Broadcasting In Zambia

This from Balancing Act is encouraging, and we certainly hope that Zambezi 107.7 fm takes full advantage if the chance comes along! Why? Well Zambezi 107.7 fm hosts our regular Sunday night radio show ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela’, and we would love for the show to reach listeners in Lusaka and the Copperbelt. The picture is of Milli Jam and George doing their thing on one of our recent shows.

“The Government will soon open up the airwaves to allow private radio stations to expand their radius and cover more regions or the whole nation. Radio stations, including community based media, would be allowed to expand their radius so that information flow could be enhanced. Information, Broadcasting and Labour Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga said the Government was willing to spread media coverage so that Zambians could have information about what was taking place in other parts of the country.

He said community radio stations that were willing to expand their coverage area should start preparing because Government was in the process of putting in place the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). He said a well-informed citizenry would make informed decisions which would in turn help the Government serve them better. He was speaking in a special programme on Oblate Radio Liseli in Mongu on Sunday in which he talked about media reforms in the country. Malupenga has reassured media practitioners that the Government would not interfere in their operations.

Journalists and other media practitioners, he said, should operate professionally. Malupenga emphasised on the need to balance stories. He said the IBA and the Freedom of Information law would be in place before the end of the year to enhance the operations of the media and interaction with the public. “The new administration is promoting freedom of information and freedom of the Press. So we are encouraging the media to operate professionally,” he said.

Mr Malupenga has, however, asked media practitioners not to abuse the freedom they had been granted. He said the Zambia Information, Communication and Technology Authority (ZICTA) had advised that it was possible to open up the airwaves to allow community radio stations expand their radius. “The media should operate in an environment that gives them latitude to operate professionally using their sense of judgment,” he said.

Malupenga has advised private media institutions to motivate their workers by paying them well and providing a conducive environment. The permanent secretary has also commended management at Oblate Radio Liseli for the conducive environment in which it operates. Malupenga visited Radio Lyambai which is also based in Mongu.

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Musical Instruments from Vancouver to Lusaka

This piece from the Vancouver Sun caught my eye – more especially as I have a sister and niece in Vancouver and family in other parts of Canada too! It’s a great story!

As you read this, there’s a ship bound for Africa with 126 musical instruments on board. They’re all from Greater Vancouver save for one, a double bass, that was trucked here from Toronto. There are violins, guitars, drums, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, cellos, a euphonium, recorders, tubas, that double bass and three pianos, including an old, elegant, and lovingly restored upright that once adorned the hallway of a 100-plus-year-old house on Kits Point.

The ship left Vancouver on Boxing Day for Italy, Oman and ultimately Tanzania, where the instruments will be unloaded and trucked to their final destination, the Ngomo Dolce Music Academy in Lusaka, Zambia and the 100 or so students who study there.

At least if everything goes according to plan, they will. It is Africa, after all, and as Heidi Krutzen (above), the Vancouver harpist who organized the expedition knows, things don’t always run smoothly. Nevertheless, she hopes they’ll arrive in March. And she intends to be there when they do — she left Vancouver Sunday, headed for Zambia by way of Scotland. “I get a lot out of this. I love seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and knowing I’ve made a difference to them. And I learn a lot whenever I’m there.”

It was on a 2011 visit to Zambia that Krutzen learned about the Ngomo Academy. She and a colleague, Jocelyn Banyard, were there working on behalf of Malambo Grassroots, a society they’d created to foster education, village health and income generation for women, when she heard about the stifling three-room schoolhouse and its struggling staff of four full-time and two part-time teachers endeavouring to teach western music to about 100 eager students using a few electric keyboards, drums and, bizarrely, a harpsichord. They even had a small collection of handmade instruments.

“I thought it was wonderful what they were trying to do there,” Krutzen recalls, “but Africa wasn’t supposed to be about music for me. It’s what I do all the time, so I didn’t want to get involved. But when I got home, the wheels started spinning.”

