Boat Party

These young men are traveling on a small boat from Inongo, on Lac Mai Ndombe, to Kinshasa the capital of Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). They are singing, drinking, and having a good time on the roof of the vessel. The man barely seen on the right is dancing to the home made rhythms tapped out with spoons and sticks on beer bottles and metal objects.

The hold, packed to the gills with sacks of manioc, corn, smoked meat from the forest, and live goats and chickens was dirty and hot. That meant that the cooler roof was an ideal place to party and even lay out a mat for sleeping. Most of the people down below were the women who stayed there to keep an eye on their wares. They made a living selling rural products in Kinshasa. The women then purchased cloth, soap, matches, and medicine to return and sell in the villages.

The men in the photo were looking for family and/or school or employment in the capital city. Kinshasa was a magnet for villagers who had heard that its streets where paved in gold.

Photo by: L. Tembe