Kholuka ou Mbaala initiation-circonsicion mask, Yaka People DRC

The Yaka people of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have a male initiation society known as Makunda or N’khanda. This society is responsible for circumcising, hazing, and educating boys on their transition into manhood, primarily through lessons in hunting and sexuality. During the initiation process, circumcision dance performances (kinkanda) take place, where initiates wear special masks. Only their teachers are permitted to don the ritual masks of the Makunda.

Upon completing their initiation, the boys emerge from seclusion and are reintegrated into the community. Before the celebratory festivities can begin, the head teacher (kahyuudi or kayudi) commissions a skilled carver (nkalaweeni or mvumbwa) to create a series of masks. These masks, each with distinct significance, are worn or danced in sequence during the final initiation feast.

One such mask, known as Kholuka, features a polychrome human face with bulging eyes and an open mouth revealing teeth, intricately carved from wood. Rising from the top of the mask is an inverted cone with horizontal discs, adorned with bird feathers and sometimes painted figures of humans or animals. Also referred to as a mbaala, the Kholuka is worn by either the leader of the initiation or the senior initiate. It is the final mask danced in the ceremony and is performed alone to mark the conclusion of the initiation. Unlike the other masked dances, which entertain the audience, the Kholuka performance evokes a sense of unease due to the overtly sexualized movements of the dancer.

For more on Yaka masquerade, see Arthur P. Bourgeois, Art of the Yaka and Suku (1984).