[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO NKUMU ISAAC KATALY & ``THE NEW LIFE PROJECT''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and admiration 
that I stand before you today to honor The Kataly Band for its many 
years of dedication and contribution to the arts in New York City and 
our country.
  Nkumu Isaac Kataly was born in Kinshasa, the capital city of the 
Democratic Republic of Congo where he spent one half of his life before 
moving to New York City in 1996. Music became Mr. Kataly's path to 
navigate the world. Music has become Mr. Kataly's cornerstone, which 
holds the fragments of his identity together.
  Music is Nkumu's passion. The study of musical notes or beats, 
especially their movements, patterns, and how they are parallel to 
human cultures, remains his lifelong fascination. So, artistically, he 
discovered one tool after the other. Nkumu's musical concept was 
cultivated via the ``Mbonda'' or ``Ngoma'' (drum) and movements 
(dance).
  Before his new journey, Mr. Kataly had the opportunity to accomplish 
tremendous things as a young artist. He got to perform at renowned art 
venues throughout the United States and has had the privilege to work 
with the best artists Congo sends out to the world. He performed 
alongside various artists.
  Nkumu has presented at the Apollo Theater, Manhattan Center, Prospect 
Park, Summer Stage, St. Nick's Pub, and more. Additionally, he has 
performed at various prestigious universities throughout the United 
States such as Columbia University, John Jay College, Baruch College, 
Harvard University, and University of Chicago.
  His devotion to humanitarian causes continues through his music. He 
devotes a significant amount of his spare time to community leadership 
and development. He is currently the technical director of a musical 
group in the Living Church of God's Divine Provision. There he uses 
African aesthetics, music and thought processes, to exemplify how Congo 
influences every music style throughout the African Diaspora.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Kataly and The New Life Project for 
their consistently remarkable contributions to the arts and the African 
Diaspora.

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