Popular Culture in Francophone Central Africa
Géographique
Afrique centrale, République démocratique du CongoThématique
culture urbaine, culture populaire, peinture, musique, bande dessinée, danseDisciplinaire
histoire, sociologie, histoire de l'artvalidée
| Titre | Popular Culture in Francophone Central Africa |
|---|---|
| Type de publication | Chapitre de livre |
| Année de publication | May 2020 |
| Auteur |  Bogumil JEWSIEWICKIKatrien PYPE |
| Titre du livre | Oxford Research Encyclopedia : African History |
| Genre | article scientifique |
| Pays d'édition | Etats-Unis |
| DOI | 10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.428 |
| URL | https://www.academia.edu/43500165/ |
| Résumé/Présentation | "In the Belgian Congo, colonial authorities such as state officials and missionaries strongly monitored the leisure activities of the urban population. The latter gradually managed to set up their own sphere of entertainment and communication, and appropriated the popular culture offered to the colonial subjects. An example in case is the Bills movement, a type of masculinity developed in colonial Kinshasa (then Léopoldville), and inspired by American western films. The development of local popular cultures happened in local languages, and, among other things, led to hybrid music and dance forms such as rumba and maringa which set the tune of the townships and mining camps. Locally produced musical styles gradually became important vectors in the search for political independence. One can argue that in Francophone Central Africa, popular culture nourished anticolonial sentiment and expression. Postcolonial leaders invested heavily in music and mass media as well. Probably best known is Mobutu's politics of animation, which happened in Lingala, and served to glorify the leader and to cement national sentiment. This propaganda program was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of ethnic groups, and relied on mass events and mass media. In Kagame's post-genocide Rwanda, folkloric dance remains an important technology to so lidify national cohesion. Since the mid-1990s, as nation states deregulated their media, new radio and television entrepreneurs appeared, and they nourished local popular culture with new styles and genres. In particular, the Nigerian Nollywood films traveled to Central Africa. This happened in the wake of the increased popularity of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, which has generated a thriving gospel culture. The digitalization of society, especially so cial media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, transformed how people relate to others in the diaspora, spawned new social groups, such as Yoyettes in urban Cameroon, and had an impact on the ways in which people retrieve and share information, as well as how they engage with their leaders. These then provide alternative avenues for express ing and mediating citizenship and kinship." |
| Référence complète | Jewsiewicki, Bogumil ; Pype, Katrien. Popular Culture in Francophone Central Africa. Oxford Research Encyclopedia : African History. 2020 |
Auteurs
Bogumil JEWSIEWICKI
Biographie : "Bogumil Jewsiewicki a enseigné l’histoire dans les institutions universitaires congolaises de 1968 à 1976. Après son installation au Canada, où il a enseigné à l’Université Laval jusqu’en 2009, il a poursuivi ses recherches sur le passé et le présent de la République démocratique du Congo. Depuis un demi-siècle, il travaille avec des artistes congolais pour comprendre et valoriser leur contribution aux débats sociaux" (Connaître la démarche de Freddy Tsimba)
Nationalité : Pologne
Pays de résidence : Canada
