Ghetto Classics

Situated next to the Kenyan capital's largest garbage dump, the Nairobi slum of Korogocho might seem like one of the least likely places on the planet where a youth orchestra has found itself a home. And yet, the classical strains of Mozart and Vivaldi, along with more contemporary fare, can be heard gently wafting through Korogocho on a weekly basis. Since its founding in 2008, Ghetto Classics-so named by the initial cohort of students-has been helping to inspire generations of local kids who learn firsthand how the arts can uplift and change lives.
Ghetto Classics: How a Youth Orchestra Changed a Nairobi Slum is the story of how an initially motley crew of young people has morphed over time into a semi-professional orchestra that has played with some of the world's top classical and jazz musicians like Branford Marsalis, David Sanborn and Hugh Masekela, and performed for the likes of dignitaries including Pope Francis, President Barack Obama and Belgium's Queen Mathilde. They have also helped to encourage their local community and bring a sense of possibility and promise to a place where it was much needed. The book is based on the author's 2016 New York Times profile of the orchestra and its founder, Elizabeth Njoroge.
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