By Mingeli Palata
I seriously don’t know how we got there, the Majestic Casino in Makeni along the Kafue road yet not playing poker like the Chinese fellows stationed not too far from ourselves but just sharing a light moment after a long day’s work. After arguing about who was going to foot the bill, we quickly made our orders, I wasn’t ashamed to order my Charles Glass yet Tafara shyed away and ordered for some good old H2o. I thought that was pretty gay.Talked a little about work.
We quickly got bored with the work related issues and joined the rest of the casino in watching the repeat of the Arsenal VS Aston Villa game and of course to the amusement of all the Manchester United fans including Mingeli, Arsenal lost 2-0 to Aston Villa.
Moving on with the wind to Big Brother Africa, I learned that the Zambian contestant was butchered out but the consolation was that the sensational Zambian songbird Mampi was gracing the show. So we had something to look forward to. Tafara kept on bragging about how much Mampi is the most happening stage performer and how she has really grown lyrically to a point where I was getting irritated. Finally, she did take the stage and I mean everyman would find her moves tantalising, the Zambian way of course, no one does it better, the old exotic men at Alfa bar will tell you why.
Strangely though, on Mampi’s second performance, Tafara was totally enraged. His bitterness was at levels I could not comprehend. I wondered why he suddenly flipped. I was really getting tempted with accusing him of being jealous because a Zambian was performing at such a big show but little did I know that what this Zimbabwean colleague of mine was going to say next would change my perception of Zambian music.
Tafara was not happy with the fact that Mampi chose to do a Salsa dance, in his view, that was very 
un-Zambian. My arguments lingered on with every drink that I took but between you and me Tafara struck a nerve and got me listening when he told me that the show has over 10 million viewers and said the Big Brother Show gave Mampi an opportunity to market not only herself but Zambia the real africa. He went on saying that Mampi doing Salsa was in bad taste because the Angolans and the Brazilians do Salsa better anyway. As Tafara spoke further, I began to understand more underlying problem with the Development of Zambian music.
Most of the Musicians who are frequenting the airwaves today, talk of JK, K’Millian and who so ever is playing may have sold a few thousand copies here and there in Zambia, but they have not made it that much outside Zambia and comparing them to the like of Emmanuel Mulemena will be an insult. The reason is simple, the modern day musicians are trying to copy or imitate a kind of music that is foreign, they are trying to compete with T.I or Leona Lewis and Michael Jackson and think simply singing in vernacular makes their music Zambian. Music and culture are inseparable. Arts, dressing, poetry are all aspects of our way of life and tell volumes about who we are and where we come from. When your music doesn’t say much about where you are coming from and where you are going, do you really go far? If only Mampi could show us those Senga, Lozi, Soli, Luchazi or it is Bemba skills then she could get a contract from a Canadian promoter asking her to do a chain of live shows, not when she is trying to compete with Shakira.
Tafara went on saying that it’s much more about the dressing, the instruments and stage act that tells more about the music. Mampi’s attire did not say much about where she comes. She should take a cue from the number of tourists that come to see our traditional dances, they come to see the way we dress, our music and our performances. All because really, if we dress, sing and dance like them then there is really nothing to talk about, nothing to see.
We cannot talk about successful African musician without talking about the likes of the late Mirriam Makeba, Oliver Mutukudzi, Salif Keita and Yosour Ndour. One thing that you will find in common amongst all these artists is that they sing/sang African music; their music is rooted in the traditions and cultures from which they emanated. Bringing it closer to home, Maureen Lilanda is booked at most corporate functions today because her music is original and tells a story about us and who we are. The Glorious Band hit the scene and made great sells all because they sung original Zambian Music and given a proper promoter I am sure they would break international barriers.
