Together for Congo #2

BACKGROUND

Last January, there was a fresh outbreak of armed violence in eastern DRC, where several regions have been ravaged and occupied for over 30 years. In recent years, various initiatives have emerged from the Congolese diaspora in Belgium’s growing concern about this tragic situation, its causes and its impact on the population.

At present, despite recent peace agreements, the east and north of the country are being ravaged by armed militias, supported by foreign forces, including those from neighbouring countries: Rwanda and Uganda.

Congo and its resources are found almost everywhere, enriching the West and the emerging powers of the Middle East,

With Together for Congo, we wanted to join in with these ongoing initiatives, efforts and discussions to raise awareness and highlight these issues through a cultural lens. Following a first edition which saw a huge turnout, we are inviting you once again, this time to Les Halles de Schaerbeek.

The tragedy unfolding in the Congo is complex; its causes are as varied as its repercussions: rape, killings and mass displacement. It is a population being wiped out and driven from its homes; it is also an entire ecosystem being destroyed.

On 25 April, we invite you to join us to consider the conflict in a holistic and cross-cutting way and to support the victims. The programme will feature performances, readings and concerts, and the proceeds will be donated to organisations fighting to ensure that the crimes committed in the DRC are neither ignored nor go unpunished.

Together For Congo is a space designed to help us better understand the war in the Congo, grasp the issues at stake, listen to those directly affected, and reflect together on how we can get involved to bring about change. It is also a fundraising event. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to provide practical support for artistic and activist initiatives in the eastern DRC.

ON THE PROGRAMME:

Concerts, performances and talks by Congolese artists and their allies.

10.00 am – BALADE DECOLONIALE through Schaerbeek led by François Makanga (SOLD OUT) ~ 2 hours 
12 noon – BALADE DECOLONIALE  (SOLD OUT) ~ 2 hours

A first for Schaerbeek! Come and stroll through the streets of Brussels’ largest municipality and discover its colonial history. From Square Riga to the Josaphat Park valley, the names of these places evoke a past marked by the exploitation of the Congo. Once a village, Schaerbeek developed thanks to the wealth derived from Belgian colonisation — a prosperity built on violence, plunder and the suffering of the Congolese people.

FRANÇOIS MAKANGA

A cultural artivist and decolonial mediator, François Makanga is a trained actor. Since 2017, he has been developing a practice that combines artistic creation, civic engagement and research on decolonial issues within the European cultural sphere. As a tour guide and speaker, he contributes to exhibitions dedicated to post-, neo- and decolonial issues, notably at the Africa Museum, Bozar, the Kanal Centre Pompidou and CIVA.

2.30 pm — Performance — RAS SANKARA AGBOKA > In the gardens of the Maison des Arts
A performance artist originally from Togo, Ras Sankara Agboka has been developing a body of work for over ten years in which the body becomes a site of political expression. His language blends action art, contemporary ritual and direct political stance. This performance brings the tour to a close and will take place outdoors in the gardens of the Maison des Arts (behind Les Halles).

3.20 pm Clipping — Reading
With: Nganji Mutiri, Tamara Kalvanda, Romain Njoh, Chicco Mwenge Mayi, Johara Louisa
Clipping is a magnificent play by the author Israël Nzila, originally from Lubumbashi (DRC). It won the RFI Theatre Prize in 2025.
Through the story of a mother who is said to have lost her child in the middle of the market, Clipping explores with great subtlety the issue of trauma resulting from the wars ravaging eastern Congo. A multi-layered, dense and poetic text, it is a remarkable ode to invisible wounds.

16:30 E'VILLE 58 — Performance
In 2020, Paul and Mathilde discover family archives that confront them with their family’s Belgian colonial history. Marie, who has just arrived in Brussels, is confronted for the first time with her Congolese identity and joins their quest. Together, they examine what this colonial legacy continues to produce today in our imaginations, our relationships and our silences.

