On the Rhumba River is the story of an orphan, Antoine Kolosy, who found his calling in upbeat songs he made up on his battered old guitar. The church began to persecute him and the Belgian colonialists banned his songs. He started boxing but his heart was in the music. He released his first album in 1948 and was launched into stardom. His style was a sort of congolese rhumba that quickly caught on.

This movie is a story of Wendo’s (as he came to be known) rise into popularity, the spirit he infused into a generation that was dealing with suppression from a dictator, and the civil war that continues to haunt and destroy generations today. Wendo tells most of his own story eloquently, and colleagues remember the journey with him.

The movie is in lingala with english subtitles and is directed by Jacques Sarasin. You can watch this movie at the Village East Cinema in New York city. For more information and showtimes, visit the the website.