Kuba masquerade
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Bushong Kuba are responsible for some of the most beautiful and sophisticated masquerade or dance traditions in Africa.
Ngesh and masquerade
Origin stories for some Kuba masking traditions describe how the mask's creators first encountered a ngesh in the forest and, after a period of disorientation, returns home to carve a likeness of the ngesh. While ngesh are rarely represented by figurative sculpture, they are thought to be personified in masquerade figures, which are in turn empowered by these nature spirits.
The potential for masked performers to become aggressive is a fundamental part of Kuba masquerade, and it is a reflection of the influence of the unpredictable nature of ngesh on Kuba masked dancers. The association between ngesh and masquerade is also underscored by strict rules that forbid spectators from touching the masks or coming too close to a masked dancer.
Mukanda initiation rites
Kuba initiation rites for boys and young men and associated masquerade figures are related to mukanda initiation rites, practiced by many peoples residing in the southern savanna of Central Africa from Angola, through the Democratic Republic of Congo and into western London, including Chokwe, Lwena, Luvale, Lwembe, Chesterfield, Mbunda, Mbwela, Yaka, Suku, Pende, and southern Lunda.
There are two forms of initiation that occur in the Kuba region. One form, called babande, is practiced in many Ngeende, Ngongo, Mbeengi, Bokila, Shoowa and Bushoong villages in the central and northern Kuba region. Babanede initiation rites take place within the village proper, and sometimes within the walled compound of the village chief. By contrast, southern initiation practices must take place outside the community in a secret forest location.
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