PEOPLE . PLACES

Nairobi's Ghetto Magic

45' (GER, ENG subs)

In a slum in Nairobi, a musical group is determined to change things for the better.

In the middle of the most dangerous slum of Nairobi, a group of ambitious young people came together to form a one-of-a-kind classical orchestra. Before this, hardly anybody in Korogocho had even seen a violin or cello. Today, Bach’s sonatas fill the air over the slum’s garbage dumps, while the “Ghetto Classics” orchestra throws concerts all over the city of millions. This is far more than music – Ghetto Classics is a pathway for a life beyond violence, poverty, drugs, and crime. The group breaks out of the oppressive world surrounding Korogocho by using the power of music. They look to their future with new-found self-confidence and determination in their abilities. Witness how the children of the slum can become anything they want to be, if their dedication is strong enough.

Although few of them will become professional musicians, the skills they gain will be with them for their entire lives. This musical wonder of Kogorocho was created ten years ago, beginning with only a few plastic flutes and 14 singing children in a bare practice room. In current day, Ghetto Classics has grown to 80 young musicians that continue to teach new generations. It all began like a game, out of Elizabeth Njoroge’s vigorous passion for classical music. At first, the vision of an orchestra from the slums was looked at as crazy by many people. Soon enough, more and more musicians from around the world were attracted to Elizabeth’s infectious enthusiasm. Dozens of donated violins, trumpets, cellos, and clarinets lie in the practice rooms at the edge of a waste-filled slum.

The film accompanies the young musicians along their vibrant concerts, and through their everyday life in the slum. Join us on a journey where we discover why the musicians feel liberated and saved from Ghetto Classics. An emotional, poetic film about the power of music.