I was pouring myself another drink when Tafara added that the success of Kwaito is because it is original South African Music blended with a bit of modernity and perhaps is the reason why it’s so big here in Zambia whereas the modern Zambian music (without a name) is unknown in South Africa. Very few artists today even know how to play guitars, worse off a piano. I interrupted the Tafara theorem and brought the fact that the South Africans have more resources and sound instruments. Then didn’t this guy make me realise how drunk I was getting! He gave me examples of great artists coming from poor countries, the likes of Oliver Mutukudzi who were able to be carve nicheon the world market by using simple and cheap African instruments and sticking to their roots. He noted that Zambia doesn’t have an industry; there is no proper plan of action for sustainable and viable industry, no statistics, there is a lot of day light piracy, poor artist management, promoters are worse and the list is endless. He said Zambia has a lot of talent and potential to mesmerise the African and international market but certain things had to be put in place. Just then the bar lady switched to Trace and Michael Jackson’s Thriller was playing; I began to imagine what it would be like if MJ started singing Kalindula. Given a choice, you rather watch him or the Serenje Kalindula Band. That probably explains why in my three years of radio experience I played more American souls/Jazz than Zambian music.
1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and #2!
Yes a terrible state of affairs, at least some people are trying to keep it real and move forward, like Maureen Lilanda
The girl looks nice!! This world is getting nice. No wonder they say, “beautiful ones are not yet born”. Inga twakota that is when we shall be eyeing such nice chicks.
I meant the girl exposing her “kakombo” not Oliver Mtukuzi who is not even a Zambian yet the title is on Zambian Music not Zimbabwean Dollars!
Planet Mars read the article… Oliver Mutukudzi is world famous without waiting for “assistance”, that’s the point here
# 6 iwe phiri mbuya, do you know that our zimbabwean music guru is HIV positive.
That’s unfortunate if true, so many of Africa’s gone that way. I prefer Thomas Mapfumo I would say, now that guy is a hard worker and freedom fighter…
number 7
So true Zambia’s most successful musicians have music that is exclusively zambian that anyone can relate to just look at legens like PK, Ngozi. Some contemporary musicians have achieved great success with the same homegrown formula like k’millian, danny and JK. As well we have useless musicians that are very unsuccessful because they imitate instead of inovating e.g Crisis the zambian yo bally. When I listen to zed music I on’t want to hear Jayz clones that think Lusaka is brooklyn I want to here real stories that I can relate to.African music legends that command respect like Salif keita and mirriam makeba commanded that respect because they loved themselves and their culture
so what if hes HIV positve? Stop stigmatizing, get educated about that.
Baby C is that you holding the first slot? (lady in red)with a mutoto showing
By the way good topic LK . It gets boring with the same topics of PF vs MMD . LK if you want to expand have more topics from a plethora of area’s. Thats what any good media outlet does it caters for all not just political armchair pundits. LK will one day be better than the post website because at least you allow user interaction and opinion.
Does anyone know where Golyati is? The dude just scared the hell out of me. I bet he does not return couldn’t breath when he was blogging. I hope thats the end of him. I bet his bad with the unprintables as well. will be ready with stones when he comes back.
Holla no.13
Madam Sarah Jones, May be he is the one who has changed name to Viagra something whose contributions are perpetually being deleted. He scared me off too.
IWE EXAMPLE BEHAVE YOSELF,WAYAMBA
Hi am not sigtimatising look this is real they should as an example.
I know it real but there many ways you get HIV you dont know how he got it if at all he has the disease mwilaklonkuda. I think those are sensitive issues. No 18
UNAZIBA BWANJI THEY SAY YOU CANT TELL BY LOOKING
@18, How should he be Oliver be an Example? May be its his wife who infected him? Or through blood transfusion?
That right anizaba bwanji?
i meant they should set as an example. look its real that we should learn from exeperiences. once stayed in harare got what this man did and as done. nayenda ku gona.
@21, Should read “How should Oliver be an Example……” lest abena Golyati feast on me..
Yes kalaleni we all dont know if has or not
ya!Zambians like being plastic…..only if we could be a bit real,we could have at least achieved something.It’s just fun to see some folks faking their accents after having spent a few weeks,months or years abroad,whe they come back to the motherland.Shame on such cats!
goodnite good lucky.
