Author: Mboka Ndinga

A Silver Jubilee in a Golden Venue At precisely 19:30 on 18 September, the dimmed lights of Paris’ legendary Sunside will lift to reveal Helmie Bellini, whose timbre critics once described as “silk threaded through brass” (Jazz Magazine). The occasion is her twenty-fifth anniversary recital, aptly titled “Il était une voix”, a phrase that plays on the French fairy-tale opening while foregrounding the centrality of vocal narrative in her craft. The choice of Sunside—at number 60, rue des Lombards—carries symbolism: it is the room where European jazz convergence meets, and where Bellini’s Franco-Congolese identity has long found an acoustically intimate…

Reggae as a Soft-Power Instrument While most discussions of Congo-Brazzaville’s influence centre on hydrocarbons or river transport corridors, cultural diplomacy has quietly expanded its perimeter. The free concert announced by the acclaimed reggae ensemble Conquering Lions for 1 August in Mouyondzi already attracts attention among diplomats posted in Brazzaville who see in it a deft exercise of soft power. The Ministry of Culture’s communiqué framing the event as a “Retour aux sources, Congo’s tour” underscores a policy mix of heritage valorisation and youth outreach (Ministry of Culture press release, 5 June 2024). Why Mouyondzi Matters on the Diplomatic Map Mouyondzi,…

A ceremonial overture in Brazzaville High noon sunlight filtered through the atrium of Brazzaville’s Palais des Congrès as President Denis Sassou Nguesso pronounced the dozen-word formula that shifted the capital’s mood from weekday routine to festival cadence. His declaration opened the twelfth Pan-African Music Festival, better known by its French acronym Fespam, and was greeted by the resonance of traditional Congolese drums carefully miked for global streaming. The ceremony’s protocol combined military precision with artistic exuberance, reflecting an administration that has long positioned culture as a pillar of nation branding. Economic headwinds meet cultural resolve The Republic of Congo remains…

A reflective withdrawal and its diplomatic harvest When Christ Kibeloh withdrew from the literary spotlight in 2017, many critics feared that Brazzaville had lost one of its most promising pens. The author himself speaks of those six years as a “silent revolution”, shaped by fatherhood and the disruptive calm of the pandemic. Far from stage-managed self-exile, the period allowed him to re-interrogate his own canon, to study the lineage of francophone letters, and, crucially, to confront the ambiguities of Congolese modernity without the pressure of instant commentary. That hiatus now yields Mon regard sur le monde, a work that disdains…

Ceremonial Overture in the Congolese Capital The cavernous hall of Brazzaville’s Palais des Congrès vibrated on 19 July 2025 when President Denis Sassou Nguesso declared open the twelfth Pan-African Music Festival. His brief yet resonant proclamation—“May the festivities begin and may they be beautiful”—was greeted by sustained applause that seemed to fold the city’s humid evening air into a single collective heartbeat. The ceremony, attended by cabinet members, foreign ministers and an eclectic array of cultural envoys, set a tone of confident optimism befitting a continent-wide celebration. A Forum Woven with Pan-African Ambition Since its 1996 inception, FESPAM has aspired…

Diplomatic Overtones in Opening Chords On 19 July Brazzaville’s Palais des Congrès became a resonant crossroads of music and statecraft as the Pan-African Music Festival opened its twelfth edition under the theme “Music and Economic Stakes in Africa in the Digital Era”. President Denis Sassou Nguesso, joined by First Lady Antoinette Sassou Nguesso, Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso and a cohort of continental dignitaries, lent the evening both ceremonial gravitas and diplomatic symbolism. Since its inception in 1995 under the aegis of the African Union, FESPAM has matured into a biennial platform of soft power in Central Africa, projecting Congo-Brazzaville’s…

Ceremonial Crescendo in the Congolese Capital Brazzaville seldom lacks theatrical flair, yet the inaugural evening of the twelfth Pan-African Music Festival reached an almost diplomatic pitch. The vaulted hall of the Palais des congrès reverberated with polyphonic chants, sacred drums and the applause of foreign envoys as President Denis Sassou Nguesso declared the festival open, framing it as a “celebration of Africa’s soul and its unbroken dialogue with modernity” (Agence Congolaise d’Information, 19 July 2025). Around him stood ministers, mayors, regional governors and representatives of UNESCO, whose blue pennant signalled international endorsement. The optics were unmistakable: the Republic of Congo…

Soft Power Overture in Brazzaville When President Denis Sassou Nguesso proclaimed the 12th Pan-African Music Festival “open, and may the celebration be splendid”, the ovation that rippled through Brazzaville’s packed Palais des Congrès underscored the convergence of politics, culture and diplomacy that Fespam has embodied since 1996. Diplomats posted to Central Africa, officials of multilateral agencies and an eclectic constellation of performers responded to the head of state’s exhortation to let music articulate both national pride and continental cohesion. By using the festival as a high-visibility platform, the Congolese leadership reaffirmed an enduring strategy: projecting stability and openness through the…

A Cultural Overture in Brazzaville The banks of the Congo River once inspired Joseph Conrad’s prose; in July they provided the score for a different narrative as President Denis Sassou Nguesso formally launched the twelfth Pan-African Music Festival. The Head of State’s brief proclamation, delivered before an audience of diplomats, regional ministers and a constellation of artists, was calibrated for resonance both at home and abroad. With the declaration that the stage was open, Brazzaville embarked on seven days of performances, colloquia and exhibitions designed to reaffirm its reputation as the continent’s self-styled “capital of musical diplomacy”. Since its inception…

From Ouenzé to Bouenza: Continuity in Celebration When Prefect Marcel Nganongo welcomed a delegation of renowned sapeurs in early July, the gathering extended far beyond a routine protocol visit. The Bouenza administrator, long known in Brazzaville’s fashion circles for his unwavering commitment to the “religion kitendi”, confirmed that Madingou will host the ninth Festival de la Sape on 14 August 2025. According to officials familiar with the planning, the date was intentionally chosen to precede the Independence Day festivities, weaving the fabric of sartorial artistry into the national commemorations. Local journalists from Les Dépêches de Brazzaville have since corroborated the…