Kinshasa Contemporary Art: A Creative City in Turbulence
Kinshasa has produced some of Africa's most significant contemporary artists — Chéri Samba, Bodys Isek Kingelez, and others whose work addresses Congo's history with extraordinary power
La Cité: The Heart of Kinshasa's 17 Million
La Cité — Kinshasa's original African township, separate from the colonial Ville — is the pulsating centre of Africa's second-most-populous city, where commerce, music, religion, and daily life converge
Faith in Kinshasa: Pentecostalism, Kimbanguism & Spiritual Life
Kinshasa is one of the world's most devoutly Christian cities — Pentecostal megachurches, the indigenous Kimbanguist church, and a syncretic spiritual culture make religion the defining force of city life
Kinshasa Music City: Rumba, Soukous & the Sound of Congo
Kinshasa is the capital of Congolese music — rumba, soukous, and ndombolo were born here, and the city's live music scene, recording studios, and musical dynasty remain among Africa's greatest
Pool Malebo: Kinshasa at the World's Second-Largest River
The Congo River at Kinshasa is one of the world's great geographical spectacles — the second-largest river by discharge, Pool Malebo stretching 30 km wide, and Brazzaville just 4 km away across the water
Katanga Copperbelt: The Mineral Heart of the DRC
The DRC's Katanga province holds the world's largest cobalt reserves and some of its greatest copper deposits — a journey to the Copperbelt reveals the resource wealth that has both funded and cursed the Congo
Kinshasa Food: Pondu, Fufu & the Taste of Congo
Kinshasa's food is Congolese at heart — pondu cassava leaf stew, fufu, saka-saka, and the freshwater fish of the Congo River are the foundations, alongside the street food culture that feeds 17 million people
Virunga: Mountain Gorillas at the World's Oldest African Park
Virunga National Park in eastern DRC — Africa's oldest national park, established 1925 — is home to mountain gorillas, active volcanoes, and remarkable biodiversity despite decades of conflict