Music, art changing lives for Angolan street children

DW (English)

Ntumba Malamba Camunga is a man who believes that street children are born to shine. His music and art school in Luanda, Angola, is changing lives and hitting all the right notes.

Transcript

00:00This orchestra is often booked for corporate events in Luanda, Angola.

00:11The audience loves the musicality and precision of the young instrumentalists.

00:17They have been involved in a life of crime and drugs.

00:24Thanks to the music, the kids are welcome guests in society.

00:28But that wasn't always the case.

00:31How has Ntumbe Kamunga managed to ensure that these former street kids are no longer chased

00:36away but are in demand?

00:40When I founded the orchestra, I had a thought.

00:43Why don't I catch these young teenagers who are on the beach making a mess, gang fights

00:49so that they can learn music?

00:51I said, why can't I teach these young people, these teenagers, how to play instruments so

00:56that they can leave the world of delinquency?

01:01He started with five children.

01:03A decade later, the orchestra had grown to 450 trained young musicians aged 3 to 16.

01:12And some former members have returned as teachers and want to pass on their good fortune.

01:18Not to forget, the audience loves them.

01:21Did these trained musicians expect that?

01:25At first, it's not easy.

01:30Because every young person, every teenager who comes here in the orchestra has their

01:34different behavior.

01:36They each come educated from a different family.

01:42So it's not easy.

01:44But with love and dedication to this art, I have been able to pass my knowledge to them.

01:49But failures have not deterred Ntumba from his mission.

01:53On the contrary, every morning he searches for young people in need in underprivileged

01:58communities.

02:00He gives them a place to grow and learn.

02:04Not just with the orchestra.

02:06Since 2022, also at an art school, 35 volunteer teachers look after 2,500 pupils there.

02:15How does he do that?

02:18To manage the school hasn't been easy.

02:22The children pay absolutely nothing.

02:25Children come here, others with their guardians, they make registration and automatically begin

02:30to learn.

02:31They learn music, plastic art, literature, crochet, or theater and dance.

02:40We select children by visiting several neighborhoods around the city.

02:45In these communities, there are children with talent, but no opportunity.

02:50They have been involved in a life of crime and drugs.

02:55They are both boys and girls involved in early pregnancy between the age of 12 to 14.

03:05So we campaign in different neighborhoods in Luanda so that we can rescue these young

03:10people.

03:16Some of the students have grown fond of the orchestra.

03:20They enjoy playing as well as interacting with other members of the group.

03:24Before coming here, their lives were on a different path.

03:29How different?

03:34Before joining the Kamunga Art School, I was part of a group of girls who did not have

03:38good behavior.

03:39We walked around aimlessly and used to go home very late, which bothered my parents.

03:48Since joining the art school, I learned how to behave within a society, respect my elders

03:55and have a purpose in life, and get the education I never had.

04:00Ntumba himself was nine years old when his father introduced him to classical music.

04:06With a cassette and a gift of a piano, that's how Ntumba's music career began.

04:11Was it his goal back then to go deeper into the art of music making later?

04:16And what changed when his father died?

04:23My family always encouraged me to get into music.

04:27My dream was to be a pilot because I was born in the Kasenda neighborhood, which is very

04:34close to the airport.

04:37But like my family, my teachers also encouraged me to pursue music, since they thought that's

04:47where I had talent and an area I could go further.

05:00At the Kamunga Orchestra and Art School, it's not only about hitting the right note, it's

05:06also about changing lives.

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