Hmmm, that girl really looks delicious, her skin is so smooth as if she never got a cut in her life. I wouldn’t mind to take her out tonight…to a lovely place called Woodys just around the corner.
I like the name “NINE CHALE”. I don’t know if its pronounced as “9” or pronounced the “vernacular” way
ZAMBIAN ARTISTS ARE COPY CATS THATS ALL,SIMPLY TRANSLATING ENGLISH SONGS TO BEMBA FOR THOSE WHO DONT UNDERSTAND.
ZAMBIAN ARTISTS ARE COPY CATS THATS ALL,SIMPLY TRANSLATING ENGLISH SONGS TO BEMBA FOR THOSE WHO DONT UNDERSTAND.
Oh, I forgot to comment on the story…well, Palata is right as usual. Contemporary Zambian music is not 100% authentic. Here in Germany there is a programme for African music on radio “Deutsche Welle” and you can hear Congolese, Nigerian, East African or South African music but not Zambian. We really have miles to before we hit the world stage.
#28 BA NEBA, WE ARE BEAUTIFUL PA ZED. JUST INVEST ON ONE. NO LOSS
Suppergal keep it real with me baby, especially tonight am on the east side!
Suppergal am serious we can make tonight memorable, Friday baby make me happy!!!
#29 Mossad, thanks. “Nine” means “It’s me” and Chale is what my folks used to call me as a boy because they could’nt pronounce my first name “Charles”. The name has stuck.
PABWATO WHERE DO WE LINK UP
NACHILANAYA AKABWALI
IMININA PAKONA THEN LISHA UMUFYOLI, REMEMBER THE SCH DAYS, UBWAICHE BUSUMA ,NO WORRIES
Ba ‘Sony Ericsson Phiri’, I am sure yours is a ‘typical’ chipata name. You have many name sakes ‘Ericsson’is a common name in scadanavian counties, and Sony, well is ubiquitous. The phones are named after people.
#24 lol. I think Golyati should be made editor on this blog.
Ba mami beve bana bwelako chabe coz it was really a de-maketisation of the Zambian music industry. I just wonder the criteria they used this year to choose a big brother representative coz abo ba TK was just another let down! Ala, zambia twasebana!
LT nicely put!! we should have some originality.Mampi, if i want rnb,ill listen to mary j.crisis, ill go to 50cent for hip hop.its true we have no music that we can now call our own.south africans have kwaito, tho its considered ghetto jam.i cant show my friends anything from zed cos we just have the third who cant sing at all and ppl like joe chibangu trying to do rnb but not really getting it right.
hey pipo why u hating on Mampi and the others evry1 has the right to do wat the want so the hav the rite to sing wat the want to sing …BTW mampi knws how to dance
ba supergal mwayamba kufunana pamene apa ..lol
I have been going around muzic shops here in states just to buy some African muzic and i have not found any zambian CD desplayed.All i see is Oliver Mutukudzi and other artist from south africa, east and west africa.
Its true zambian Muzic has no roots rythm in it and lacks good promoters
I cannot stand how 60% of comments have nothing to do with the topic at hand. If you people ‘want’ each other use msn or Aim don’t waste badnwith with your lonely selves. If people want to talk about hIV statusesgo to clinics . only 10% of comments are worth reading and relevant to the topic.
As usual, the vast majority of the bloggers would rather chat the dwell on the story. Very fickle, just like my kids, who after reading a bed-time story to them, and you expect they will ask question on it, ask you if you will buy a Big Mac tomoro for them. This is an intelligent issue Mingeli has rasied and impacts us severly as a nation and all we do is brush it aside and talk AOB. Pls lets get our act together pipo.
Mingeli, its not old but odd in the context of your writing ok. The article clearly highlights the shortcomings of many of our industries. This is very good insight LT. Keeo the good work.
You see these Zambian musicians’ dressing, they are causing abaiche bukane ukulala. Look now # 35 & #37 they start ubuchende bwapalwalala. These young people don’t have culture no more. How can you start ukutentemwina itoloshi pa ba nsaka? Nangu ni winter bushe ni fi?
