Kinshasa : Capital City of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is a testament to a profound musical heritage. Home to 10 million residents, the city boasts significant cultural diversity and is regarded as the birthplace of Congolese rumba, a renowned dance music genre influenced by various international elements. In Kinshasa, music serves as a communal social activity and a vital facilitator of intercultural conversation and social unity. The city hosts several recording studios, including Olympia, Ngoma, and Loningisa, where pioneering performers and ensembles like African Jazz and Ok Jazz launched their careers during the second wave of Congolese rumba.

Numerous festivals showcasing the vibrancy of the music industry, including the International Stars Festival, the Jazz Kif Festival, and the Pan African Music Festival, are annually organized in collaboration with Brazzaville Creative City of Music. Kinshasa houses the National Institute of Arts (INA), the sole Central African city with an internationally recognized institution for higher arts education, offering training for performance artists and musicians. Since its inception, the INA has effectively established numerous successful exchange programs with other African and European cities.

The city is committed to enhancing the capabilities of diverse stakeholders in the music business and to augmenting both direct and indirect employment prospects within the sector, since music underpins local and national civic identity. By prioritizing the incorporation of culture into all tiers of development programs and fostering the growth of cultural and creative enterprises, the city persistently advances its creative sector. Kinshasa is dedicated to enhancing the safeguarding and broad accessibility of cultural assets and services to pursue sustainable urban development.

As a Creative City of Music, Kinshasa anticipates:

doing a comprehensive and forward-looking analysis of the local music business across all tiers of the value chain to enhance the city’s strategic focus and development initiatives;
Executing the Strategic Direction and Planning of Kinshasa to build a creative hub for music and leisure spaces;
Establishing the city as a national and international benchmark in the music industry; enhancing capabilities and providing increased employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women; and coordinating collaborative music events with other Creative Cities to promote knowledge exchange and artist mobility.