A friend dragged me to a small arthouse cinema last Friday to see Kinshasa Symphony, a documentary about Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, a Kinshasa-based symphony orchestra. I thought it would be cheesy and all bleeding hearts, but it wasn’t. It shows the passion of some people who love classical music in a country that is not particularly known for it. It also shows some everyday experiences of some of the members of the orchestra. Sometimes the experiences are harsh; at other times they are joyful. It is just what it is – a well-made documentary about some people who go to some length for their passion.

The Trailer:

Each month, The New Yorker invites a writer to read something from the archives of the magazine. This month, Ms Adichie reads Jamaica Kincaid’s Figures in the Distance, first published  in the May 9, 1983 issue of The New Yorker. It is a great choice. Check out the podcast here.

While you are at it, check out Ms Adichie’s new story, Birdsong, on The New Yorker website.

The Chinese market in fake European classical art is growing. Steadily. Something they bring to it? Industrial efficiency.

The village of Dafen in southern China has become the centre of a big industry, with about 8,000 artists responsible for creating 60 per cent of the world’s oil paintings.