From sharing violins to international success, DR Congo orchestra celebrates 30th birthday

AFP English

When DR Congo's Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra was founded thirty years ago it was a rag-tag band of around a dozen string musicians with so few instruments players were forced to share. Today it boasts 200 members, has performed across the world and has become one of the most famous orchestras in Africa. "We should be proud," says Oscar Sukami, a local fan of the orchestra. "So the government must intervene to really continue to encourage, to facilitate the task of this ensemble so that it is equipped with all, all, all the possible elements as in Europe that can enable it to keep moving forward."

Transcript

00:00This year marks exactly 30 years, and we thought, for the 30th anniversary, why not give a concert?

00:29But we wanted this concert to be a concert where we will play all the works we have played in the past.

00:39So it's really going back to our history, to the distance in the past.

00:44It was very difficult. There was one who played for 15 minutes, and he had to give the instrument to someone else.

01:01And that's how we had to work for several years, and thank God afterwards, we were able to organize ourselves to have a little more instruments.

01:09I say it's a pride for me. Being part of this orchestra is a pride, it's a noble accomplishment in my life.

01:16Because integrating a symphonic orchestra in Bangui is not given to everyone.

01:22There are tests, you have to pass tests, you have to learn, you have to go to classical music schools to integrate a symphonic orchestra.

01:29But this is an opportunity that was given to me, a gift from heaven.

02:08For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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