I Will Likely Go

The Congo.  What do I know of the Congo?  I think that if it had been more than a week ago, I might have labored to distinguish the Republic of the Congo, with its capital in Brazzaville with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its capital in Kinshasa.   Surely, I knew which place had formerly been known as Zaire.  And, I’ve a love of Franco and Tabu Rochera.  I’ve seen ‘When We Were Kings.” Yes, I’ve long enjoyed Mbongwana Star as well.  But a week ago it became clear that one of my clients will likely want our help for an event in Pointe Noire in late June.  Pandemic’s notwithstanding, I will likely go. 

This means I’ve a lot of reading to do to begin to piece-together precisely what this Central African mother-load is derived from.  I’ve bought a bunch of books.  Having essentially closed out on all the reading I’d lined up for pre, during, post Israel, with the ever popular “New Testament” I dove in properly today to David Van Reybrouck’s “Congo:  The Epic History of a People”  About half way through now, as the sun sets just after 6:00PM on this first of March, 2020, I am up to World War II and thoroughly enjoying considering this reckoning with colonialism and imperialism, from a completely distinct perspective.

I’ve more historical texts and many novels on deck.  Reading about the Congo, which, to be fair, and as confessed the other day on the phone when the client mentioned this event, which has so catalyzed my thinking, I’d only really ever read “Heart of Darkness.”  So many people love Conrad and I’m open to him finding his mark eventually, but having read HoD a second time not so long ago, as well as “The Secret Agent” I noted a similarity between his works that I didn’t like.  He writes beautifully, but “uses” the topical population as mere window dressing.  There is little of interest to discern about the Congolese from HoD and the depiction of anarchist thinking seemed pungently disingenuous in TSA.

I threw in “Congolese” into Spotify.  I was hoping to find an old CD there, which I’d purchased years ago, that was a 1940s sampler of rough Congolese Rhumba, complete with moody black and white photos from that time.  It’s in storage somewhere in Beijing at present.  And I came up short, trying to find it with the most obvious key words.  I’ll have to keep at it.  But fortunately something else populated:  “Congolese Funk, Afrobeat and Psychedelic Rhumba from 1969 to 1978.”  Um, yes!  It’s stunning and a lovely reminder that there is rather a lot more listening work to do, in preparation as well.  Bring it. 

Saturday, 02/29/20