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For our second interview, Tambola sat down with Samuel Mutiri, a Congolese Belgian football star and music lover, whose story moves across three places he has called home: Brussels, the United States, and Congo. Samuel talked with us about what happens when a country’s music and its national team command the world’s attention at the same time, and what that means for those of us who live far from home.Growing up Congolese in BelgiumSamuel grew up in Brussels, in the shadow of Matongé, the neighborhood known for its large Congolese community. He moved from a predominantly white private school to a more diverse public school with many students of Congolese origin, and that change brought him closer to his heritage in a way he had not been before. The thread that connected him to Congo long before his physical re-integration was music. Samuel recalls the annual music festivals his father would have at their house, something he took for granted until he was older. Music; both at home and in his community at his new school, stayed a constant for him throughout his life. It was the way in which he found belonging, despite where he was.Samuel highlighted the lack of access in returning to his homeland, citing visa restrictions and the lack of dual citizenship as part of the reason why it was hard for diaspora to make frequent trips back to Congo. For many in the diaspora, distance isn’t a choice, which makes the things that travel across borders matter even more.The World CupThings that travel across the border.. namely- football.&nbsp;Congo had not qualified for the World Cup in more than 40 years and had never scored a goal in a previous tournament. So when the team tied Portugal, Samuel felt it. Watching as a footballer, he saw how much the team had changed.He credited the new coach as a major factor, along with the president’s financial support, including rewards like cars and land for players. He named the captain, Chance and players like Wissa as key leaders on the pitch. Matches against Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and England put Congo on the world stage, and the England match in particular raised national pride and respect for the team.Samuel also broke down the tactics. Playing too defensively wears a team out and leaves little energy to attack. We asked him whether that’s true in life too. What does it look like for a diaspora to stop playing defense, always protecting and proving, and start playing offense? As it happens in life, we discussed with Samuel our shared desire to start living more offensively as Congolese diaspora by seeking out and grabbing opportunities and embracing risk rather than only adjusting to negative situations.The Sound That Conquered the WorldIf the World Cup showed Congo on the pitch, music has been showing it for decades. Samuel highlighted how far Congolese music reaches around the world and how much it does to preserve and promote Congolese culture. This is soft power: influence that comes from culture, not force.For the diaspora, that influence works as a bridge. A song can keep someone in Brussels, Paris, or Alabama close to Congo, and it gives Congolese at home a way to feel connected to us. Music and football do the same thing in different ways. Both tell the world who Congo is, and both tell Congolese everywhere that they’re part of something bigger.Diaspora as the KeySamuel was clear-eyed about the challenges Congo faces, particularly leadership and resource management. But he sees the diaspora as part of the answer. People who have lived abroad bring perspectives and skills that can help their country grow, and he talked about the need for a movement to channel that. The attention Congo is getting through football and music is an opening for that work.This part is for you- our readers, our community. Ask yourself this question and sit with it.What are the ways in which you are allowing yourself to be activated as a cultural ambassador for Congo? What skills or talents do you have and what are you doing with them?Here is your homework: Over the next seven days, find someone in the Congolese diaspora and elevate them. Take the risk, make the ask. Ask them how you can help them or ask for help in something that elevates one or both of you.Question for you: our community- what is your pathway?he most important takeaway from this second interview is what we want you- our community- to hear the loudest: The world is paying attention to Congo, and it started with a beat and a ball. For those of us in the diaspora, the question is what do we do with that attention? What will you do with it?

Congolese Rhythm: Samuel Mutiri on Congo's Legendary World Cup Showing & The Sound Conquering the World

