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New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
French dictionary faces backlash over Congolese banana-leaf dish
KINSHASA: Diners flock to the terrace of Mother Antho Aembe's restaurant in downtown Kinshasa to enjoy "liboke", blissfully unaware of the linguistic brouhaha surrounding the Democratic Republic of Congo's national dish. Made by grilling fish from the mighty River Congo wrapped in a banana-leaf parcel with spices, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and chillies, liboke enjoys cult status across the central African country. But liboke's inclusion in one of France's top dictionaries has upset Congolese intellectuals, who say its compilers have failed to capture the full meaning of a word derived from the local Lingala language and closely associated with national identity. The Petit Larousse dictionary – an encyclopaedic tome considered a foremost reference on the French language – announced in May it was including liboke in its 2026 edition. Its definition: "a dish made from fish or meat, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over charcoal." Tucking into a plate on the terrace in the city centre, civil servant Patrick Bewa said it was a "source of pride" that liboke had made it into the leading French dictionary. "We love it, it's really a typically African and Congolese meal," he said. "With the smoky flavour which takes on the aroma of the leaf, it's an inimitable taste. You have to taste it to believe it." But some scholars argue that the definition was compiled in Paris by the Academie francaise (French Academy), the chief arbiter on matters pertaining to the French language, without doing justice to liboke's original meanings. Referring only to liboke as food is "very reductive", argued Moise Edimo Lumbidi, a cultural promoter and teacher of Lingala, one of scores of languages spoken in the DRC where French remains the official language. Under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, whose rise to power was helped by former colonial master Belgium and whose kleptocratic rule was backed by the United States as a bulwark against Cold War communism, liboke was even part of the national slogan. "Tolingi Zaire liboke moko, lisanga moko," was a rallying cry, meaning: "We want a united and undivided Zaire", the former name for the DRC during Mobutu's 32 years in power. "I'm not happy about restricting this precious word, so essential to our culture... liboke moko, it's above all that communion, that national unity," writer and former international cooperation minister Pepin Guillaume Manjolo told AFP. "Limiting it to its culinary aspects may be all very well for the French, but for us it will not do." The Petit Larousse should have drawn up the definition by consulting the literary academies of the DRC and its neighbour the Republic of Congo, as the region where the word originated, he said. AFP contacted the publishers of the Petit Larousse dictionary for comment but did not receive an immediate response. Edimo, the language teacher, explained that in Lingala, liboke means "a little group." While liboke's inclusion in the dictionary is a good thing, Edimo said, Larousse's compilers should "deepen their research so as to give us the true etymology of the word." That would be "a way for them to express their respect for our culture", he added.
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
French Dictionary Gets Bad Rap Over Congolese Banana Leaf Dish
Diners flock to the terrace of Mother Antho Aembe's restaurant in downtown Kinshasa to enjoy "liboke", blissfully unaware of the linguistic brouhaha surrounding the Democratic Republic of Congo's national dish. Made by grilling fish from the mighty River Congo wrapped in a banana-leaf parcel with spices, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and chillies, liboke enjoys cult status across the central African country. But liboke's inclusion in one of France's top dictionaries has upset Congolese intellectuals, who say its compilers have failed to capture the full meaning of a word derived from the local Lingala language and closely associated with national identity. The Petit Larousse dictionary -- an encyclopaedic tome considered a foremost reference on the French language -- announced in May it was including liboke in its 2026 edition. Its definition: "a dish made from fish or meat, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over charcoal." Tucking into a plate on the terrace in the city centre, civil servant Patrick Bewa said it was a "source of pride" that liboke had made it into the leading French dictionary. "We love it, it's really a typically African and Congolese meal," he said. "With the smoky flavour which takes on the aroma of the leaf, it's an inimitable taste. You have to taste it to believe it." But some scholars argue that the definition was compiled in Paris by the Academie francaise (French Academy), the chief arbiter on matters pertaining to the French language, without doing justice to liboke's original meanings. Referring only to liboke as food is "very reductive", argued Moise Edimo Lumbidi, a cultural promoter and teacher of Lingala, one of scores of languages spoken in the DRC where French remains the official language. Under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, whose rise to power was helped by former colonial master Belgium and whose kleptocratic rule was backed by the United States as a bulwark against Cold War communism, liboke was even part of the national slogan. "Tolingi Zaire liboke moko, lisanga moko," was a rallying cry, meaning: "We want a united and undivided Zaire", the former name for the DRC during Mobutu's 32 years in power. "I'm not happy about restricting this precious word, so essential to our culture... liboke moko, it's above all that communion, that national unity," writer and former international cooperation minister Pepin Guillaume Manjolo told