Public Spaces

The African architecture exhibition that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago has been receiving favourable comments in the press. And the theme, that of public spaces has been quite to the fore recently. This week I went to see a band - Staff Benda Bilili - whose story is quite remarkable. Apart from being disabled (most of them are in wheelchairs - actually they are more like customised trikes) they hang out around, and rehearse in, the zoological gardens in Kinsasha (because its quiet - there's almost no visitors since many of the animals have been eaten by the city's inhabitants). Their first album was recorded there. See the full story here and here . Now that's what I call making creative space of public spaces (rehearsing in the zoo that is - not eating it's inhabitants). And they rock - sounding something like a cross between Orchestra Baobab and the much missed Bhundu Boys. There's something ironic about a room full of able bodied people bopping along to music created by a group of mostly wheelchair-bound musicians....And its just an awesome sight to see three guys in wheelchairs customised trikes, and one on crutches as the lead line up in a dance band... Good news is they are on tour in Europe for the next couple of months.

The venue, Tivoli is also impressive - an old music hall - or somesuch, with a still-in-use balcony, it has a sloping floor - so even when you are standing at the back you can see still see the stage. Alongside the Melkweg in Amsterdam it has to be one of the nicest venues in the Netherlands that regularly has interesting musicians (and it's a lot closer to home!).

With spring now in full flurry the Dutch are also reclaiming their public spaces. I was in Utrecht to see the concert - and as the first warm koopavond (the weekly evening shopping) of the year it was impossible to find a seat on a terrace. The permitted drinking areas were closely demarcated by lines of discreet iron tiles in the pavement and woe betide anyone who set foot or chair outside of them. The one free space seemed to be the square in front of the city hall where the local tango dancing group had set up stage and open house for their first open air dancing evening of the year. I just sat and watched. I think that takes more practice than bopping along freestyle to African musicians.