ABSTRACT
The early years of Emmanuel Boundzeki Dongala appear to have set the tone for his entire, eclectic life. Born in the Central African Republic to a Central African mother and Congolese father, he completed his secondary education in Brazzaville, Congo. In the mid-1960s Dongala set off to the United States to attend college, obtaining an M.S. in physics after seven years. During this period of study, Dongala also learned a lot about American music, especially jazz. Among his favorite musicians at the time were John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Ornette Coleman. What intrigued Dongala most about Coltrane’s playing was the musician’s interest in finding “the absolute,” the mystic perfection of music. This beauty was in direct contrast to the political turmoil he experienced in the streets of New York during the civil rights movement. Years later in his short story, “A Love Supreme,” Dongala wrote his own ode to this jazz legend.
