Prince Kwete of Bakuba Kingdom in DR Congo poses next to his father’s photo during the 40th Anniversary of African Heritage at the Alliance Francaise, Nairobi, last week.
Coming from a kingdom that dates back nine centuries and is nestled deep in the heart of the Central African rainforest in the Congo, Prince Guy Kwete is next in line to succeed his father, the King of Kuba, KotMbweki III.
The issue of succession is a sensitive topic in Kubaland since Kwete is his father’s third born son.
But he is also the first son to study abroad, first in Paris, then in the US at the University of Southern California, and most recently in the UK where he studied International Relations at the London School of Economics.
Kwete is a thoroughly modern prince who feels at home anywhere in the world, not only because he’s been groomed from birth to be African nobility, but also because wherever he goes, members of the royal entourage accompany him, ensuring his protection as well as the preservation of the age-old Kuba culture.
Kuba culture is so strong and deep and democratically structured, says the prince, that it withstood the onslaught of the Belgians, the corrupting influence of Mobutu Sese Seko and multiple threats of conflict that have historically troubled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire.
It was only in 1997 when marauding militias came to Kubaland and ransacked the kingdom that tragedy hit these gentle, peace loving people who are yet to fully recover from the cruel realities of war.
Yet in spite of ravages of war, the Kuba people have continued to create their classic raffia textiles, which historically inspired modern artists like Matisse and Picasso and helped shape the 20th century modernist sensibility.
Prince Kwete recently witnessed the resilience of his people’s culture when he escorted a crew of camera women all around Kubaland.
Having travelled throughout the kingdom with his father every year since he could walk, Kwete was accustomed to the rousing royal ceremonial receptions he received when he took photographers Carol Beckwith, Angela Fisher and independent filmmaker Kire Godal on a three week tour of countless villages on the far edges of Kubaland late last year.
The Kuba people are understandably protective of their culture, given their experience of foreigners from the West, especially those, like the Belgians, British, French and Americans, who walked away with the Kuba’s sacred ancestral sculptures.
Each stolen hand-carved statue, known as a ndop represents one of Kuba’s more than 125 kings.
Yet Western museums take pride in showing off the elements of Kuba culture they managed to swipe from the royal coffers.
The British Museum in London, for instance, has four ndops, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has one, and according to the prince, ndops are also on display in Paris, Brussels and even Oslo, Norway.
Enlightened
Balancing tradition and modernity has been one of the living legacies that Kwete’s 67-year-old father is leaving to his son -- a challenge Kwete accepts wholeheartedly.
His main aim is to promote sustainable development of his kingdom through education, enlightened policies and partnerships with governments and global bodies that can help to preserve Kuba’s culture and identity.
Currently based in Brussels, Kwete is constantly in talks either with the European Union, United Nations agencies or people like Beckwith, Fisher and Godal who plan to promote Kuba culture through their photography and film.
Prince Kwete also accompanied the female trio to Kenya last week to be part of the opening of African Heritage’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, including the launch of Beckwith and Fisher’s latest book on the Dinka of Southern Sudan.
With plans to include images of Kuba culture in their forthcoming volumes of African Ceremonies (Vol. 1 and 2 already exist), Beckwith and Fisher have been intrigued by the Kuba kingdom for almost as long as they have been making photography books on indigenous African cultures, that is, since the 1970s.
It was their chance encounter with Kwete at London’s October Gallery that led to the life-transforming experience of their traveling by Land Rover across Kubaland and witnessing the incredibly elaborate costuming, customs and ceremonies of the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Kwete has also set up his own school and charity catering for the needs of orphaned or abandone dchildren.
L’area stands for Áction recuperation enfant abondonnee and is a reflection of the rapidly changing needs of the Kuba people.
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