#47 You know what makes stories interesting is the way you tell it. I should advice you to stop reading bed-night stories to them, I bet you are a boring reader or story teller!! You better start telling traditional “Utushimi” than those stories bought downloaded from websites… I bet you listen to music like JK, Mampi naka mutoto, and all those Cartoon looking Zambian musicians. I miss Ba P.K and Mulemena.
Music is universal and has benefited from collaboration between different cultures.Those who have romantic notions of what constitutes Zambian music are living in the past.Music is dynamic and and evolves with time.In any case some so called western music has african roots.Let us all enjoy and appreciate Zambian music in its various forms, without insisting that the performers wear grass skirts.
Guys, why are you hating on a few Zedians doing their thing? Maybe we should ask what kind of music is Zambian Music. Is it kalindula, kalifunku, zambezi, zamragga, zamrock, zamkwaito aor what? C’mon pipo. These Zedian artists work so hard for what they do and yet most of you here buy pirated CDs (pulling their efforts down). Do you mean to say a sculpture cannot make art of Obama just because he is from Zed? Peopledo things that you are comfortable with as long as it has a positive bearing to others.
You first start by wearing traditional attire then tell others to do the same. Its not only the artists. After all, we as Zambia DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT have a national attire.
You have said it my brother.I add that if one cannot play any musical instrument but is able to sing s/he is a singer. One who sings and is able to operate atleast one musical instrument s/he is a musician. I leave it to you to categorise our so called Zambian musicians.
Golyati is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The amayenge band is original namonga yeye is still a hit at functions,the sakala brothers,maureen lilanda,angela nyirenda are the closest thing to what zambian culture arts and music is.
This is one the best topics Lt has raised!Well written,100% true.I hope musicians are reading this one.The problem with Zambians is that they dont even know how to make money:worse still they have small dreams.That was an opportunity for that girl to market her self but,the poor chap is content with the few coins she has made.The sad thing is that the so called Zambian music has no name.We know about Akalindula,Jazz,Kwaito,R&B,Reggae,Rhumba but not this crap these people make.Thank God there a few who are normal like Glorius Band.These other kids should just go back to school and get jobs.What a shame!!!!!!!!
Thats the only prob with zedians, You are never late on criticising? Whats wrong wit the gals dressing? I don’t think this tradititon and culture you preach, is even practised by you yorselves, As to my own observation most of you who contrubute on this blog are not in zed, So who knows how you dress and live? Remember the world is changing, bit by bit tradition is fading out, Its a free world komu kak!! Not kutamangila kuponta, when you are also victims. The gal can sing she got a voice, thats whats important, Go Mampi Go, coming for ya baby….
0
# 56 are you white or african the dress is indecent its showing the belly button whats below? this is why we are unable to preserve our own culture, we dont know who we are we dont know where we came from, zambian musicians are not seroius for sure they are jockers only a few individuals are serious like the mathew tembos and danny kaya sakala brothers, maureen lilanda and glorius band to these i give my respect. most of them are mediocre musicians. love your culture and let it show through your dressing and through your lyrics dont just jump up and down miming to your own music, play the music maaan.
AK 47,You have missed it!Its not about the world changing.Hell no!!As you say “go Mampi,go Mampi”,do you where you are sending her?10yrs from now you will be more comfortable than you are and I can assure you its a reality that Mampi will be finished:there will be another lost child trying to be like her!And where will Mdu,Mandoza,Glorious Band,Maureen Lilanda,e.t.c be?I think there music will still be selling.I hope those who are up coming musicians dont reason like you.The fact is Sakala brothers,Mayenge,Angela Nyirenda e.t.c will always make more money than these youngsters!Itslike having a PHD and dying poor:why waste her voice?The same is happening in the Gospel music circles…
Recently I bought some gospel CDs from Lumbani in Kamwala for a foreign friend of mine. To my surprise when I took them abroad and looked at them closely they were not written “Made or produced in Zambia”. Meanmwile they were originals.
