Fua Dia Kongo

06/09/2026

Thank you so much for attending the Dizi in honor of Uncle Ferdinand "Mâ Nkaba" Batantou over the weekend. Thank you for your support of all kinds including your generous contributions. The fundraiser is still open for those who wish to give. Proceeds will go to Uncle Batantou's family, on behalf of all of his students, loved ones and friends here in the US. Matondo 🌿

https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-fua-dia-kongo

06/04/2026

The entire Kongolese artist community worldwide is mourning the loss of our beloved teacher, mentor, cultural architect, composer and master drummer, Ferdinand "Mâ Nkaba" Batantou 🌿

This weekend is dedicated to celebrating his extraordinary life and legacy. Please see all the opportunities to gather, remember, honor, and celebrate 🌿

If Uncle Batantou touched your life in any way, please consider making a contribution to support his family in France as they prepare to lay him to rest. It is one final gift from us, his extended family and friends here in the United States 🌿

https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-fua-dia-kongo

Yenda kia Mboté (Go In Peace) Teacher 🌿

06/02/2026

Many of us are still struggling to find the words.

For those who have asked how they can help, we have established this GoFundMe so that Uncle Batantou's students, friends, and artistic community here in the United States can come together in gratitude for all that he shared with us and extend a collective gesture of love and support to his family during this difficult time.

If Uncle Batantou touched your life, we invite you to contribute if you are able and to share this fundraiser with others whose lives were enriched by his gifts, teachings, and generosity.

We are also working to finalize plans for a Dizi this weekend and will share details as soon as they are confirmed.

Thank you.

Dear Community, There are some losses that rock us to our core… Fua Dia Kongo needs your support for In Loving Memory of Ferdinand "Mâ Nkaba" Batantou

05/31/2026

With profound sadness, Fua Dia Kongo joins the Batantou family and the global Kongolese cultural community in mourning the passing of Master Drummer, Composer, and Master Teacher Ferdinand "Mâ Nkaba" Batantou.

A rhythmic architect whose influence can be heard through generations of Kongolese drum masters, Uncle Batantou helped shape the sound, spirit, and standard of our tradition. A beloved mainstay of our Congolese Dance & Drum Workshop for decades, he inspired legions of drum students from around the world to dig deeper, unearthing strength they didn't know they possessed while imparting powerful life lessons along the way.

His teachings, compositions, and unwavering commitment to excellence live on in the many hands and hearts he touched throughout his lifetime.

We extend our deepest condolences to his immediate family, loved ones, students around the world, and the global Kongolese cultural community.

Yenda Kia Mboté, Teacher.

You changed the world for the better.

You will never be forgotten.

— Fua Dia Kongo

02/26/2026

For Tata Sandor Diabankouezi.
February 26.

One year since your footsteps lifted from this earth.

A lifetime of knowledge moved through you.
Worlds of ancient wisdom lived in your body.

And there was space.

Your knowing was offered generously—
with patience,
with care,
with grace.

Always available.
Always present.

A pioneer.
A master whose knowledge bloomed in the lives of others.

What you shared took root—
through doing,
through showing,
through being.

To be so vast,
and still make space.

You did not center the gift.
You centered the giving.

And so… what you shared, we carry forward.
In love, always.

Matondo.

01/06/2026

This is your official invitation to return to the dance in 2026.
— Winter 2026

The Kongo Class Pass offers access to 11 Kongolese Dance classes between January 11 and March 31, 2026, offered at a seasonal rate that makes returning week after week a little easier.

If dance is one of your places of joy, this is a sign to make space for it.

Consider this your appointment with joy every Saturday at 1pm.

Kongo Joy 🌿 Kongo Peace 🌿 Kongo Nourishment

Purchase your pass today—sale ends Saturday, January 11, 2026.

11/05/2025

Today, we honor the pulse of memory — a digital offering for visionary Ta Malonga Casquelourd. With deep gratitude to Visionary and Curator , whose spirit-led artistry and vision guide this sacred remembrance. Gather with us in ancestral reflection at the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/

🎥 "Suite Remembrance" | Curator: nzoCALIFAncestry — A Digital Divine Offering in Atonement & Kinship
🗓️ Streaming Live: November 5, 2025 | Now – 11:11 PM (PST)
An Ancestral Crown Day Salute to Visionary Pioneer Ta Malonga Casquelourd (Nov. 5, 1947 – June 15, 2003), Suite Remembrance gathers the Commune+Unity in a collective act of Ancestral remembrance and shared Cultural kinship exchange.

Curated by , this digital uploading—woven by impromptu—livestreams archival performance, sound, movement, and story. It highlights Fua Dia Kongo and the kinship builders, artists, and culture bearers, offering a reflective glimpse into the sustenance of the Malonga legacy.

Integral to the stream is nzoCALIFAncestry’s mission: advancing genealogical research, field study, and ancestral healing as vital threads in the living continuum of cultural preservation.

🕊️ Suite Remembrance is a living archive of devotion, honoring communal inheritance in a cyclical kinnecton of Ancestral healing.

03/22/2025

🚨 No Kongolese Dance Class This Saturday (3/22/25) 🚨

Dear community, there will be no class this Saturday as we continue to navigate the ongoing closure of The Malonga Casquelourd Center for The Arts due to long-overdue and much-needed repairs.

💃🏾 Class will resume next Saturday (3/29/25) — stay tuned for a location announcement early next week!

When we invoke the name Malonga, we are calling forth a legacy rooted in spirit, service, and the sacrifice of self for the greater good — a name that carries the weight of healing, upliftment, reconnection, and the restoration of community. Thank you for standing with us as we work to carry forward the legacy of Malonga — both the pioneering artist, leader, and culture keeper, and the cultural home that bears his name.

Now more than ever, we need your advocacy and support to ensure that our city officials take meaningful steps and decisive action to reopen, repair, and revitalize this vital healing space in our community — The Malonga Casquelourd Center for The Arts.

💥 CALL TO ACTION 💥
We’re calling on all Oakland residents — and anyone who has ever danced, drummed, or felt inspired within Malonga’s walls — to take the following steps:

📨 Send a letter of support to your Oakland City Council District Representative (template here: https://bit.ly/MalongaAction )

📩 CC the Interim Mayor and Councilmember Carroll Fife on all communications

🌍 Not an Oakland resident? You can still make your voice heard! Send a letter to the Mayor’s office identifying your city and the classes you’ve taken at The Malonga Center.

📣 Spread the word to your networks — every voice counts!

🔍 Find your district here:
https://oakgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=da589a352c8641459af8a0f890398d44

📇 City officials' contact info:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/officials

Let’s come together to uplift this space that has nurtured generations of artists, healers, and culture keepers.

Your voice matters. Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. ✊🏾