broadcasting – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

The Mufalali Experience

Quite a lot of the music we played on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela was related to the late great Nelson Mandela by way of a tribute. ‘The Experience’ is our one hour regular Sunday night radio show live on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. We opened with Johnny Clegg with Savuka’s briliant ‘Asimbonanga’, our pick of the week was U2’s latest ‘Ordinary Love’ from the soundtrack of ‘Mandela – Long Walk To Freedom’, the new movie about the great man’s life, and we closed with Tracy Chapman’s 80’s smash ‘Freedom Now’ begging the authorities to release Madiba. It was the least we could do.

Our Guest on this show was the inspirational Brenda Mufalali (above) newscaster and presenter on Zambezi 107.7 fm and the only lady so employed at the station! Brenda told listeners that she enjoyed working with all the men and that at least ‘they had a mother’! George and Milli Jam grinned. Brenda has a long history in news and broadcasting in Zambia having worked for Radio Chengelo, Radio Mosi-o-Tunya, Guardian Weekly and Times of Zambia during various moments in the past. She told listeners she had been with Zambezi 107.7 fm for the past three years. Apart from news casting and news gathering Brenda has her own very successful, government sponsored weekly women’s programme on air ‘Women In Success’ which explores and highlights challenges faced by women in Zambia. From time to time she also hosts the breakfast show and does other spots on air too.

Apart from the tracks mentioned above, George treated us to the brand new Ozzy track ‘Komboni Dugude’ great track though no-one seemed to know the meaning, it is the lead single from his new album. Soulchild coupled this track with B1’s ‘Sikiliti Ku Bed’. Milli Jam was in the mood for Jay Z and Katy Perry. Our oldie of the week was ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ the classic from the Righteous Brothers but no-one was able to text us the right name of the performing artist so the prize we give each week was not won.

Brenda told listeners that she was single ‘but dating’ and as yet had no children. It seems that this is the first time she has revealed her social/marital status on air as after the show, the question and answer had clearly produced a buzz around the studios! She revealed her hobbies as ballroom dancing, reading and travelling. She loves the Zambian national soccer team (check the shirt in the picture above) and also seemed to vaguely support Manchester United which did not go down well with the other assembled presenters. She holds qualifications from the Ideal College of Commerce as well as a certificate in journalism. She is a ‘staunch catholic’. Her taste in music is 90’s, slow tracks and gospel. Yes, she does sometimes go clubbing….shock, horror in the audience! The biggest challenge in her job? Confirming stories, and editors, in that order!

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing ten years’ from now Brenda said she would still like to be involved with the media but perhaps not in her present job which should be for younger people by then. She has a serious and great ambition to start and run an orphanage, she herself was an orphan and she wanted to do something for people in a similar predicament. We were sure that with her driven, dynamic, commanding personality she would achieve that!

12
DEC

activities, Africa, broadcasting, children, entertainment, football, livingstone, media, music, News, Publications, radioshow, victoriafalls, Zambia

The Latest Norwegian Experience

Since 2007, when we first launched The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela, our regular Sunday night radio show, on to an unsuspecting Livingstone public on Zambezi 107.7 fm the city’s leading local radio station, we have had many Guests from Norway on the show, but few as bubbly and lively as Mariell Konstanse Rydningen (and you try saying that on radio!) (left above) and Marita Isaksen!

Mariell and Marita are third year students at the University of Tromso in northern Norway studying for a bachelor’s degree in pre-school teaching. They told listeners they had been in Livingstone for the past two weeks, part of a proposed six week stay, to gain experience at Rainbow School as part of their course. They were staying at Chanters Lodge. Milli Jam wanted to know how they were coping with the extremely hot temperatures the city was experiencing but the girls gave the impression that they loved the hot sun! Marita had been to Africa before (Egypt on holiday) but for Mariell this was her first trip to the continent. Was it what they expected? They weren’t sure but they were loving it, especially the warm and friendly people, if not quite so much the traditional Zambian food, though they had enjoyed eating crocodile meat at Cafe Zambezi in town.

Milli Jam wanted to know how the girls’ families had felt when they had announced that they were ‘off to Africa for a couple of months’ and the girls replied ‘happy’, ‘scared’ and ‘worried about losing control’ in no particular order! George wanted to know if the girls were married or single (he would wouldn’t he?). Mariell announced forcefully ‘I have a boyfriend’ which made Marita laugh at her friend Konstanse, then revealed that she too had a boyfriend back in Norway.