Me appreciate Zed music but nuttin’ sweeter than me Reggae music. Jah know!
peaple grow up
change is needed.
Real Change is coming to Zambia in 2011!
#58 am black, african and a typical zambian and i still cook nshima. I know what I’m talking about. Ba mwine “insasa niwe mwine” No one can ever make you more happier than you can make yourself happy.
its true that there is lots of talent in zambia but i think the artist need some sort of mentor to remind them that being authentically zambian is what is best……..some of them are not doing so bad though.
i would also have been disgusted to see mampi doing a salsa dance……
Its sad to learn that in this day and age we are still stigmatizing on HIV and AIDS, who ever said that about Oliver Mutukudzi should be really ashamed. So what if he is HIV positive, he is still a very talented musician who has achieved more than any of our so called up comming Zambian musicians will ever acheive. Get educated HIV is just a disease like any other and so please stop behaving like you have not been affected by this pandemic.
Further Zambian musicians should be more zambian and stop trying be Jay Z or TI wanna be’s its embarassing… be proud of your culture learn from the likes of Paul Ngozi, Mulemena boys, PK Chishala just to name a few. No woner we never get anyway where..
The change of zambian music should start from the producers, 90% of instruments used in the songs are patch samples from songs and the producers think reggaeton and dancehall rhythm n beat at different tempos is the way forward where to a certain extent every song tends to sound the same
Its not about being authentically zambian. Its about doing what you do PROPERLY. Art is art, not nationalism. Lucky Dube was a successful reggae artist, but not Jamaican. What is wrong with that? Sakala brothers play Zambian traditional music and it sounds good because they do it PROPERLY. Amayenge, PROPER. Maureen Lilanda does Zambian traditional music PROPERLY, but she also does R n B, PROPERLY. Lets not get petty about this whole Zambianize blind nationalism nonsense. Allow people the freedom to choose their own styles. Just encourage them to learn how to do it PROPERLY!!! By the way, Angola and Brazil, that’s samba. Salsa is Cuba, dear Tafara.
One of the problems with contemporary Zambian artists, and sorry to say, listeners, is that they do not listen to a wide range of musics, so they are somewhat musically illiterate, and that is why mediocrity prevails. I remember that my aunts and uncles listened to everything from James Brown’s Soul through Manu Dibango’s Makossa to Johnny Nash’s Americanised reggae. No market is an island. All music is influenced by outside forces. That salsa Tafara is talking about is based on African beats fused with classical and jazz instruments and influences, so it is infact African-based. Rhumba is influenced by the same Cuban influence, which itself is influenced by Africa and Europe. RESEARCH!!!
Your Paul Ngozi used to play what is known as Zam-Rock, so rock in Zambian vernacular. Ubuntungwa by Keith Mhlevu is based on the same influence as Cliff Richard’s Mr. Dream Maker, which is Rock and Roll. Traditional Zambian music can find its sources in Malawi (Sakala Brothers style), Congo, Angola and so on, where Zambian tribes have migrated from. There is no country in the world where there is only an indigenous genre of music. America is full of a wide diversity. The UK… you name any country, even in Europe you have white Europeans playing African drums. What’s wrong with that? No culture is static. Such a culture dies out.
The ultimate point is, there should be room for everyone, whatever style they choose. Success in competition is not about what style you do…Its about doing whatever you do PROPERLY.
Your judges and speakers of parliament are still wearing wigs that imitate old white men’s hair. Why impose on the musicians standards you cannot apply elsewhere? Does it not make more sense for a musician to play foreign music than for your judges and speakers of parliament to be wearing white man hair imitations? Don’t make me laugh. I’m enjoying being miserable.
rastman, you have it right. To be a true artist you have to appreciate what others have done before. True, the local stars now need to brush up a bit. There’s a lot of influence and learning from the artists of the 80s and 70s, most of whom sadly are deceased. I don’t know about Zed music right now. It’s like they all sound the same. I get bored easily…I really liked the Zed ragga/reggae scene as I thought they were really being unique…Sista D, Nasty D…they’ve all faded, and I don’t much like anything else except the Sakala bros and Angela Nyirenda….
