Mangbetu Dancers By Casimir Zagourski
Mangbetu may refer to: *Mangbetu people, a people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo *Mangbetu language, one of the most populous of the Central Sudanic languages * Mangbetu languages The Mangbetu–Asoa or Mangbetu languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The languages are Mangbetu, spoken by perhaps a million people, and the smal ...

Mangbetu People
The Mangbetu are a Central Sudanic ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, living in the northeastern province of Haut-Uele. Culture The Mangbetu are known for their highly developed art and music. One instrument associated with and named after them is the Mangbetu harp or guitar. Sethe National Music Museumanfor images. One harp has sold for over $100,000. Musicologists have also sought out the Mangbetu to make video and audio recordings of their music. The Mangbetu stood out to European colonists because of their elongated heads. Traditionally, babies' heads were wrapped tightly with cloth in order to give them this distinctive appearance. The practice, called Lipombo, began dying out in the 1950s with the arrival of more Europeans and westernization. Because of this distinctive look, it is easy to recognize Mangbetu figures in African art. History The Mangbetu originally came from south Sudan and migrated south to their current location in AD1000. Whe ...
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Mangbetu Language
Mangbetu, or ''Nemangbetu,'' is one of the most populous of the Central Sudanic languages. It is spoken by the Mangbetu people of northeastern Congo. It, or its speakers, are also known as ''Amangbetu, Kingbetu, Mambetto.'' The most populous dialect, and the one most widely understood, is called Medje. Others are Aberu (Nabulu), Makere, Malele, Popoi (Mapopoi). The most divergent is Lombi; ''Ethnologue'' treats it as a distinct language. About half of the population speaks Bangala, a trade language similar to Lingala, and in southern areas some speak Swahili. The Mangbetu live in association with the Asua Pygmies, and their languages are closely related. Dialects Mangbetu dialects and locations as listed by Demolin (1992): *''Mangbetu proper'' is spoken north of Isiro, in the subregion of Haut-Uele and north of the Bomokandi River. It is found in Nangazizi and Rungu in the collectivité of Azanga, Ganga in the collectivité of Okondo, Tapili in the collectivité of Mangb ...
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