On September 13 2008, I took my flight to Kinshasa …first to Brussels, and then to Kin with a 45-minute stop over in Douala
(I must admit that I had been quite uninformed, to say the least, about African geography, but yes: Douala is in Cameroon). This is exactly the part where the flights to and from Kinshasa cross the equator and always shake with turbulences. With all what has happened with airplanes in the last months, I am not anymore very at ease flying…
When arriving at Kinshasa’s Ndjili airport I had to remember Claes Noteboom’s
comment that it requires “vatican-like serenity” at African airports. I was happy that I was super tired so the “bordel coordoné” did not affect me…
My first week went very well, however I found myself many times new to many sounds… here my small attemps to differentiate between the various sounds you will hear when arriving in Kinshasa:
Already on the way from the airport to the Gombe, it will continously stream from your driver’s radio: Congolese music which is famous all over Africa. You will hear a keyboard, drums, one or more people singing, and it will make you move (even a German!). Too difficult to describe on a blog, but you will have to listen to some of the sample songs online or youtube videos of Koffi Olomide, Wenge Musica, and Zaiko. It is a sound that I will always associate with driving around in Kin.
Streets are very busy with cars during the day, but there are a few sounds that stick out anyway. There is the ‘cling cling cling,’ when a Congolese woman passes by, a basket full of baguettes on her head. In her hand a small knife to open the baguette and spread them with peanut butter or butter for her customers. To attract people, she will hit the bucket in a personalized tune while walking around.
‘Opi, opi, opi’ is another sound which walks by all the time…. My colleagues laughed at me since I did not understand what these men with small bags of water on their heads were selling… It looks very impressive how they balance the meter high column of small water bags while walking down the streets… what ‘opi’ stands for? well, try to say ‘eau pure’ three times really fast and you understand…
Another tune which hits my ear frequently on Kinshasa’s street, is the ‘mundele, mundele’ people mumble, as soon as I set foot out the door or a group of kids would screech behind me. ‘Mundele’ means ‘white’ in Lingala and is generally a way to get your attention to buy vegetables, fruit, or other goods on the street.
The Congolese amongst each other, you will hear talking Lingala, the local language, second to French. Most of the time, they will mix French and Lingala creating a sound which I always think I understand, but then report defeat. A few things I have learned, tho: ‘sangonini?’ (=How are you?), and ‘Sangote’ (=Fine!). Or ‘boté’ (=hello) and ‘lobi’ (=’see you tomorrow’ or ‘let’s do it tomorrow’). Sorry for any misspelling since I just try to get the sound for now, but have not attempted writing it before. I caught myself saying ‘yes’ the Lingala-way, tho. There is no pronounceable word for it, but more a ‘hee’ sound coming from people’s throat.
