The Power of Music

ANGIE DAYANA SUAREZ MAJIN

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Two French Filmmakers were working in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC). One day, they found a group of musicians performing on the streets. But these were
not ordinary street musicians. Most of the band members were disabled, and they made music
with homemade instruments. The Message in the Music The band is called Staff Benda Bilili. Its
members are Ricky, one of the founders of the band; Coco, the band’s composer, who helped
Ricky start the band; Junana, the group’s choreographer;1 and Coude, a bass player and singer. A
nondisabled teenager, Roger, plays the satongé, a one-string guitar he designed and built himself
out of a tin can, a fish basket, and an electrical wire. The band’s name, Benda Bilili, means “look
beyond appearances” in the local language, and it describes the group’s mission. Staff Benda Bilili’s
audience was at first made up of poor street people, just like the band members themselves. The
band wanted to tell its audience to be positive and strong, even in difficult circumstances. “Our
songs encourage kids to go to school, encourage people to work hard,” says Ricky. “The message
of our music is that if you want to do something with your life, you need to take things in your own
hands.” The band members themselves are examples of their message. They don’t see themselves
as disabled. Instead, they see themselves as rock musicians. Their energetic performances show
this. For example, when the group is playing, Junana sometimes jumps out of his wheelchair and
dances around the stage on his hands

From the Streets to the World The filmmakers, Florent de la Tullaye and Renaud Barret, were
amazed by Staff Benda Bilili’s music and their life stories. So the filmmakers decided to make a
documentary about the band. The film follows them as they play their music in Kinshasa, the
capital of a country that had many wars in its recent past.2 These wars affected millions of people
in Kinshasa and elsewhere in the DRC. The documentary illustrates how Staff Benda Bilili’s music
helped them survive in this very difficult environment. The film also shows the power of their
music: Staff Benda Bilili members experience problems in their lives, and the problems become
songs. Many of the songs offer solutions to the problems. For example, “Polio” is about living with
polio3 and getting around the city on crutches. The song also tells parents to have their children
vaccinated against4 the disease. The documentary follows Staff Benda Bilili as they go from playing
in the streets of Kinshasa to playing in large European cities. Because of the film,

1 mission – a goal.

2 choreographer--someone who creates dance

3 vaccination --an injection to protect against a disease.

choreographer = Coreógrafa mission = misión vaccination= Vacunacion

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