The music on the show was latest with tracks from Martin Garrix, Lily Allen, Exile, B1, Rihanna, Avicii, James Blunt and Dido. Our oldie of the week was Ray Charles’ ‘Hit The Road Jack’ but listeners found it hard to tell us who was the artist on the track and the prize went unwon. My pick of the week was James Blunt’s tribute to Whitney Houston ‘Miss America’.

Milli Jam wanted to know if the girls had had the chance to do any of the many tourist activities available in Livingstone and they replied that they had taken the one day safari to Chobe NP in Botswana, spent a night on Bovu Island and that afternoon had been quad biking. Mariell replied that she’d been quite scared on the river and at night on Bovu Island. They had plans to do quite a few of the other activities available and would also be spending four nights in a village on a volunteer project. They also convinced George and Millii Jam to take them clubbing!

Marita revealed that she was a fan of Manchester United but Mariell had no interest in football. they both loved rock and pop music and Mariell told us that her brother was a successful musician with Tellus Requiem currently touring in Germany warming up for Kamelot.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Mariell said that she hoped that she had a good job and the chance to travel, Marita the same but added that she also hoped to have a husband, children and to be driving a station wagon!

Nice show!

21
NOV

activities, Africa, Botswana, broadcasting, Chanters, Chobe, education, entertainment, livingstone, music, Norway, radioshow, sport, victoriafalls, Zambia

Lewis Simango

There was drama at the start of the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George ‘Kaufela’ da Soulchild, our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, as the studio was plunged into darkness by a power cut – not a particularly unusual occurrence in Livingstone. After some of us had been obliged to climb the six flights of stairs to get to work (no Zesco – no lifts), we were lucky that our Guest of the week – Lewis Simango (above) – is technically gifted and was well able to start up the studio’s stand by generator. We were lucky! Even so, the genset only operates the system and the transmission so for the first half of the show we did it in the dark!

Lewis told listeners that he is a part time presenter on 107.7 fm and a born again Christian. He has a show featuring gospel music every Sunday called 426. “Why that name?” I wondered. “Because the show airs from 14 – 18 hrs” Lewis replied. “Ah!” I said, feeling dull and knackered from climbing the stairs! Lewis explained that he mostly features gospel music on his show but that he also has a certain man of God from the church of ‘Lion of Judah’ who comes in to preach. “Do you think there’s too much religious broadcasting on this station?” Milli Jam asked. “Certainly not!” the unsurprising reply.

We don’t play gospel music on our show even though we also broadcast on Sundays. On this edition we featured tracks from Showtek, James Arthur, Zone Fam and Kaufela ft Mbototo. Milli Jam played Sean Paul and Bruno Mars. Our oldie of the week was Katie Melua’s ‘Closest Thing To Crazy’ but no-one won the prize. There was one forlorn text message saying ‘these oldies are so hard for us youth’! Seeing that the prize had been won for the previous three weeks running we disputed this! My pick of the week was Ne-Yo featuring Future with ‘Luxurious’. “Everyone’s featuring Future’ said George. We closed with Sean Paul’s hit ‘Turn It Up’.

Lewis made us laugh when Milli Jam asked what sport he liked and his reply was ‘wrestling’. “Ah!” said Milli Jam “and who’s your favourite wrestler?”. “Well” said Lewis “despite my religion it’s The Undertaker”! Lewis professed no interest in UK soccer. Our Guest said his greatest influence in terms of his show was Jo Austin, and that he had been with 107.7 for almost a year. He loved broadcasting and had joined the station as a result of starting early as a member of the station’s fan club. He also revealed that he is a musician himself, soon hoping to release his first album. He is also an events manager with Livingstone Lighthouse, and so he makes ends meet. He is a single man, Lozi by tribe, “pure Lozi” he said. He had been educated at David Livingstone High School and was undertaking further studies by distance learning.

As the show came to an end, Lewis rushed off the shut down the generator and switch back on to mains power – technical indeed!

31
OCT

Africa, broadcasting, education, electricity, entertainment, football, livingstone, media, radioshow, recording, religion, Zambia

Eazy Tee Rocks!

Despite our proximity to Zimbabwe we have had few, if any, Guests on the ‘Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Kaufela Soulchild’ from our neighbouring country, so it was a pleasure to welcome ‘Eazy Tee’ (above, filming) aka Taurai Matsokotere on to the most recent edition of the show. The programme, sponsored by Chanters Lodge, airs on Zambezi 107.7 fm from 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour each and every Sunday night. Taurai is a highly rated DJ in the area with a wealth of international experience – on the side he’s also a graduate of Cape Town University and an entrepreneur in the world of graphic design.

