congo

Mr. Alban Audrey Malanda, nicknamed Butalakwazebi Jack Bauer, is from Congo Brazzaville. He moved in December of 2017 to the US with the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. He is a student at CCV studying criminal justice, is a musician artist, and works at Howard Center. He is a founder and president of the American Dream Association (a non-profit organization) which helps student youths learn American English. He likes to dress well; he likes fashion because in Congolese culture a musician artist must dress very well.

Congolese Rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo Bassin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.

Style: Son Cubano Bakongo traditional music.

Origins: Congolese dance music.

Cultural origins: Late 1930s in the Congo in Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

In December 2021, Congolese Rumba was added to the UNESCO list intangible cultural heritage.

Typical instruments: Guitar (esp fingerstyle), Bass (esp acoustic), drums, and vocals.

The Vermont Congolese community gathers to celebrate together in December of 2018 at the North End Studios in Burlington, Vermont's Old North End.

The August 15th Congo Luzingu Festival, held at Burlington's Contois Auditorium. The goal of the Congo Luzingu (Congo Life) event is to strengthen mutual understanding between Congolese people who have settled in Vermont and friends, neighbors, co-workers, employers and the wider community. The festival celebrates Congolese art, music, dance, poetry, geography, food and traditions.