Main content

Congo: A River Journey

A sound-rich immersive journey along the mighty Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A journey in sound along the mighty Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This adventure transports you to the heart of the country on the eve of long-delayed elections. You’ll encounter busy ports, vibrant markets and rare gorillas. You’ll learn why this mineral-rich country the size of western Europe is so poor. You’ll ride on the river to the soundtrack of its music, meet its wrestlers, its acrobatic fishermen and explore how history has shaped what the Congo is today.

You will travel into the heart of the Ebola outbreak with United Nations peacekeepers, go hunting with pygmies, wander through former President Mobutu’s ruined palace in a town trapped in time, and explore the cobalt mines which will drive the electric cars of the future.

So put your headphones on, shut your eyes and let Alastair Leithead, the ±«Óătv’s Africa Correspondent, take you on an epic adventure in sound in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You’ll find a binaural version, with additional immersive technology, at bbcworldservice.com/documentaries

Produced by Becky Lipscombe
Presented by Alastair Leithead

(Photo: An unidentified fisherman steers his dugout canoe on the Congo River. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Thu 20 Dec 2018 00:06GMT

Clip

Broadcasts

  • Sun 16 Dec 2018 03:06GMT
  • Sun 16 Dec 2018 14:06GMT
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 09:06GMT
  • Thu 20 Dec 2018 00:06GMT