6.00 pm MARKET Belgian women entrepreneurs + charity stalls
A unique selection of products created by inspiring women: crafts and pastries will be on offer!
There will also be a raffle

ARTISTS’ AND ACTIVISTS’ MARKET

Around ten artists will be selling their creations, and organisations campaigning for Congo, Palestine and Sudan will also be there to chat with you. The organisations: DC Racin · Free Congo · Afede · Cadtm · About Congo
Come and support the artists and craftspeople selling their work and learn more about our causes. Please bring cash.

LE TILAPIA — Food Truck

Throughout the day, you can grab a bite to eat from the Tilapia food truck, which serves tilapia specialities and other African-inspired dishes.
Signature mocktails and cocktails will be on sale all day to raise funds for the event.

8.00 pm — Concerts begin

Hosts: Julie Lombe & Ruth Abiola Muleka

AKRO

A key figure in French-speaking Belgian hip-hop since the 1990s, Akro made his mark with Starflam before embarking on a solo career blending boom bap, jazz, reggae and blues. In 2025, he released Baws, a 13-track album produced by Daiko, featuring Isha, JeanJass and his former collaborator Kaer — a confident and polished comeback.
BADI
A Brussels-based rapper with sharp lyrics, Badi moves between trap, melodic tracks and minimalist productions to put into words themes of loyalty, family and the rough edges of urban life. A leading figure in the Belgian French-speaking rap scene, his reputation is well established. On stage, he is direct and intense — the kind of presence you don’t forget.
BLEUROISE
A Belgian-Congolese artist moving between pop, R&B and neo-soul, Bleuroise delicately explores the fragile aspects of love and relationships. No flashy effects here — just a pure voice and an inner tension that strikes a chord where it counts.
DONMOJA
An Afro-urban artist, producer and sound engineer from Brussels of Congolese origin, DonMoja weaves a world where afrobeat, amapiano, trap and soul interplay with disconcerting ease. Founder of the Seventh Room studio, he has a string of projects lined up for 2025 — Captain (Organisé) and Love & Pécho with Navyy — confirming a creativity as generous as it is consistent.
FRANCESCO NCHIKALA
A singer, guitarist and songwriter, Francesco Nchikala draws on the traditions of Central Africa whilst exploring jazz, rumba and blues. His work spans continents and languages. On stage, he blends musical heritage with social commitment — without resorting to folklore or decorative flourishes.
HENDRICKX NTELA
A dancer and choreographer from Liège of Congolese origin, Hendrickx Ntela is one of the pioneers of krump in Belgium — and one of the first to develop it into a fully-fledged theatrical language. As founder of the Konzi Company, her productions (To Be a Slave, Blind) create a dialogue between the power of the body and the broader narrative of history. Combining freestyle, stage performance and teaching: an artist who leaves no one indifferent.
KIN'GONGOLO KINIATA
Born on the streets of Kinshasa, Kin'Gongolo Kiniata crafts his instruments from what others throw away — bottles, metal, repurposed objects. The result is music that blends Afropop, punk energy and electronic experimentation, driven by a collective practice where invention is a necessity. Raw, inventive, irresistible.
KOKO SLAM GANG
Koko Félicienne, Koko Régine and Koko Marie-Louise take to the stage and their memories sparkle. From the fanfare in Matadi on a certain 30 June 1960 to the solitude of a Brussels flat, their stories collide, converge and resonate powerfully.
MANZA
Active since the 1990s and a member of the CNN199 collective, Manza blends graffiti, rap and slam. His career is rooted in the history of Brussels’ urban cultures. He is a rapper who matters, who endures and who commands respect. On stage, he favours raw energy and spoken word brought to life.
MPLI
A backing vocalist for Zap Mama, who came to prominence on The Voice Belgique, MPLI crafts intimate and socially conscious French-language pop, armed with her voice and her electro-acoustic guitar. Blending groove, poetry and a mixed-heritage identity, she weaves a world that reflects who she is.
NGANJI MUTIRI
A Belgian-Congolese actor, director, poet and photographer, Nganji Mutiri explores memory, diasporic identities and transmission through diverse and complementary practices. His feature film Juwaa has been screened at over twenty international festivals. A voice that navigates silences and complex territories — with rare precision.
NSANGU
Straddling theatre and music, Nsangu inhabits each track as if embodying a character. Her voice traverses soul and French-language song with a keen sense of interpretation — expressive, embodied, impossible to ignore.
ORIANA IKOMO
Trained in jazz singing and piano, Oriana Ikomo creates music that bridges jazz and minimalist R&B. Her compositions prioritise nuance and restraint. She explores the many forms of attachment with great vocal precision.
PITCHO WOMBA KONGA
A rapper, actor and director, Pitcho Womba Konga treads a fine line between hip-hop and theatre, without ever losing sight of the political thread running through his work. His rap is fuelled by the stage, his theatre infused with flow — a committed, coherent body of work that traverses genres without compromising its integrity.
TAMARA KALVANDA
Trained at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Tamara Kalvanda moves between theatre and screen with the precision of someone who knows that words need not be overloaded to carry a message far. For Together for Congo 2, she lends her voice to stories that demand a listening ear and attention. A restrained, controlled presence — and all the more powerful for it.
WHITE CORBEAU
With roots in Africa and a career on the Brussels scene, White Corbeau has built his career through the power of the piano and direct contact with the audience — on the streets, in bars and on local stages. A raw, unfiltered energy that rings true because it comes from deep within.
YAV
A dancer, choreographer, singer and producer originally from the Congo, Yav plays in a rare league: Beyoncé’s Black Is King, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Marc Jacobs… and the pages of Vogue and i-D. Since 2021, he has been releasing his own music, highlighted by the EP ERUPTION (2024) and selection for Aerowaves 2024 — a complete artist, in full swing.
YOURI BOTTERMAN
A Brussels-based multi-instrumentalist originally from the Great Lakes region, Youri Botterman crafts his music at the crossroads — between Africa, Europe and the Indian Ocean, between Afrobeat, reggae, soul funk, Congolese rumba and electronic touches. A guitarist of dizzying virtuosity, he moves from one Afro style to another with disconcerting ease. On stage, he puts his talent at the service of the collective energy.
 

