiques non pas seulement pour les
découvrir au plus profond d’elle mais surtout pour
se découvrir et s’affirmer au plus profond de luimême.
Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko
Président FCMC
Chef de choeur
Le 7eme Symposium Mondial de Musique Chorale est une
occasion en or d’une part, pour la communauté internationale de découvrir la richesse et la profondeur de la
musique chorale congolaise, une sacrées contribution au
développement de la musique chorale africaine ainsi qu’à
sa promotion et d’autre part pour les représentants de
l’Afrique que nous sommes, de découvrir d’autres sonorités, d’autres approches et modes d’expression susceptibles d’enrichir notre espace d’inspiration. Les chants
mélancoliques des charmantes et attrayantes mélodies
Luba, les chansons des pèlerins Kongo, les berceuses sacrées des Tetelas ainsi tant d’autres ne grand rendez–
vous culturel.
La musique africaine n’a encore rien dit de ce qu’elle a à
dire au monde et l’africain lui, n’a pas encore assez entendu de ce qu’elle doit entendre. Ainsi, le monde a aujourd’hui besoin d’écouter l’Afrique, et l’Afrique aussi a
besoin d’écouter le monde. L’africain, plus que fier d’être
lui-même de façon incontestable, le meilleur interprète de
The Voice of African Music-4
Choeur La Grace: Profile
The choir was founded on 4th August 1985 in Kinshasa (Congo DR) by four choir directors — Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko, Diasonama Ndungidi,
Nlandu Wazolua and Mundele Pedro - who came together to promote choral music from the Central African region. Presently, the group has 45 members who
are mostly choral directors from churches or other
Christian groups.
Chœur la Grace’s repertoire is a varied mix of Afro
Gospel, a milieu of simple hymnodic harmonies often heavily spiced rhythmically, as the main staple.
There are folk and traditional songs and chants from
different ethnic groups of the Congo, Central Africa,
and other African countries are also in the menu.
Much of the repertoire is by legendary figures in the
choral movement in the Congo - composers such as
Georges Nlandu Mwana n’longo, Dolumingu Lutunu, Prof Noé Diawaku, Tadi Tambwe, Robert
Makiadi, Justin Ntumba, Lucien Fwasi, J. Nkalambote. And there’s a staple of American Spirituals, as
well as folksongs from around the world. Choeur la
Grace is a member of the African Christian Choirs
Network (IFCM), the Congolese Federation of Choral Music and the Congolese Christian Choirs Union, and maintains a sister relationship with the the
St. Louis African Chorus in the United States.
Choir’s Main Activities:
• The practice of a cappella singing.
• Training and advising various choirs.
• Choir concerts and music production.
• Publishing musical material and the choral
magazine, Cantemus.
• Promoting genuine traditional, folk and
Afrogospel singing style.
• Presenting workshops, conferences and seminars on choral music.
Participation
The choir has played a major role at the following
events:
• Congolese Christian Choirs Festivals, 1988,
1989, 1994, Kinshasa, DRC.
• Festival National de Musique
(FENAMUSIC), August, 1995, Kinshasa,
•
•
•
•
•
DRC
Festival Panafricain de Musique, August 2001,
Brazzaville, Congo.
The first celebration of the International Day
of Choral Singing, December 2001.
Grande Journée de Musique chorale, August
2002, Kinshasa, DRC.
Jubilee of Veterans of Congolese Choral
Movement, December 2003.
Festival des Langues d’Afrique, Décembre
2004, Kinshasa, RDC.
Projects
• Planning and presenting the African Festival
of Traditional Choral music.
• Publishing of choral traditional music scores
• Choral Music broadcasting program.
Calendar
March 25-April 3: Spring 2006 African Choral Music
Workshops at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Featuring FredO and Weedie Braimah
(Registered IU students only)
Jun 10 - July 5, 2006: US Tour of the Choeur Enfants du
Benin (Children Choir of Benin)
New York/New Jersey: June 10-16
Missouri: June 17 – 26
California: June 27-July 2
Massachusetts: July 4-5
July 6 - August 31, 2006: Beninois choral director
Augustin Avoce in residency for the African Choral Music
Workshops. With Village Harmony Teen Camp from July
17-August 6
July 9-15, 2006: Master Drummer Weedie Braimah and
African Chorus director FredO at the Swannanoa
Gathering at Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC.
July 15 - August 6, 2006: Kenyan choral director J.
Muyale Inzai in residency for the African Choral Music
Workshops
For calendar updates, tickets or registration please call
(314) 652-6800 or send email to [email protected]
Page 5
The Voice of African Music-5
Choeur La Grace: The Kyoto Program
1. LOSAKA EFULA,
Tetela traditional song. Arranged by Ambroise
Kua Nzambi Toko. Lullaby sacred song from an
ethnic group located in the province of Kasai
(Central Congo). Losaka efula means “many
thanks.” Tetela people use this song to herald the
birth of children: Oh! nice babies! Many thanks!
