Missa Luba

The Missa Luba is a Latin Mass in Congolese folk rhythms and melodies of the Luba, a Bantu ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The show was recorded in 1957 by the Belgian Franciscan missionary Father Guido Haazen ( 1921-2004 ).

Background

The structure of the exhibition corresponds to the traditional Ordinary of the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church. In contrast, comes from the music of the fair purely Congolese tradition, and is free from the influence of European or modern understanding of music. The performance practice is characterized by the fact that large parts of the Mass ad libitum and thus spontaneous improvisations, especially the solo parts are accessible.

The occupation of the exhibition consists of cantor, chorus and three percussionists with traditional African instruments such as djembe, congas and Ngoma drum.

Kyrie and Credo based on music from Ngandanjika ( Kasai Oriental ), Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus on the typical Kiluba style of Katanga, the Hosanna uses a quote of a Kasai - dance and the Agnus Dei is based on a song from Bena Lulua ( Kananga ).

1954 Father made ​​Haazen Les troubadours du Roi Baudouin ( named after King Baudouin I of Belgium ), a choir of 45 boys and 15 men. 1957 arranged Haazen the fair, which he described as "collective improvisation", based on the performances of his singers. 1958 brought the choir to show in a six-month tour of Belgium, Holland and Germany to a certain notoriety in Europe. At one of these concerts in 1958 was an LP recording at Philips, which - as well as new recordings of Muungano National Choir, Kenya (1990 ) and the Choral Arts Society of Washington ( 2004) - has been released as an audio CD.

Fame the show by using some of its parts in the soundtrack of Pier Paolo Pasolini's film The first Gospel - Matthew ( 1964), and by the use of the Sanctus in Lindsay Anderson's film If ... (1968).