Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's capital. It faces Brazzaville, the capital of the neighboring Republic of the Congo, which can be seen across the Congo River. Kinshasa is an important cultural and intellectual hub for Central Africa, with a thriving population of musicians and artists, despite its large, chaotic, and often scary nature.

Kin (as residents routinely refer to it) sprawls forever from the shores of the Congo River to its remote shanty communities. Kinshasa is a city to feel rather than visit, with chaos, music, and a desire for life as addictive as it is overpowering. ...

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