AFP. "Limiting it to its culinary aspects may be all very well for the French, but for us it will not do." The Petit Larousse should have drawn up the definition by consulting the literary academies of the DRC and its neighbour the Republic of Congo, as the region where the word originated, he said. AFP contacted the publishers of the Petit Larousse dictionary for comment but did not receive an immediate response. Edimo, the language teacher, explained that in Lingala, liboke means "a little group". While liboke's inclusion in the dictionary is a good thing, Edimo said, Larousse's compilers should "deepen their research so as to give us the true etymology of the word". That would be "a way for them to express their respect for our culture", he added. At her restaurant in Kinshasa's upscale Gombe district, 41-year-old Mother Aembe was unaware of liboke's newfound literary status, but said she just hoped it would bring in more customers. The fish or meat is wrapped up with spices, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and chillies before grilling AFP Liboke vendors can be found all over Kinshasa AFP Congolese intellectuals are angry that a French dictionary has failed to capture the full meaning of liboke AFP
Morocco World
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Moroccan Author Zineb Mekouar Wins Henri de Régnier Prize from French Academy
Rabat – Moroccan writer Zineb Mekouar has won the prestigious Henri de Régnier Prize from the French Academy (Académie Française) for her second novel 'Souviens-toi des abeilles' ('Remember the Bees'), published by Gallimard. The award was announced on Thursday as part of the Academy's 2025 literary prize list. The Henri de Régnier Prize is given as support for literary creation. It is one of 71 prizes awarded this year by the French Academy to honor achievements in literature, poetry, history, philosophy, cinema, music, and more. 'I'm very moved to receive this beautiful prize, given by the French Academy, an institution I admire and respect immensely,' Mekouar said in a statement to Morocco's state news agency MAP. The author explained that the prize shines a light on both her writing and the themes explored in the novel, such as motherly love and the urgent need to care for the Earth. Set in the ancient collective beehive of Inzerki in Morocco, which is considered the world's oldest and largest traditional apiary, 'Souviens-toi des abeilles' also pays tribute to local Moroccan heritage. Mekouar dedicated this prize to the people of Inzerki, who she said welcomed her so warmly. The novel has already received acclaim in France for its poetic style and delicate treatment of climate change issues. It was one of the French Academy Goncourt's summer 2024 favorites and appeared on the first selection list for the 2024 Jean Giono Prize. In addition, 'Souviens-toi des abeilles' won the 2025 Folire Prize, which spotlights the connection between mental health and community life. Born in Casablanca in 1991, Mekouar has lived in Paris since 2009. Her first novel, 'La poule et son cumin' ('The Hen and Its Cumin'), published by JC Lattès in 2022, was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize for First Novels and was also selected as a summer favorite by the Goncourt Academy in 2022. Tags: AuthorZineb Mekouar
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Award-winning Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado dies at age 81, his institute says
Brazilian photographer and environmentalist Sebastião Salgado, known for his award-winning images of nature and humanity, has died at age 81. Instituto Terra, which was founded by him and his wife, confirmed the information Friday, but did not provide more details on the circumstances of Salgado's death or where it took place. The French Academy of Fine Arts, of which Salgado was a member, also confirmed his death. The photographer had suffered from various health problems for many years after contracting malaria in the 1990s. 'Sebastião was more than one of the best photographers of our time,' Instituto Terra said in a statement. 'His lense revealed the world and its contradictions; his life, (brought) the power of transformative action.' 'We will continue to honor his legacy, cultivating the land, the justice and the beauty that he so deeply believed could be restored,' it added. One of Brazil's most famous artists, Salgado's life and work were portrayed in the documentary film 'The Salt of the Earth' (2014), co-directed by Wim Wenders and his son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. He received a number of awards, and was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in the United States in 1992 and to the French Academy of Fine Arts in 2016. Born in the city of Aimores, in the countryside of the Minas Gerais state in Brazil, Salgado moved to France in 1969 as Brazil endured a military dictatorship. He started to fully dedicate his time to photography in 1973, years after his economics degree. His style is marked by black-and-white imagery, rich tonality, and emotionally-charged scenarios. Impoverished communities were among his main interests. Among his main works are the recent series 'Amazonia;" 'Workers' which shows manual labor around the world; and 'Exodus' (also known as 'Migrations' or 'Sahel'), which documents people in transit, including refugees and slum residents. Salgado and his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, founded Amazonas Images, an agency that exclusively handles his work. He is also survived by his sons Juliano and Rodrigo. Brazilian newspaper Folha de which published several works of Salgado over the last decades, said he recently cancelled a meeting with journalists in the French city of Reims due to health problems. He was scheduled to attend an exhibition with works by his son Rodrigo on Saturday, the daily reported. ___ AP journalist Eleonore Hughes contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.
