It comes as no surprise that some of the most brilliant aesthetic inventions are derived from adversity. Wars have accounted for some of the most beautiful works of art, famine and poverty have contributed to the lives of some of the most best musicians ever known.
And now, in one of the world's poorest countries, you won't just find pink corduroys and double-breasted tailored suits.
You will also find an orchestra.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is full of surprises just like this. There are les sapeurs, a subculture of extremely well-dressed gents and dandies. And via this weird underground of tailored men arises something truly phenomenal.
An ensemble based out of Kinshasa is making headlines as the only all-Black orchestral ensemble ever to exist in the world.
Yes, the Symphony Orchestra Kimbanguiste is a 200-strong band of classical musicians who overcome all hardship to make music in a place where the monthly income could barely purchase a (used) violin string.
The instruments are donated, salvaged and homemade. The group practices a demanding six rehearsals each week inside a faulty-wired warehouse.
And even when those lights go out, their bows still glide.
A team of German filmmakers set out to capture the phenomenon in a 2010 documentary called Kinshasa Symphony.
Now, French magazine Le Figaro just published this stunning photo essay by Vincent Boisot.
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