The relations of famend Congolese guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo have disclosed that they’re enduring immense struggling and indignity following the lengthy wait for presidency help for his burial, practically seven months after his passing.
Lokassa ya Mbongo’s stays are presently held in a Kinshasa morgue, having been introduced again from the USA to meet his need to be laid to relaxation in his homeland.
André Marie Lokassa, the son of the late Lokassa ya Mbongo, expressed disappointment that the federal government had did not honor a pledge to rearrange a becoming funeral for the music icon. A neighborhood charity for artists nevertheless attributed the delay to household disputes.
Magloire Paluku, a communication official on the Ministry of Tradition, Arts, and Heritage, has declined to touch upon the difficulty, tersely including that inquiries needs to be directed to the household.
André Marie Lokassa revealed that the household has introduced a $75,000 funds request to the federal government for funeral bills, however it’s pending approval, leaving the household in a state of uncertainty.
“It’s humiliation if we should name it that,” André Marie Lokassa advised the BBC. He added that the extended delay in organizing the funeral was creating rigidity throughout the household. With the morgue bills exceeding $4,000, the household goals to put his father to relaxation by mid-October, even when authorities help doesn’t materialize. He hinted at the opportunity of implementing another plan if the scenario persists.
Lokassa ya Mbongo, born Denis Kasiya Lokassa, handed away on the age of 77 on account of issues arising from diabetes and a gentle stroke he endured in 2020. Famend as one of many Democratic Republic of Congo’s high rhythm guitarists, he spent nearly all of his profession in Paris, France, the place he headed the Soukous Stars band since 1984.
Lokassa ya Mbongo later collaborated with singer Sam Mangwana in Ivory Coast to determine the African All Stars. His notable musical legacy contains well-loved compositions like “Bonne Annee,” “Monica,” “Marie-Josse,” “Lagos Evening,” and “Nairobi Evening.” After residing in the USA from 1996 till his passing in March, his stays had been transported to the Democratic Republic of Congo the next month.
Artist in Hazard, a charity group supporting artists within the Democratic Republic of Congo, countered claims that the federal government was accountable for the delayed funeral of Lokassa ya Mbongo. Tsaka Kongo, the group’s chief, indicated that the delay stemmed from household disagreements concerning who ought to oversee the burial preparations. He stated that the household wanted to submit a letter to authorities, expressing their dedication to resolve disputes and allow the federal government to coordinate the burial proceedings.
“I approached Lokassa’s household to assist them expedite the funeral course of however they wished to proceed alone, which I complied with. The [burial] delay is surprising, my want is {that a} resolution is discovered as quickly as potential,” Kongo added.
