Ndombolo

Ndombolo
Ndombolo
	A woman dances ndombolo at the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival in 2023
Stylistic origins	Soukous
Cultural origins	1990s
Typical instruments	Guitar, horn, and drum
Regional scenes
	Kenya, Rwanda, Madagascar, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Nigeria, Angola, Togo, Niger, Central African Republic, Gabon
Other topics
	Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ndombolo, also known as dombolo, is a genre of dance music originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] Derived from soukous in the 1990s, with fast-paced hip-swaying dance rhythms, often accompanied by upbeat, percussion-driven music, the style became widespread in the mid-1990s and the subsequent decade, dominating dancefloors in central, eastern, and western Africa. It inspired West African popular music, coupé-décalé, Kuduro, and East African dance music.^[1]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Ndombolo customarily features lead vocalists, backup vocalists, guitars, horns, drums, and synthesized sounds.^[8] The lyrics often explore themes of human relations, marriage, courtship, trickery, disappointment, and Congolese sociopolitical culture.^[9]^[10]^[11] Prominent musicians such as Papa Wemba, Dany Engobo, Koffi Olomide, Werrason, Awilo Longomba, Quartier Latin International, Général Defao, Aurlus Mabélé, Extra Musica, Wenge Musica, and Wenge Musica Maison Mère played a pivotal role in popularizing the genre.^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]

^ ^a ^b Tchakam, Stéphane (2 December 2003). "Cameroun : L'autre danse congolaise". Cameroon Tribune (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2023.
^ White, Bob W. (1999). "Modernity's Trickster: "Dipping" and "Throwing" in Congolese Popular Dance Music". Research in African Literatures. 30 (4): 156–175. ISSN 0034-5210. JSTOR 3820759.
^ Knights, Vanessa (29 April 2016). Music, National Identity and the Politics of Location: Between the Global and the Local. Thames, Oxfordshire United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-317-09160-8.
^ ^a ^b Otiso, Kefa M. (24 January 2013). Culture and Customs of Tanzania. New York City, New York State, United States: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-06991-1.
^ Sobania, Neal W. (30 June 2003). Culture and Customs of Kenya. Santa Barbara, California, United States: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 207–208. ISBN 978-0-313-03936-2.
^ AfroConex (9 March 2023). "Spreading Ndombolo Dance Across Africa with Bush Sebar". AfroConex. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
^ Kabwe, Jason (15 March 2013). "Ndombolo Craze". Czech Radio (in Czech). Retrieved 9 November 2023.
^ Falola, Toyin; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]. Santa Barbara, California, United States: ABC-CLIO. p. 627. ISBN 978-1-59884-666-9.
^ Education, Pan African Society for Musical Arts (2005). Emerging Solutions for Musical Arts Education in Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: African Minds. pp. 333–334. ISBN 978-1-920051-11-2.
^ Kuoni, Carin; Haines, Chelsea (22 January 2016). Entry Points: The Vera List Center Field Guide on Art and Social Justice No. 1. Durham, North Carolina, United States: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-7395-7.
^ ^a ^b Anheier, Helmut K.; Isar, Yudhishthir Raj (31 March 2012). Cultures and Globalization: Cities, Cultural Policy and Governance. Thousand Oaks, California, United States: SAGE. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4462-9172-6.
^ Heidenreich-Seleme, Lien; O'Toole, Sean (2012). Über(w)unden: Art in Troubled Times. Johannesburg, South Africa: Jacana Media. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4314-0497-1.
^ Falola, Toyin; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]. London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-04273-0.
^ Ndi-Shang, Gil (3 April 2021). The Radio and Other Stories. Spears Media Press. p. 15.
^ Seck, Nago (31 August 2007). "Ndombolo". Afrisson (in French). Retrieved 12 November 2023.

[:0-1] Tchakam, Stéphane (2 December 2003). "Cameroun : L'autre danse congolaise". Cameroon Tribune (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2023.

[2] White, Bob W. (1999). "Modernity's Trickster: "Dipping" and "Throwing" in Congolese Popular Dance Music". Research in African Literatures. 30 (4): 156–175. ISSN 0034-5210. JSTOR 3820759.

[3] Knights, Vanessa (29 April 2016). Music, National Identity and the Politics of Location: Between the Global and the Local. Thames, Oxfordshire United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-317-09160-8.

[:1-4] Otiso, Kefa M. (24 January 2013). Culture and Customs of Tanzania. New York City, New York State, United States: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-06991-1.

[5] Sobania, Neal W. (30 June 2003). Culture and Customs of Kenya. Santa Barbara, California, United States: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 207–208. ISBN 978-0-313-03936-2.

[6] AfroConex (9 March 2023). "Spreading Ndombolo Dance Across Africa with Bush Sebar". AfroConex. Retrieved 8 November 2023.

[7] Kabwe, Jason (15 March 2013). "Ndombolo Craze". Czech Radio (in Czech). Retrieved 9 November 2023.

[8] Falola, Toyin; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]. Santa Barbara, California, United States: ABC-CLIO. p. 627. ISBN 978-1-59884-666-9.

[9] Education, Pan African Society for Musical Arts (2005). Emerging Solutions for Musical Arts Education in Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: African Minds. pp. 333–334. ISBN 978-1-920051-11-2.

[10] Kuoni, Carin; Haines, Chelsea (22 January 2016). Entry Points: The Vera List Center Field Guide on Art and Social Justice No. 1. Durham, North Carolina, United States: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-7395-7.

[:2-11] Anheier, Helmut K.; Isar, Yudhishthir Raj (31 March 2012). Cultures and Globalization: Cities, Cultural Policy and Governance. Thousand Oaks, California, United States: SAGE. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4462-9172-6.

[12] Heidenreich-Seleme, Lien; O'Toole, Sean (2012). Über(w)unden: Art in Troubled Times. Johannesburg, South Africa: Jacana Media. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-4314-0497-1.

[13] Falola, Toyin; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]. London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-04273-0.

[14] Ndi-Shang, Gil (3 April 2021). The Radio and Other Stories. Spears Media Press. p. 15.

[15] Seck, Nago (31 August 2007). "Ndombolo". Afrisson (in French). Retrieved 12 November 2023.

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