Mois de la Francophonie 2022

République Démocratique du Congo

DÉCOUVREZ LA RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO !

In March, the Alliance Française of Mpls/St Paul will celebrate the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the Mois de la Francophonie, a month-long celebration of a French-speaking country!

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a central African country. It’s the fourth most populous country in Africa, as well as the most populous French-speaking country.

Discover below the program of events that will illuminate numerous aspects of Congolese culture, history, and music!

En mars, l'Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul célèbrera la République Démocratique du Congo pendant le Mois de la Francophonie ! La République démocratique du Congo est un pays d'Afrique centrale. C'est le quatrième pays le plus peuplé d'Afrique, ainsi que le pays francophone le plus peuplé. Découvrez ci-dessous le programme qui mettra en lumière de nombreux aspects de la culture, de l'histoire et de la musique congolaises !

Watch our teaser HERE!

PROGRAMME

Friday, March 4
6pm

Music
Siama Matuzungidi
Concert

In person

Siama Matuzungidi, Congolese soukous legend, will perform at the Alliance Française to celebrate his beloved Congo with us. Join us to experience Siama's music known as the "Sound of Happiness"!

Wednesday, March 9
8pm

literature
Blaise Ndala
conversation

Online

Congolese-Canadian author Blaise Ndala will join us online for an exclusive discussion about his literary works and his career. Join us to learn more about Blaise and his award-winning novels!

Friday, March 11
6pm

cinema
“kinshasa symphony”
documentary

In person

Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the third largest city in Africa. Composed for the most part of self-taught amateurs, two hundred orchestral musicians have persevered through crises and war to find each other and share the joy of music!

Friday, March 11 -
Tuesday, April 5

Art
«Matrilinéaire» by kando
exhiBition

In-person

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kando currently resides in Montreal, Quebec. Inspired by his Congolese heritage and by the Quebec culture he embraced in 2009, Kando paints abstract, figurative and vibrant portraits. Nourished by his environment, he lets himself be carried away by his inspiration and his curiosity which pushes him to build, create and reinvent his works. Come to our Vaaler Galerie to admire Kando’s work!

Tuesday, March 15
6pm

gastronomy
​Maria-José de Frias
cooking class

Online

Join us online for a cooking workshop with chef Maria-José de Frias live from the kitchen of her restaurant Le Virunga in Montreal, Quebec. A cooking workshop inspired by her Congolese roots and her desire to share the culture with others!

Wednesday, March 23
10:30am

being a woman
in the drc
Panel discussion

Online

Join us online as we welcome panelists Dety Darba, Divine Zihindula, and Rebecca Jasper for an exclusive discussion, moderated by Joelle Vitiello, on being a female entrepreneur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo titled, Female Entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Opportunities and Challenges. In this talk we will be discussing the difficulties of being a woman and entrepreneur in the DRC. Join us to hear the valuable insight of these panelists!

Friday, March 25
8pm

MUSIC
AN EVENING WITH MILOE
CONCERT AND CONVERSATION

In-person

Join us at the Cedar Cultural Center to close the Mois de la Francophonie, with a concert by singer Bob Kabeya, more widely known as Miloe. He was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but moved to the United States when he was 8 years old. The concert will be followed by a discussion with Miloe, Jay Gabler who recently joined the Duluth News Tribune and Salif Keita from Radio KFAI!

You can also download our full program HERE.

Thank you to our sponsors!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP): A portion of this program is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Humanities Center through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.