Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Music of the streets of Congo

As Luc is in France (and I'm not) I think back to my visit there last year. As well as having a great time with him and his friends and family, I also did a little travel alone after he returned to Australia. While he was back at work I was traveling in Provence and staying with my first couchsurfing hosts.

The teenage son recommended a cool cinema in Avignon which I duly checked out. It was one of these small independent ones with a bar which everyone had clearly enjoyed before the film. I chose to see a music documentary as I don't (yet) speak French. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend you track it down.

Benda Bilili is about a group of crippled musicians who met living and performing on the streets in Kinshasa, Congo. I've just watched the refugee documentary series 'Go Back to Where You Came From' (see post). There was a family who had fled Congo for Kenya and then maybe somewhere more permanent - so the lively man on that show reminded me of this music doco as he got the Australians dancing to Congolese music. Staff Benda Bilili were discovered by a Belgian music producer who helped bring their music to the world. These guys will amaze you.



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