On a rainy day with nothing to do, why don’t you bring out your Lukasa memory board?
We end our week of music class in the Congo by playing a game. The Luba people of Central Africa archive their cultural identity using traditional form of art known as the “lukasa memory board.” The wooden board is a literal platform for capturing an important community memory. Artists start with a blank board then attach beads, shells and other available materials in traditionally metaphoric patterns. Those who can interpret the patterns understand them as a way to tell a story about a particular chiefdom, such as its major historical events, structures and philosophical beliefs.
All Around This World has created a game based upon the memory board, giving you and your kids the chance to make memories like the Luba. Learn how to play here.