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Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Haitian author Laferrière celebrates French language in Miami appearances this weekend
Before he became an offiicial guardian of the French language, the exiled Haitian journalist-turned novelist Dany Laferrière called Miami home. From the colorful vibes and vibrancy of the community, so close to his childhood home in Haiti, Laferrière wrote 10 novels. In fact of his 16 books on Haiti, a dozen were written in Miami, where he encountered people from his childhood in Petit-Goâve and Port-au-Prince. Among them was his mother's seamstress, an encounter he recalled in a piece last year as he reflected on the gang horror in his homeland. It was a rare insight for an author who admits to not taking the expected path and prefers to combat horror by opposing it 'with beauty and tenderness.' Laferrière, 71, is back in Miami this week, celebrating the French language with two public events as part of Francophonie month. Now a celebrated author and one of the so-called 'immortals' with his historic 2013 election into the French Academy — the main authority on the French language — Laferrière is claimed by both Haiti and Canada. Laferrière will mark International Day of La Francophone with a visit at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Terrace, in Miami at 5 p.m. Saturday. While free, registration at eventbrite is required. If you miss him in Little Haiti, where he will be discussing some of his 38 books and celebrating French, which is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide, you can catch him at 7 p.m. Monday at Books & Books in Coral Gables. An Evening with Dany Laferrière is free and open to the public. The tour is part of an effort to promote intercultural dialogue and is sponsored by the consulate generals of Canada, Haiti and France in Miami, the Office of the Government of Quebec in Miami and the Alliance Francaise. In a piece he wrote last year reflecting on the tragedy of Haiti, Laferrière, whose father was also forced to live in exile, recalled his mother's determination for him to receive an education and how she carried herself with grace despite the problems around her. 'Here we are once again on the edge of the precipice, and it seems that all we can think about is forms of power,' he wrote. He recalled meeting his mother's seamstress in Miami and how she informed him about how his mother, Marie, had made it 'a point of honor to ensure that the inside of her dress was as delicately made as the outside, even if it meant paying double the price.' 'And yet, she was a poor woman whose husband had lived in exile for decades, and who had to raise two children alone. Situations like this are common in this country,' he said. 'For all those who see no connection between this art of living I'm publishing today and who find me casual and carefree in the face of tragedy, I am a couturier trying to make a garment whose inside is as neat as the outside, to fulfill my mother's injunction about dignity,' Laferrière wrote. Laferrière has developed a large following of his works, which blend humor, reflection and poetry and keeps Haitian culture and French literature alive. He received the 2006 Governor General Literary Award winner for his book Je suis fou de Vava. His debut 1985 novel, 'How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired,' a satirical exploration of race and politics, was made into a film. Born in 1953 in Haiti, Laferrière grew up in coastal Petit-Goâve, south of Port-au-Prince. As a young journalist, he fled Haiti in 1978 for Montreal after a colleague was killed. He went on to become a leading voice in Francophone literature, winning numerous accolades. One of his biggest was his election on the first round into the elite Académie Française. He became only the second Black person and the youngest person to join the academy. Founded in 1635, the elite club is charged with safeguarding the French language, which includes updating a dictionary and advising on usage. Its members serve for life.
