KALUNGA'S MISSION

Grupo Kalunga Neg Mawon is a musical dance ensemble that consists of members who have spent most of their lives researching and studying African culture in the Americas.

Our aim is to preserve aspects of African tradition and identity existing in Quisqueya–Ayiti, known today as the Dominican Republic and The Republic of Haiti.

We use the name Kalunga to highlight the Congolese cultural aspects retained in Dominican/Haitian culture and throughout the African Diaspora of the western hemisphere, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, etc. Kalunga is a Goddess of the Congolese people known also as the Muntu-Bantu or Bakongo. She is the universal cosmos, the great bang from which all life comes, including the depths of the seas and the oceans. Kalunga also represents a time when Congolese culture was dominated by a matriarchal system where women played a prominent role in society.

Neg Mawon translates into Black Maroons–those who fought against slavery, many of whom were Congolese descendants like Sebastian Lemba. We use the term Neg Mawon to symbolize our resistance against slavery and colonialism in a struggle to maintain and develop our African identity against overwhelming odds.

Videos by Dennis Flores www.youtube.com/bosefod

Photos by Elaine Eversley of Eversley Photography