Les Mamans du Congo are an all-female band that are taking Brazzaville ( in the Republic of Congo) by storm!

The group was formed two years ago by the singer, Gladys Samba – known as Mom Glad, in order to empower and educate women in the local region while still honoring cultural tradition within the scope of gender equality.

Gladys Samba, states her vision for founding the group was to highlight the societal inequalities in what is expected of women.

She states “To forget this suffering, we are used to singing, when we work we sing church songs, and based on that I had the idea to create a show that will reflect the image of the African woman, the Congolese woman.”

In addition to the uplifting and positive messages contained in their music, Les Mamans du Congo has also created an association called Les Femmes au Foyer, a safe space for young mothers can learn from volunteers about finances, health care, family planning – amongst other things in order to see them to financial and true independence. A positive move for everyone within the community.

Tombo Alida, a beneficiary of the community association stated, “The association did a lot of things for me because before, I couldn’t even get the necessities for the house, following the association’s advice, I learned to buy plates, I learned to arrange my house, I learned to give advice to my children, to educate them well, to supervise them.”

Challenging and transforming elements of patriarchy towards the emancipation of all women in Congolese society is one of the group’s core missions.

But not everyone is in alignment with the messaging.  Faustin Keoua Leturmy, the Manager of Les Mamans du Congo, recalls some of the issues group members have faced within the community, “In our adventure (with the group) we had several complications with some women who had received threats at home after performing in a show. Those women did not come back because their husbands had told them to choose between music and home.”

Future Possibilities

The band has also enjoyed huge success outside of the Congo – boasting both African and European tours that have only slowed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, Les Mamans du Congo continue to hone their craft as they also give back to the community by way – not just music, but food and supply distribution.

The all-female band is set to release their first single in late November and the ladies also look forward to going back on tour post-pandemic.

Make sure to listen and support their music here: Facebook ,  Youtube

Source
AfricaNews