Thursday, March 28, 2024

Artiste of the Week : James Chamanyazi

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James-Chamanyazi2

James Ngoma earned his stage name from his debut album Chamanyazi, which was released in 1994 while he was doing his secondary education at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School of Lusaka. His debut album became an instant hit on the Zambian music market, receiving massive airplay both on Television and Radio stations in the country, and had instant coverage on most of the print media.

James Chamanyazi, a contemporary Kalindula/Traditional Pop & Jazz artist has been in the music industry since 1994, when he was a teenager.  He is one of the pioneers of rejuvenating the Zambian music industry, which was at the verge of extinction at the time; and in the fore front of Zambian Arts administration, from a tender age under the tutelage of the late Webster Malama, where he served in many different portfolios in ZAM. He has managed and inspired a lot of fellow musicians/Artists both at home and abroad. He has managed to be consistently active since his early years in the music industry and made it a very successful two decades in the industry.

Since 1997, James Chamanyazi and other artists, while working under Muvi studios formed a band called The Muvi Posse Band whose sole aim was to bring back the popularity of Zambian music in the country (which was hugely dominated by foreign music). After its successes, such as winning the first KORA AWRD by a Zambian artist in 1999, also winning the M-net most talked about artist and several Ngoma awards then the Muvi studios management stopped sponsoring the band. The pulling out of Muvi Studios led to some of the top musicians leaving the band, thus leaving Chamanyazi to manage the band singlehandedly.

James chamanyazi

Chamanyazi and the Muvi Posse band are one of the very few contemporary live bands that performs authentic Zambian music in a multi-dimensional, traditional and multi-directional way . The Muvi Posse Band performs and explores various elements of African music such as Kalindula, Chitelele, Shonongo, manchacha, chingande, chimtali, Siomboka, Rhumba, Chimurenga, Kanindo, Kizomba, Hip hop, Reggae, Rock, Jazz, Kwaito and free form. Since inception, the band has sought opportunities for a wider, free expression of live band music. The Band’s musical inspirations include some of Zambia’s singing sensations like Late Alick Nkhata, Late P.K Chishala, Late Paul Ngozi, Late Mike Nyoni, Violet Kafula, Late Joyce Nyirongo, the WITCH band and the Musi-o-tunya band. The Muvi Posse Band finds performing and touring an opportunity to engage in dialogue with different people of the world and the mixture of cultures that contributes to the betterment of the earth. Other successes Chamanyazi and the band have achieved include the Best Kalindula album of the year award 2014 at the Zambian Music Awards (Mosi Awards); the most conscious HIV and AIDS Artist 2008 and 2009 and best band of the year 2010 and 2011, (all of which were Ngoma Awards).

From 2003 to date, Chamanyazi has been managing this band and helping other budding, upcoming and less privileged artists at his garage studios, through music lessons, recording studio and live band performances, as well as live band equipment assistance. He has also been in the fore front of bringing professional Arts management to the Zambian music industry as has sat on the Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) board and has served as the General Secretary. He has also been on the Zambian Music Copyright Protection Society (ZAMCOPS) Board as a committee member.

 

Chamanyazi has been involved in several community awareness campaigns with the Government and Non-Governmental Organizations such as the fight against HIV and AIDS, Environmental protection awareness, Climate Change awareness, Malnutrition awareness campaign, Safe Motherhood awareness, Children’s rights awareness, voters’ education awareness, cervical cancer awareness, human rights awareness, Make Fair Trade and early childhood education awareness campaigns among others.

james

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Ambassador Zesco bill buster campaign 1998-1999
  • M-Net? We u @? (Where you at) award for Most Talked about African Artist in 2000.
  • Ngoma Award for Best song in 1998 and 2001
  • Sounds Arcade Award for bestselling album in 2002.
  • Ngoma Award for Best male artist 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2003.
  • Ngoma Award for the most conscious artist on HIV/AIDS in 2001, 2003 and 2004
  • Ngoma Award Nominee in 1997, 2004 and 2006.
  • Band leader of Muvi Posse band voted best band of the year 2010 at the Ngoma Awards Zambia, top most arts Awards.
  • Ambassador for the Early child hood campaign by ZANEC 2012
  • Ambassador for the 1000 day campaign by CSO-SUN an organization spear heading the eradication of malnutrition in Africa during the first critical one thousand days of a pregnant mother (that is from inception till the second birthday) 2013
  • Best Kalindula Album of the year 2014 at the Zambian Music Awards (ZMAs)

 

THE MUSIC

James Chamanyazi & Muvi Posse Band “Ova”

james chamanyazi and the muvi posse “Wina”

 

 james chamanyazi and the muvi posse band “mukondwe”

James Chamanyazi Live at the show grounds

 

BY KAPA187

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