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“… as i wear something they call a uniform ,which with every twist of a button compresses and contains my true form ,which cries out for freedom in a small cubical ,looking out into the summer sun and admiring the children having fun , and like a true son of a gun I fall slowly into sleep while tapping the pen on the table …..”

The first song Chembo released was “Suga honey ice tea” in 2010 . Since then she has been diligently working on her craft . Improving as a singer , song writer and performer . 2016 saw Chembo unveil her debut EP ,Love VS Reality , at an intimate listening party .

Love VS Reality consists of 4 songs and 2 spoken word interludes. It is a great introduction to an artiste who is definitely here to stay . The EP has a mid tempo , soulful , easy listening, feel to it .

The first song is ‘Hey Mama’ . Chembo has said that this is her personal favorite song on the EP as it describes her love and admiration for her mother. It is a very catchy song and will have you singing along in no time. “Hey mama I wanna let you know that I remember all the love and the things you taught me /I think of all the nights you held me /your love is super sweet like honey” she sings.

“I want to be with you forever/ I want keep kissing you forever/ you make my heart light up inside ,thats why I never want you to leave my side / you make my dreams come true / mama never raised no fool / all I want is youuuu”. Forever is an infectious reggae infused love ballad in which she expresses her desire to be with her partner for eternity .

Abena mavis- this Shom – C produced song is sung in Bemba . In it she describes a mothers advice to her daughter against getting involved with married men. She shows a different side of her as most of her songs are in English .

The last song , which also happens to be my favorite is ‘Tightrope’ . It is a mid tempo ,somewhat dark track that talks about the frustrations of life and the feeling that all eyes are on you waiting for you to do something. “…and they dont seem to care / they dont seem to give a damn about me no , watch their eyes go/ just a puppet yeah/ just some entertainment for them all/ watch their eyes go “ . Her vocals on this song simply breathtaking. She sings this song with such passion and it feels like a cry for help. .

Chembo explained that she wrote Tightrope when she was going through a low point in her life.

Chembo’s powerful ,melodic voice will grasp you and have you listening to Love VS Reality over and over again.

Chembo is an amazingly talented artiste that you should definitely keep an eye on for the future of zambian music. Expect big things from her in 2017.

“…only to hear a load sound of an alarm , once again im alarmed I twist my warrior body into position and I turbo smash the snooze button , and fall into an abyss of a reality we should all be try to break free from . Recognize you colonisers , recognize your savior…in short recognize your freedom.”