By: Patson N. Musenge Jnr
The Flute in the Luggage: From Chongwe to Rostov-on-Don
When Peter left Zambia for Russia, he packed the essentials. But tucked carefully into his luggage was an item most students would never think to carry: his flute. It was the very instrument he had learned to play back home.
“I couldn’t leave it behind,” he reflects. “It’s part of who I am.”
Today, that single instrument has carried him from the familiar sights of Chongwe to concert stages in Rostov-on-Don, anchoring his place in a dynamic new band formed alongside fellow African students.
Peter Musenge arrived in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in 2024 to study Mechanical Engineering at Don State Technical University (DSTU). While the university is widely celebrated for its rigorous technical programmes rather than its creative arts, Peter refused to let his passion be sidelined.
“Mechanical engineering keeps my mind busy,” he notes. “But music keeps my soul busy. They are both important in their own distinctive ways.”
Finding his space required patience. He carved out practice time in empty classrooms and relied on the tolerance of neighbours before eventually finding a true audience.
“The first time I performed, people were surprised,” he remembers. “They didn’t expect a Zambian student with a flute playing classical music.
But once I started, surprise turned into appreciation, and appreciation into admiration.”
Peter’s musical footprint soon expanded beyond solo performances. Connecting with other international African students in Rostov who shared his devotion to music, the group saw an opportunity to build something entirely new.
“We formed a band with other African students here,” he says. “Different cultures, different styles of music. We wanted to create something unique together.”
Their rehearsals became a vibrant laboratory of cross-continental fusion. A rhythm brought from Nigeria blends seamlessly with a style from the Central African Republic.
At the centre of it all sits Peter, using his flute to find the precise note that ties the disparate traditions together.
“We’re mixing classical flute with African grooves. It feels like a new kind of home.”
Yet maintaining that connection requires a constant struggle against the environment. Finding the time and physical space to practice amid demanding engineering coursework means the flute can easily feel like an unattainable luxury.
The harsh southern Russian winter compounds the challenge. When the days turn short, temperatures plunge below zero, and the emotional weight of being far from family begins to drain his motivation, the music becomes a lifeline.
“Some days I just miss home,” Peter confesses. “Then I pick up my flute, the very one I brought from Zambia, and play something my mother would recognise. For a few minutes, Rostov doesn’t feel so far away.”
When he is not navigating university classes or rehearsing with his bandmates, Peter translates this passion into a practical trade, working at a music store in the centre of Rostov.
There, he repairs flutes: a meticulous skill he originally picked up through trial and error while maintaining his own instrument back in Zambia.
To any young Zambian who loves classical music but feels it belongs to someone else, Peter’s message is unyielding: “Don’t let anyone tell you that. It’s not about where the music came from; it’s about what you bring to it. I study mechanical engineering, but I play with a Zambian heart. You can be both.”
And to the next generation of students preparing to journey toward distant, colder horizons, he offers a final piece of advice: “Bring what matters. For me, it’s a flute. Don’t leave your soul behind just because you’re travelling far.”
[Picture: Peter Musenge]
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