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.
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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.