David Bin Wakandwa

Democratic Republic of Congo
24 years old
WhatApp: +265992137798
Email: binwakandwad@gmail.com
Biography collected by Lisa Gilman, written by Asa Sutton

David Bin Wakandwa was just 18 when he came to Dzaleka, fleeing violence in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Before leaving, he had started becoming interested in music, particularly the piano. Initially, he was receiving formal training, but circumstances soon made this impossible and so he was forced to continue learning on his own. He transitioned from piano to mostly singing, and he learned a great deal from Youtube. In Dzaleka, he performed alongside his friend Obadia at festivals such as Tumaini and Makasi, as well as various smaller concerts. He and Obadia also ran the camp’s recording studio together, using a laptop he rented in the capital city. He loves many different genres of music, including Jazz and Country, but by far his favorite to perform is Congolese Rumba.

“Everywhere in the world, there is talent. If ever you have the opportunity to help someone, you should. Life will be better. Here in Dzaleka, there is so much talent and vision, but we have no one to push it.”