Katongo Temba presents her latest single “Baba” . Written and produced by by one of Zambia’s leading producers and songwriters Chali Bravo.
Listen to the song here: https://soundcloud.com/katongomusic/baba
We caught up with her to discuss her latest single :
KAPA187: Early this year you traveled to Zambia for a two month press tour. How the experience was and what did you learn?
KATONGO TEMBA: The experience was great! I was so happy that I finally did it.Before I embarked on the promo tour I wasn’t certain if the reception would be good but it was great. I was overwhelmed by the support that Zambians gave me. Every radio DJ and TV personality I worked with was so helpful. It was also great to see so many young people in the entertainment industry working hard to achieve their own goals but also being so positive, helpful and supportive of my goals. It was a really great experience.
KAPA187: Did you work on any collaboration with local artists whilst in Zambia?
KATONGO TEMBA: Yes I did. I worked on three collaborations whilst in Zambia and I did some solo material as well. I’m really looking forward to the collaboration’s being released, I won’t go into details but they are good!
KAPA187: Tell us about your latest single “Baba”.
KATONGO TEMBA: My latest single Baba is coming out on the 15th of June! It was written and produced by Chali Bravo of Slingbeats! He and I had spoken about working together in the past. So during my 2 month promo trip to Zambia, he reached out and we got into the studio and recorded Baba. It’s a fun-flirty song. It talks about appreciating our African brothers.
KAPA187: Listening to “Baba” I was very impressed; it is a great catchy song that one can listen to over and over again. The song has been played on some radio stations what has been the initial response?
KATONGO TEMBA: The response has been great. Everyone who has given me feedback has said it’s catchy, danceable and refreshing to hear something that talks about appreciating the African man rather than bashing the African man. So I am very happy about the reception it is receiving.
KAPA187: Your song “Joy” that features JK was well received and gained a lot of airplay, the only criticism of the song is that it sounded too similar to other local songs. On your new single “Baba” you went the afro-pop route. What do you think makes you stand out among other artists?
KATONGO TEMBA: I always find this question a difficult one to answer. Honestly, I’m just me. I’m passionate about my singing and my songwriting. I use my music to bring people together. I think the main thing that makes me stand out among other artists is that I have a broad appeal. What I mean by that is, I feel that my music i.e. my songwriting and my voice, connects to people from all over not just those in Zambia. My fanbase is very diverse in age, sex and location. I think that I bridge the gap between African music and Pop music. I think I fuse the two together well and have managed to draw in an African and a non-African fanbase.
KAPA187: You have had success in your music career , having your singles such as “Tonight” , “Joy” ,”So good” , gaining airplay in many countries and having an average of more than 10 000 views on your videos on YouTube . Success is a relative term, what, to you, does it mean to be a successful artist? And do you feel you are on track to attain that level of success.
KATONGO TEMBA: I am very thankful to God for my success so far. There is still so much I want to achieve for example I want to tour Europe and Africa at large, and eventually I want to tour the world.I feel that things are coming together nicely and I believe I now have the right team working with me to help me achieve my goals.
KAPA187: Last year you were announced as a winner for The UK songwriting Contest for your song “Make a change “ , How did that feel ?
KATONGO TEMBA: It felt great! It was a great thing to achieve before the end of the year. It was great to be recognized for my songwriting.
KAPA187: We are midway into 2015, what goals have you set for yourself to achieve before the end of the year.
KATONGO TEMBA: I have set so many goals for myself but I always keep details close to my chest. For now I am focusing on pushing my new single, ‘Baba’ which is out on June the 15th. The video will be following shortly after. I want to push this single and make it huge, so right now my focus is on doing that and ensuring that it is heard by everyone!
KAPA187: Any last remarks for your fans …
KATONGO TEMBA: I want to say thank you for all the support. It means the world to me and gives me a reason to keep pushing! I am extremely grateful! Please feel free to connect with me on Facebook, twitter and Instgram @KatongoMusic
BY KAPA187
Baba is a good song I enjoyed it.
First things first. She is very beautiful.
what is your definition of beautiful?
Use Mutale Nalumango as a benchmark of beauty.
Beauty aside , this is a very good song !