The Lunda

The Lunda are dignified people, powerful and faithful to their traditions. Their civilisation was one of the largest in Africa in the 18th and mid-19th century, and it remains vibrant in the 21st. In Musumba, their imperial capital located in the South of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lunda rites continue to be practiced with fervour by the population, and the dynasty of kings still holds renowned traditional authority. The Italian photographer Angelo Turconi, who is well acquainted with the region, wanted to show the vitality of these Bantu people, who maintain a strong attachment to their culture and social structure despite the border divisions which occurred during the colonisation period. Together with John Anthony, also a photographer, and anthropologist Manuela Palmeirim, who has authored a documented study on the Lunda culture, Turconi takes us on a journey to a part of Africa which preserves many ancient traditions and yet is firmly rooted in the present.