Do you understand what it means? We have never had our own dressing room before! Wow! They truly respect us – one of our kids said. When we were taken to the dressing room, we had tears in our eyes.
For the majority of the children it was their first trip abroad. It was thanks to them that we were invited to the Brave Festival in Wrocław. He and his team travelled in my van every day, squeezed in between the instruments, without any objection. He was the first one to spend a week with us, he opened his heart to the kids.
The founder of Ghetto Classics says about him: – Jimek has helped us to realise our value. Polish composer Radzimir JIMEK Dębski went there twice. The children take part in workshops with internationally renowned musicians (Salif Keïta, Branford Marsalis), who come to Nairobi thanks to Elizabeth Njoroge's persistence. It builds a community, teaches new skills and strengthens self-confidence. Music has proven to be a surprisingly effective tool for social change. (Photo: Emmanuel Jambo, Brave Festival press materials)Įveryday life in Korogocho, including the life of children, is marked by violence and poverty. Initially, its members practiced on borrowed violins and keyboards today, it is an orchestra of 80 people performing a classical repertoire from Bach to Brahms, as well as traditional African compositions (such as by the legendary African diva Miriam Makeby).
#Hip hop history by jimek free
In 2008 Elisabeth founded the Ghetto Classicsorchestra in Korogocho, the third largest slum district of Nairobi, offering free music and instrument playing lessons to children from the slums. Upon her return to Kenya at the beginning of the century, the dream of a life filled with music returned – now more powerful than ever – though in a surprising incarnation. So, Njoroge left Kenya to study biochemistry and pharmacy in Canada and the UK. However, she didn’t have the courage to follow a musical path, because a child of a decent Kenyan family is expected to become a doctor or a lawyer, rather than to lead an artist's life.
Nairobi-born Elisabeth Njoroge, who learned to play the piano as a child, fell in love with western classical music. It all began with a woman who was trying to escape her destiny. – While playing with these kids, I remembered why I became a musician – Jimek says. Radzimir met the orchestra's members, teenagers from Korogocho, a giant slum district in Nairobi, a year ago when teaching them music. Radzimir Dębski (Photo: Dorota Tyszka, Brave Festival press materials)Īt the closing concert of the Wrocław Brave Festivalthe Polish composer Radzimir “JIMEK” Dębski performed with the African Ghetto Classics orchestra.
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