For our very first interview, Tambola was honored to sit down with Congolese American superstar Victoria J. Mutiri, based in Paris, France. Victoria is an international student, model, dancer, DJ, and lifelong learner who draws on her life experience and education to help people break free from colonized consciousness, find meaning in the everyday, and pursue joy without apology.The Temple of Hathor: The Community's Nervous System Victoria opened our conversation with a topic she's been captivated by lately: the Temple of Hathor. This temple of women once served as the center of society, with women acting as the "nervous system of their community" - guiding, healing, educating, and protecting the people around them. Victoria notes, with a bit of a smile, that this era was also one of the most prosperous in Egyptian history. Perhaps that's not a coincidence.What made this community so powerful was its devotion to observation, she emphasized. When someone arrived with a problem, the women of the temple wouldn't rush to fix it. They would watch (really watch) everything the person did before offering support through a mixed-methods approach that might include somatic healing, astrological interpretation, or other practices tailored to what they observed.In today's world, Victoria believes many of these ancient practices are exactly what we're missing in our efforts to build and maintain real community. Observation. Stillness. Slowing down. In a society addicted to movement, achievement, and the constant chase for "more," pursuing connection so intentionally might be the most radical things we can do.Dance as a Pathway Home As a dancer and lifelong lover of music, Victoria speaks to how central both were to healing practices in ancient times, and how they remain mainstays of Congolese culture today. Dance was, and still is, one of the ways people heal.Victoria traces this back to her own childhood, growing up in the church, where she learned to lean on observation as her entry point into dance. Starting from a place of non-judgment as a child gave her the freedom to pursue dancing not as performance, but as a path to freedom and ultimately, as a way to stay connected to her Congolese identity and community.In this way, Victoria's experience was that dance is a healing pathway both as a solitary practice and a communal one.Joy &amp; Achievement﻿ Within this discussion came the overarching question: in the pursuit of joy and meaning amidst achievement, where is the line?The secret is so simple, its maddening. When you are free and fully enjoying something, the result is so good that your next instinct is to put it to use. But that should never be the starting point and if you start there, you're missing the point. Freedom and full expression come first. Achievement is simply what sometimes follows.Joy as the Goal﻿This part is for you- our readers, our community. Ask yourself this question and sit with it.What is the role that joy has in your life? What if you sought out to make joy a specific goal rather than a byproduct?Here is your homework: when you feel joy, mark it. Notice it. Name it. Let it register."Joy is so contagious," Victoria J said, "unless you are a villain."Pathways to Community﻿ We know that much of the Congolese diaspora is made up of people who are constantly evolving and moving- between countries, languages, and versions of themselves. So we asked Victoria the question at the heart of Tambola's mission: how do you retain your proximity to Congolese community amidst changing environments?For Victoria, the answer has been music. She has always found her pathway to connection and followed it wherever she's landed. Whether in Dallas, Texas or Paris France; in her bedroom or on the streets of a new city: she always found her way back into her community.&nbsp;Question for you: our community- what is your pathway?The most important takeaway from this first interview is what we want you- our community- to hear the loudest: your connection to your community is something you have the power to both curate and emote wherever you go. Find your pathway.

The Nervous System of a Community: Victoria Mutiri on Ancient Wisdom, Dance, and Finding Your Pathway to Community

At Tambola, our goal is to uplift Congolese diaspora and community and there is no better way to kickstart this initiative than with a partnership with Nakupenda.&nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://nakupenda2026.com/" href="https://nakupenda2026.com/">Nakupenda</a> is a Congolese-founded non-profit with a goal to utilize sports to inspire and uplift the next generation of African athletes. Founder, Gloria Mutiri, started playing sports in middle school but struggled to find African mentors in the space and paved her own way to playing four years of Division 1 volleyball and is currrently a professional volleyball athlete. Nakupenda is hosting sports camps all around Africa, starting with their inagural camp this June.&nbsp;Tambola helped to support and promote Nakupenda's first Gala of Love in Febuary 2026 and we were honored to do so. Tambola partnered with Nakupenda by helping to secure attendees and promote the event- which led to a fully sold out night.<figure id="figure-6fa4u6g2dmmb7aqr1"><img id="6fa4u6g2dmmb7aqr1" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2fSd6jTZmxfzTqaVgq3s67mlqrEM9T6CmWPqbSFrvLCcP6oG7ZunGRJX4chkLTfr.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>Through the generous donations of the attendees and partners, the gala brought in 2,000.00 which will go towards helping Nakupenda provide t-shirts, volleyballs, and camp equipment for each camper. Partnering with Nakupenda to bring professional African athletes back to Africa is exactly the sort of goal that Tambola was founded to support. To learn more about their mission and how to help, please visit <a href="https://nakupenda2026.com/" data-mce-href="https://nakupenda2026.com/">www.nakupenda2026.com</a>.&nbsp;

Tambola x Nakupenda

Tambola

community blog/nonprofit Mission:
Goals/Outcomes:
Relay the stories of Congolese diaspora and strengthen ties to DRC.
Provide a space for connection and community for Congolese around the world
Enhance knowledge and understanding of Congolese affairs with diaspora
Celebrate the accomplishments of Congolese around the world

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Congolese Rhythm: Samuel Mutiri on Congo's Legendary Worl...

The Nervous System of a Community: Victoria Mutiri on Anc...

Tambola x Nakupenda