Thanks to God!
2. KULULU KELELE
Mbun’za traditional song. Arranged by Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko. The song comes from
the Equator province of Congo (North-West).
Used in the song as a scat singing, “Kululu
kelele” is an emotional cry of a person remorseful
of life passed, and ready for renewal. “Today,
God has showed me the way, and I’ve decided to
follow him.”
3.
LUWA NDINGA
Manianga traditional song, arranged by Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko. The piece is written in
a special and unique Congolese style called
“kilombo style,” created by the Manianga people
in DR Congo and Congo-Brazzaville. In this responsorial song, somebody is crying and pleading, Hear the Lord’s voice and trust him. Blessed
are those who have heard his voice and received
his grace.
4.
KEBA! KEBA! ( Be mindful!)
Composed by Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko
This contemporary piece is a Congolese gospel
song in Lingala. Be mindful of the Lord’s word
because the last judgment is coming soon.
5. NGIELE NGIELE
Ne Kongo traditional song. Arranged by Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko. Ngiele ngiele is a secular piece in Kikongo. It is considered as
Pilgrim song. Ngiele ngiele means I’m walking,
I’m walking. The song translates as:
a rich kingdom.
On my way
I found
diverse treasures.
I also found
a crafty snake
which tried to bite me.
Made me cry,
“ Oh father! Oh father!
Then I saw five drums
Resounding,
spreading the news:
I’m on the way,
going to Kongo,
the big kingdom.
6. ISO E ISO E
Traditional song from North of Congo arranged
by Ambroise Kua Nzambi Toko and Charles
Mombaya. Traditional song from the Equateur
province of Congo, performed in Mbunza.
WATCH OUT!
Sheet music
download on
demand at
www.africanchorus.org
Call
(314) 652-6800
for details
I’m on the way,
going to Kongo
The Voice of African Music-6
Others Congolese folk and popular pieces
1. Ee Mungu
- Swahili
- Composed by Kua Nzambi Toko
2. Tshianga thsa - Thsiluba
- Arr. Kathy Novalis
3. Sangabudi
- Kikongo
- Composed by Kua Nzambi Toko
4. Do u do
- Kikongo
- Composed by Robert Makiadi
5. Kinsiona
- Kikongo
- Kuyena Muzita
6. Nzambi tangila - Tshiluba
- Arr. Kua Nzambi Toko
7. Wawa oh
- Mbunza
- Arr. Charles Mombaya
and Kua Nzambi Toko
8. Yesu ajali awa - Lingala
- Choeur la Grace
9. Na njela na lola - Lingala
- Tadi Tambwe
10. Unsila nlemvo - Kikongo
- Kua NzambiToko
Songs from folktales
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mono didi nsa
- Kikongo
Lambange Madia
- Kikongo
Tshonkodi - Thsiluba
Mukubwa wetu
- Swahili
Nsusu a mpembe
- Kikongo
Pan-African traditional and popular songs
1. Umahlalela
- Xhosa
- Arr.Mzilikazi Khumalo – South Africa
2. Sangena
- Zulu
- Arr Mzilikazi Khumalo – South Africa
3. Musungedi - Douala
- Comp. Ekambi Brillant, - Cameroon
Arr. Kathy Novalis
4. Femme noire
- French
- Camara Laye, Arr Kathy Novalis - Guinea
5. Vamuvamba
- luhya
- Arr. Boniface Mganga - Kenya
TH
7 WORLD
SYMPOSIUM ON
CHORAL MUSIC
JULY 27 AUGUST 03, 2005
KYOTO – JAPAN
Representing Africa…
CHOEUR LA GRACE
From
Kinshasa
CONGO, DR.
The Voice of African Music-7
St. Louis
African Chorus
a 501(c)(3), nonprofit
arts organization.
Our Mission
to foster a better
understanding of
Africa's rich cultural
heritage through music
and other art forms.
Our Focus
to develop, produce,
and present choral
performances in
original African
languages.
A E Na O: The CD that’s as mysterious as its
name. Soothing, healing, hope: find out which of
these words best describe the music in this CD...
Financial
Support
for our programs
comes from individual
and corporate
donations.
Additional Support
comes from the
National Endowment
for the Arts, the
Missouri Arts Council,
the Regional Arts
Commission, the Arts
& Education Council
of Greater St. Louis,
Available at record stores and select bookstores, or and other foundations.
online at www.africanchorus.org.
You may also order a signed copy by calling
(314) 652-6800
...Read the electronic version of this newsletter at our website: www.africanchorus.org