24 Mar
The Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra in Monaco
April 1st, 8:30 P.M., The Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra (KSO) unites with the Monaco Philharmonic Orchestra with a Beethoven program at the Auditorium Rainier III
The incredible story of the Kinshasa Orchestra starts in 1985, when Joseph Diangienda Kuntima, Minister of the Kimbanguist church, created a musical ensemble to federate its faithful. At first it was a quite modest band. In 1994, his son Armand Dangienda went further, and founded a real symphonic orchestra, which gather the faithful of the church, whatever their usual jobs are: “Each one has his place here, each one contributes. It is the main asset of a Symphonic Orchestra”.
The Orchestra gathers now more than 200 musicians, mainly modest shopkeepers and craftsmen. Mostly self-taught, they never have the opportunity to learn music or solfeggio. Musicians craft themselves their stage costumes, and even their musical instruments for which they often use bike breaks cable as musical ropes out of lack of means… They rehearse after their working day – rehearsals take place almost daily, and often until late at night – and play successes as well as pieces from great masters as Handel, Orff, Verdi or Beethoven.
The beautiful story of the Kimbaguist Symphonic Orchestra and Monaco
On April 6th, 2013, the Kimbaguist Symphonic Orchestra (KSO) performed a memorable concert In the framework of Printemps des Arts Festival, showing on stage the result of years of work and efforts to make the only unsubsidized “Black Africa Orchestra” exist. On June 7th, 2013, H.R.H. the Princess of Hannover went to Kinshasa and gave the musicians a harp to improve the Orchestra. Several actions has been implemented by cultural entities from the Principality of Monaco to continue the collaboration with KSO, until now and the forthcoming concert with the Monaco Philharmonic Orchestra on a Beethoven program.
Among the actions of cooperation, the gift of several instruments and sharing of expertise, as per the KSO instruments craftsman, Didier Maketa, who came to Monaco to improve his craftsmanship.
The « Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo » festival, existing since 1984, is considered as a major meeting for culture and artistic creation, classic as well as modern. Managed since 2005 by the composer Marc Monnet, who endlessly wants to amaze and surprise the audience, and try to abolish the borders between traditions, origins and eras of music: www.printempsdesarts.com