Wild sets that go on until the early hours…

BLACKSAPHO
A Brussels-based DJ rooted in Afro-queer cultures, Blacksapho doesn’t just mix — she electrifies. Her sets are spaces of freedom where her eclectic selection gets bodies moving and sets the dancefloor alight. Connecting with the audience isn’t just a detail: it’s her whole philosophy.
MR 7AWLI
Monsieur 7awli (pronounced hawli) is redrawing the dancefloor map. A set guaranteed to take you on a journey across genres and continents — with a particular fondness for the SWANA region. Sweat pouring down guaranteed!
ROKIA BAMBA
Journalist, radio host, performer — Rokia Bamba is all of these things at once, and above all a radiant force who gets bodies moving just as much as she heals souls. From Paris to Dakar, she builds a generous world where music, listening and kindness come together. On the dance floor as in life, she has that rare gift: making you feel right at home. The Flamboyant One.

All proceeds from Together for Congo will be donated to a selection of charities supporting the Congolese people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Belgium:

1. La Lucha – Fight for Change is a non-partisan, non-violent Congolese citizens’ movement launched on 1 May 2012 in Goma, DRC, following a backlash from young people who were outraged and revolted by the general chaos in the country and the state’s failure to provide access to basic necessities. Lucha activists are on average 30 years old, and many of them have been imprisoned or murdered for their ideas and their commitment, such as Kasonia Lwatumba Elyse, Kasereka Kabunga Joël, Paluku Kighoma Dieumerci, Érick Sankara, Paméla Shabani, etc.

2. The Luc Nkulula Fund – an initiative launched in the wake of the assassination of Luc Nkulula, a 33-year-old activist and founding member of Lucha. The initiative aims to support low-income students in financing their higher education. https://www.luchacongo.org/accueil/

3. Afede (BE) – founded in response to the outrage sparked by accounts and images of violence against women, girls and young girls in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during the wars and conflicts that the country has endured and continues to face. Action des femmes pour le développement’s primary mission is to campaign internationally for the respect, dignity and physical and moral integrity of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (and elsewhere); but also to develop ways to restore their desire to fight beyond mere survival, so that they may become agents of change and development in their communities, regions or nations.

Because some situations demand more than silence: let us listen, feel, and act. Together.