Thanks gelogelo. The current zam-ragga trend was sparked by the late Daddy Zemus, and imitations followed soon after. His main influence was Shabba Ranks, which he “nyanjalised”, but Zemus was conversant with a wide range of music, and he did not hesitate to use the expertise of veterans like Uncle Rex who added jazz feels to his ragga. The problem with some of the new Zam ragga or Zam-rap artists like Crisis is that they do not use the expertise of veterans, but instead want to show that they are the “new deal”, so out with the old. If you look at Congo, the US, Jamaica, you will note that even the more recent “youngsters” with their new beat work with veteran producers and instrumentalists
And Like you say, gelogelo, these new breed Zambian musicians all sound the same because they are all eating from the same plate and not taking time to actually discover new menus. Zemus stood out because he sourced from far and wide. Bob Marley sounds unique in Jamaica because even he sourced from far and wide. In the production of catch a fire for example, they even hired country music guitarists to add flavour to his brand of reggae. In his leisure time he actually listened to people like Curtis Mayfield (where the song One Love actually originates) and Barry White.
Ndipo mwatikambilako ba Rastaman. I woulnd’t put it any better than you have. I think one of the reasons we don’t have a national “something” is because of our too many tribes and traditions from different parts of africa. Everyone does their own thing. Though condemning mampis dressing from the point of view of zambian cultural dressing is not very justified as we don’t really have one, better to put it as from the morality point of view.But it is her freedom, people do worse things dressed under the most decent things. I love zambian music from maureen lilanda to mampi…so…im good.
Ba Rastaman, your knowledge is amazing! Are you a musician? If not, you certainly could make a good producer. I enjoyed reading every bit of your comments and there is so much truth in it. I have also wondered why our judges still wear those ridiculous wigs in court and the talk about “independence”, what hypocrisy!
Thank you people. I am actually a musician and a producer. Now I’m studying audio/visual production and media with the hope of going back one day to make my contribution.
Talking about “indecent” dress, I will not defend or criticize. I will just say that just like prostitution, as long as there is someone willing to pay for it, there will be someone offering it. One cannot entirely blame the supplier.
But ka mampi is cool. guys wat do u think? Lets not talk of music coz there aint any music to talk about in Zambia. Lets talk about mampi
true #80 lets talk about mampi.she hot.where is Ponyax kanshi?awe bakamba mu kwisa?Go gal shake dat booty ur mama gave u.show dem how it rocks.big up
#81 u r right.awe mampi is hot mwe bantu.
wat more paku chita chiba shani.pantu da dance she puts up awe sure.lets hope,wat we see is wat we can get.otherwise i want to raise some money so that i take her out to paris for dinner.
#82 you mean ukuchita shi?
No. 63….you are such a fake…Im the real pretty!!!!
Anyway my point is do we really know what is Zambian? i mean why condemn mampi over her singing style….If thats what she wants and thats thats what she think will sell let her do it…. why should everyone sing like Maureen Lilanda. Maureen has a good style but its unique to her alone. Im not a Mampi fun but i think we should let her be…thats her way of expressing herself!
#84.i dont you are .
rasta mi lyk wa u se.mi b’liv in roots n tink dat no problem n reggae dies.in every situation deres a coz.in da case of zambian muzik we jst nid to work with old foxs as young muzicians.mek it ryt dere afta.
Yeah mi ganja plantin bredrin… A so it go. Nuff man dead and gaan, but nuff still deh deh, and one and one could a learn a likkle sompepn offa dem… Quality a di biggest worries… Nuff good choons, but poor sound quality, a deh so we get a lick from de Congoman and de rest… Blessed love me bredrin.
Example yapa zed # 6… what u are is bloody ignorant… so effing what if the guy is HIV positive ???
#1 and #2, ifimano..so what if you are 1st or second? ukutampa tekufika..ba mambala..