Playing a bike cable...

From first sharing instruments, ragtag band now trailblazer for African classicals.

When Armand Diangienda founded the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra in 1994, they had so few instruments that musicians had to share. They got to play them for only 15 minutes before handing them on to the next person.

"When a string broke, we would replace it with bicycle brake cables," he said.

With the Democratic Republic of Congo at war and in chaos for most of the orchestra's first decade, they had to mend and make do with the poor quality instruments they could find.

"We didn't know how to buy a violin, we didn't know how to buy a string," Diangienda said. "So when a violin broke, we had to repair it."

But "we were motivated".

The orchestra, which began with a ragtag band of around a dozen string musicians, has since gone on to become a trailblazer for classical music in Africa, with fans all over the world.

"At the beginning it was really just a dream," Diangienda said from a studio in its Kinshasa headquarters as musicians tuned up outside.

The orchestra now boasts 200 highly accomplished members, including a choir.