Visiting Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Rhumba musician Felix Wazekwa has observed that the Zambian music industry has the potential to grow and penetrate the international market.
Wazekwa said this was because a lot of Zambian musicians are highly talented and creative in the way they write their music.Speaking at a press briefing through an interpreter at Lusaka’s Pamodzi Hotel today, Wazekwa said the only thing that the Zambian musicians lack was exposure to other countries.
The 48- year- old musician added that exposure was very important for Zambian musicians, if they were to compete favorably on the international scene.Wazekwa said proper exposure was what made DRC musicians to be known and compete on the international with other musicians from different countries.
Wazekwa is in the country for five days to perform various shows across Lusaka.
Exposure and how to perform live without miming.
Good that he has exposed them for lacking international exposure and he has posed a good challenge for them to go out there to the world and prove their prowess.
The current crop of Zambian musicians should learn how to play musical instruments so that they entertain the fans. Musicians of yesteryear where successful and their music popular until today because they mastered how to play musical instruments and entertain, Paul Ngozi and the other Kalindula bands.Nowadays musicians are making music on the computer and cannot perform live. I once attended, choklet’s performance,it was pathetic!
When you are in DRC, and decide to see a live performance, be rest assured that all instruments will be played by artists, and not some machine! Here in Zambia, we have a horde of people miming and calling themselves musicians! :o. Wherever you go, there all these people who have changed their names even when they do not deserve to. They’ve sung a few songs before some synthetic noise they call music and they think they are stars! Get exposed, get to play at least one instrument, not a computer! We all can sing after all.
I very much doubt Mr Nlandu Wazekwa aka Felix Wazekwa even knows or listens to Zambian music so he wouldn’t know that Zambian musicians are creative,it’s just a general thing that musicians are creative but it is true that Zambian musicians lack exposure and mainly it’s because only a couple of Zambian musicians deal with real music promotors who think beyond ”local.”
What i surely know is that for music to go beyond other borders,it has to be authentic,the Zambian music of these days isn’t,it’s a hybrid of R&B and dancehall,it’s only the language which reminds you isnt’s Zambian. The Congolese sing in their own language,have their own kind of music unique to Congo only and they make their music using real music instruments not computers,that’s the difference.
ZAMBIAN MUSICIANS ARE PATHETIC AS THEY SAMPLE MUSIC AND JUST COPY/REPLAY MUSIC WHICH OTHERS HAVE COMPOSED. ZAMBIAN MUSICIANS MUST BE ORIGINAL AND LEARN TO PLAY INSTRUMENTS. HOWEVER, THANKS TO THE LIKES OF UNCLE REX AND ONE OR TWO OTHERS. GO TO SCHOOL, RESEARCH, LISTEN TO OTHER MUSICIANS AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING ORIGINAL OUT OF YOUR OWN RESEARCH-WORK. Just put zambian music on the graph- it will be a straight line, showing lack of talent and innovation.
Computer sampler music is monotonous & pathetic in the extreme, however good the lyrics maybe !! the same applies to house/dj mixes !! It is only fit for cheap soap & crisp adverts !! The majority of Zambian music today falls under this insipid category …. you draw the conclusions … !! The majority of the today’s youth have been brought up on this fare & cannot be expected to know the difference !! It should be recognized for what it is, 3rd grade entertainment & rewarded as such by professional music bodies/awards !! Hail the live bands !! Recognize the true musical prowess & support live acoustic performers !! Save THE TRUE MUSIC !!!
luv stella !!