“Patrice Emery Lumumba in Caribbean Literature, Music and Film”

Lumumba (1926-1961) is acknowledged as the national hero of the Democratic Republic of Congo independence. His fight against colonialism fascinated Africa and the World so that he became an icon for the Blacks and the Third World. Soon after his death a university was named after his name in the former Soviet Union of Socialist Republics. Writers, historians, thinkers dedicated many works to his life and thought. In the Caribbean Mighty Sparrow wrote an important song titled Lumumba which was successful in the sixties. The Martiniquan poet and politician Aimé Césaire published a play Une saison au Congo to retrace the story of Lumumba’s death. He described the difficult start of the Congo as an independent nation; he examined the roots of the troubles and tribal rebellions that took place in the D R Congo after independence showing how visionary Lumumba was. Lumumba belongs to Césaire’s pantheon of great men such as Caliban, King Christopher or Toussaint Louverture. 

The Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck has made a documentary and a feature movie on Lumumba in which he insists on the political and ideological aspects of Lumumba’s destiny. Lumumba, la mort d’un prophète (Lumumba, the death of a prophet, 1992) is “a creative documentary where biography and history, stories and archives create a frame around the figure of Lumumba, his political assassination, media and memory. It is a unique opportunity to examine, 50 years later, the life and legend of Lumumba.” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumumba  )

Lumumba (2000) looks into the historical role played by Lumumba in the destiny of the RD Congo. It finishes with the rise of Mobutu as president of the country.

I would like to articulate my reflections on various topics: what is the aim of these creative representations? What is the implication of a heroic figure in creative arts? If Lumumba can be considered as a model, a reference, an ideal figure of liberty, development, and humanism, what does this mean for Africa and its Diaspora? One thing is sure, as A. Césaire said: it is a “devoir de mémoire” to give an account of Lumumba’s history and tragedy. Lumumba was indeed a man of powerful vision and inspiration for a wide generation of young people. His thought needs to be explored and positively valued. Literature, music and film form the best means to exploit his vision and ideologically spread the news that Africans and people of African descent have their own authentic and valuable heroes. 

Kahiudi C. Mabana