Missa Luba – Congolese Folk Songs (1969)

Missa Luba - An African Mass, for chorus:
1.Kyrie
2.Gloria
3.Credo
4.Sanctus
5.Benedictus
6.Agnus Dei

Congolese Folk Songs:
7. Dibwe Diambula Kabanda (Marriage Song)
8. Lutuku y a Bene Kanyoka (Emergence From Grief)
9. Ebu Bwale Kemai (Marriage Ballad)
10. Katumbo (Dance)
11. Seya Wa Mama Ndalumba (Marital Celebration)
12. Banana (Soldiers Song)
13. Twai Tshinaminai (Work Song)

Les Troubadours Roi Baudoin
Guido Haazen - Arranger, General Director

In the mid-'50s, a Belgian missionary named Father Guido Haazen took a position at a school in what was then the Belgian Congo. He assembled a male choir, largely consisting of Congolese boys, along with 15 men and several percussionists. Under Haazen's direction, the group that became known as Troubadours du Roi Baudouin developed an African mass based on shared improvisations and traditional song forms. The resulting piece was called Missa Luba and its 1958 recording became an international success throughout the following decade. Its pairing of Catholic liturgical forms (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, etc.) and jubilant Congolese folk music provided major crossover appeal, and over time the record became quite influential. --- Timothy Monger, Rovi

In 1954 the Missionary Father Guido Haazen established in the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, the chorus Les troubadours du Roi Baudouin. Four years later, based on the performances of these African singers, Haazen adapted and arranged the Missa Luba from their improvisations. The Missa Luba adapts traditional Congolese melodies and rhythms to the five movements of the ordinary Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei) with the text in Latin.

The Missa Luba is scored for tenor soloist, mixed chorus, and three percussionists playing the African native drums, namely the djembe, congas and ngoma drum. The guiro replaces the gourd or African sakasaka in this recording. As the sole instrumental force in Missa Luba, the percussion carries forward the incisive rhythmic ostinatos that sustain the melodic discourse, often in responsorial form between the male and female voices. Reflecting African popular expression, the musical outcome invites corporeal movement during worship. Equally idiosyncratic is the improvisational character of the work, despite being notated, which challenges performers in the Western tradition. As noted in the preface to the published score, “if desired this written version of the Mass may be used as a suitable springboard for those who will venture upon their own new creation of this original African Mass.” ---

Read more: In 1954 the Missionary Father Guido Haazen established in the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, the chorus Les troubadours du Roi Baudouin. Four years later, based on the performances of these African singers, Haazen adapted and arranged the Missa Luba from their improvisations. The Missa Luba adapts traditional Congolese melodies and rhythms to the five movements of the ordinary Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei) with the text in Latin.

The Missa Luba is scored for tenor soloist, mixed chorus, and three percussionists playing the African native drums, namely the djembe, congas and ngoma drum. The guiro replaces the gourd or African sakasaka in this recording. As the sole instrumental force in Missa Luba, the percussion carries forward the incisive rhythmic ostinatos that sustain the melodic discourse, often in responsorial form between the male and female voices. Reflecting African popular expression, the musical outcome invites corporeal movement during worship. Equally idiosyncratic is the improvisational character of the work, despite being notated, which challenges performers in the Western tradition. As noted in the preface to the published score, “if desired this written version of the Mass may be used as a suitable springboard for those who will venture upon their own new creation of this original African Mass.” --- Michael Cookson, musicweb-international.com

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