Taurai told listeners that his company, based in Victoria Falls, Marvelworx Media, is involved in web hosting, print design, website design and television advertising. The company had initially been started up in Cape Town, but due to circumstances beyond his control he had been forced to return home to Zimbabwe and re-establish his business in his homeland. Milli Jam wanted to know how Eazy Tee had first become involved in the world of music, clubs and DJ’s and Taurai explained that he has many sisters and he had first begun playing tracks for parties at home. Impressively he also told us that he had paid his own way through University by playing at clubs in Cape Town. He told us of ‘Long Street’ in that city which has more than 60 clubs! He would play four clubs in one night in order to raise funds!

The music on our show was good, we opened with tracks from The Vamps and Fuse OMG. George played numbers from Zambian artists Chisamo and B’Flow. Milli Jam dropped tracks from Chris Brown and Naughty Boy. Our oldie of the week was the Dixie Chicks with ‘Travellin’ Soldier’ but it was a tough one, and no-one picked up the prize we give each week to the first person to text us with the name of the performing artist on the track. My pick of the week was Cher’s ‘I Hope You Find It’. We closed with Rihanna’s ‘What Now’ – amidst some studio amusement.

Milli Jam wanted to know what advice Taurai would give to aspiring, upcoming DJ’s (also telling us that he rated Eazy Tee in his top three all time DJ’s in the region – Milli Jam should know he’s been around the circuit and is highly rated himself). Eazy Tee told them to be careful with ‘Virtual DJ’ and that they should first learn the art of mixing with vinyl and CD’s before travelling the virtual route. He also told listeners that he is still single although ‘spoken for’ and that he has a 10 year old daughter Natasha Precious back in his home town Bulawayo. He had played clubs in more than 7 countries in the region and rated Circles in Ndola very highly in terms of audience reaction.

Eazy Tee told us that his own favourite music is soul and r and b and that he loves Mary J Blige and Tony Braxton. He had done the bungee jump and he had walked with lions. He liked cricket more than football. Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Taurai told listeners that he had a newly established advertising company called Tradeazy and he hoped in ten years’ time the company would be hugely successful.

11
OCT

activities, Africa, art, broadcasting, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, innovation, livingstone, marketing, media, radioshow, rsa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

LBC

George ‘Kaufela’ co-presenter of our weekly Sunday night radio show The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela recently conducted an on line interview with one of Zambia’s most talented yet underrated radio presenters, Nawa Kabika aka LBC (above), QFM’s “Power Breakfast show” host. Nawa is also a businessman, freelance mobile disc-jockey and one third of Zambia’s first ever and most promising house music trio ‘Avocado’. Here’s the conversation!

Who is LBC?
I am a rare breed.

Why the Name LBC?
It was a stage name bestowed upon me by my brother K-Smash because I am literally the last born in a family of four

How would you define yourself in one word?
Blessed

Tell us about your background and education?
I am the only male in a family of four, I went to Libala Secondary School after which I started work, then I pursued a post graduate course in Marketing (CIM) from the London School Of Marketing

What was your first job and how much did you make?
I worked at radio Phoenix, hosting late nights on weekends in 2002, I was taking home K500,000 per month in old money!

How did you get into radio?
After high school, I joined the Radio 4 Fun Club were I learned the basics of broadcasting, this is where I met colleagues such as Kaliwa, Big Al, Dj Dazzle, Flex, Ojay, Lina Zulu and a few others

What was the first show you hosted/co-hosted and on which station?
I co-hosted “Calling Our Members” a Radio 4 Fun Club show and at Phoenix I co-hosted K-smash Friday night show from 18.00-21.00 hrs before I could handle my own slot.

You are most famous for morning shows on QFM. How did you get on to the breakfast show?
The first show I hosted was “The Late Night Q” from 22.00 hrs – 02.00 hrs for two months, then one day the programmes manager told me they had decided on a new line up and I was the morning host, I was shocked.

What would you say are your best qualities when it comes to radio?
My listeners would best answer that one

How do you handle the female attention?
When you last in the industry for this long, female attention moves down to the bottom of your “pressure ladder” unless its Kim Kardashian, Lisa Raye McCoy or Beyonce

What is you saddest moment? Happiest moment? On and off radio
Too many happy memories to remember – I seldom have sad ones.

What was the first car you bought?
I still own it, a 1997 two Door Rav 4 sport

Best chillin’ place in Lusaka?
No place like home!

11
FEB

Africa, broadcasting, entertainment, Lusaka, music, radioshow, Zambia

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