Raymond Malelo and Georgette Tabu, Congolese Gospel Music and Song. 2025

Raymond Malelo and Georgette Tabu, Congolese musicians now living in Tucson, share traditional gospel music rooted in Central African rhythms and harmonies. Their music sustained them during 19 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp and continues to bring joy and resilience to their community today. They now mentor their son and apprentice, Wilondja Raymond, an emerging choir leader and songwriter carrying forward their musical tradition.

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Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Raymond Malelo and Georgette Tabu grew up in close-knit villages where traditional music, song, and dance were central to daily life. These rhythms carried stories, celebrated milestones, and sustained worship. Their native languages are Swahili and Kibembe, and they also speak French, reflecting the diverse cultural influences of their upbringing. Their lives and work are deeply shaped by faith, resilience, and community.

Conflict forced them to flee their homeland, and they spent 19 years in a refugee camp in Tanzania. In that setting, music became a lifeline. Gospel songs, call-and-response harmonies, and drumming helped preserve identity and gave hope to those living through hardship. “Music became a lifeline,” they recall, describing how choirs and worship gatherings offered strength and continuity.

Raymond began learning music at the age of ten from village elders, family members, and church musicians in Congo. He absorbed rhythms and songs by ear, through repetition and participation. Georgette grew up singing in church choirs, learning to harmonize by listening closely and practicing with others. In their culture, music is not taught through notes on a page but through lived experience—watching elders lead, joining in, and eventually stepping forward to guide others.

In the refugee camp, Raymond and Georgette led choirs and musical groups for worship. They organized events, taught others, and encouraged people to use their voices and instruments to stay connected to culture and faith. Their leadership helped sustain community bonds during years of displacement.

Nine years ago, they resettled in Tucson, Arizona, where they continue to share their music. At Shalom Mennonite Fellowship and other congregations across Arizona, they sing in Swahili and Lingala, blending traditional African rhythms with modern gospel. Their performances are communal experiences, involving singing, dancing, clapping, and drumming. After services and at community gatherings, they often teach informally, passing on songs and rhythms to younger generations.

Their engagement extends beyond performance. They lead choir practices, organize intergenerational music nights, and guide worship services. Their approach is rooted in oral teaching, repetition, and modeling—watching, listening, and practicing together. For them, music is not just performance but a spiritual and cultural inheritance.

Today, they are passing this inheritance to their son and apprentice, Wilondja Raymond. Exposed to music from infancy, Wilondja grew up singing alongside his parents in the refugee camp and later in Tucson. Now 21, he is already an active choir leader and songwriter, gifted and passionate about continuing the family’s musical tradition. Under his parents’ mentorship, he is learning to lead with the same resilience and faith that sustained them.

Raymond and Georgette embody the heartbeat of Congolese culture, carrying forward ancestral rhythms while shaping new expressions in their community. Their work preserves tradition, nurtures faith, and ensures that the songs of resilience continue to be sung.