The only symphony in Central Africa and the only all-black orchestra in the world.
In the Congolese capital Kinshasa, just surviving is hard enough. But one group of people spends hours traveling across town to sit in a sweltering compound and practice Handel. They are members of the Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, Central Africa’s only symphony orchestra.
The Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste (OSK) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo now has over 200 members, yet when Armand Wabasolele Diangienda, the conductor, started the project, it was from decidedly more humble beginnings. With only twelve amateur musicians and five instruments, rehearsals took place late at night to accommodate members’ working hours, and involved one person playing for twenty minutes, then giving the instrument to the next person for their turn. Things taken for granted in western musical education, such as access to instruments, or even the ability to obtain sheet music, were not options for the group. Yet these obstacles were seen as simply challenges rather than stumbling blocks, and the ensemble endeavoured to find means and ways as admirable as they are pioneering.
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