An email to colleagues at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra about the school resulted in a violin, a violin case and a piece of music. The next day it brought a piano. After that, a deluge “from the opera, the freelance music community, music schools, music businesses, the jazz community, the world music community”.

But before it could be sent anywhere, it all had to be recorded, stored, wrapped and boxed, a task that took Krutzen hundreds and hundreds — and hundreds — of hours to accomplish.

No wonder she wants to see it arrive.

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‘Luis’ by Tori

Here’s something completely different, and sweet, sent to me by Molly Care from Voyagers. It is an essay submitted by her grand daughter Tori (pictured above) in Florida, for a Wyzant College Scholarship. Please go that link and vote for Tori’s essay – here it is! Thanks.


“I was visiting and volunteering at the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia during my annual break in the summertime when Luis, a six-year-old boy, clutched onto my legs, resting his chin. He began to wobble, gripping on to the sides of my jeans as tightly as he could. I realized that he was unable to walk. Because of his condition, Luis was already identified as a child with no hope, chance for advancement, and a normal life.

I returned to that orphanage six months later to have Luis gripping to my hips once again. He was so excited to show me that he could walk, even if this was extremely difficult for him. The experiences of watching a young boy walk for the first time will forever change how I look at challenges in life. He has not had the opportunities to learn any more words, no one had the time or patience to teach him to read or write, and his life was so different and more difficult than to mine.


In life I have learned that the opportunities that I have been given, education I have had taken for granted and my experiences in life to look forward to will never be in reach for Luis; however, he was still grinning with a smile. Even living in a place eight thousand eight hundred and fifty-six miles away, Luis has still changed the way I look at challenges. The most important lesson I have learned is if a parentless young boy unable to walk with no opportunities, resources, or hope can take his first steps, than I can do anything I set my mind to.” 
 
 
 
 
 
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Beit CURE Hospital, Lusaka

The Beit CURE International Hospital of Zambia was established in 2004. CURE International signed an agreement with the Zambian Ministry of Health to operate a pediatric teaching hospital specializing in the treatment and care of children living with physical disabilities. 

The Beit Trust, a UK-based charity, provided $1.5 million to support construction of the hospital as a centennial gift to the people of Zambia. The Zambian government donated a 60-acre plot of land for the hospital site.

Beit CURE Zambia is one of the few hospitals of in Zambia is able to adequately address the surgical needs of the disabled children in the country. The hospital campus is comprised of six buildings, housing 45 patient beds in the children’s ward and 16 beds in the private patients ward. The hospital also houses a chapel and spiritual center, three operating theaters, an outpatient clinic, an administrative building and a general services building. Services at the hospital will be focused on pediatric orthopedics, neurosurgery and reconstructive plastic surgery.

Since opening its doors, Beit CURE Zambia has seen over 8,000 patients and performed nearly 4,000 surgeries

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Bobby East

 
 
From George da Soulchild Kaufela, co-host of ‘The Experience’ our regular Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, contributes regularly to the blog which we very much appreciate! He reports on a recent interview by Deejay Wolf of Bobby East, a budding Zambian rapper whose single ‘Ma Fyompebles’ has been buzzing.

Q: What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on an album with the other guys J.O.B, Flex and Franciar

Q: Does it have a title?
Well, we still haven’t settled on one yet but it should be titled soon.

Q: Any singles yet?
At the moment the ones that have been officially released are just ‘Ma Fyompebles’ and the one where my man Flex featured, ‘Umuzompiki’, but I am dropping another one next week.

Q: So are you calling yourselves a group or is this just a promo album to get your names out there?
Well, we’ve been working together (me, Franciar, J.O.B and Flex) for a while now and I guess I can say we are a team but we do work on most stuff individually.

Q: It seems your songs are full of the latest slang, what do the terms ‘afyompebles’ and Muzompiki mean?
Lol, well Ma Fyompebles are things that can be Fyompad, hehehe and Umuzompiki is the love a guy has for his girl.

Q: And since Franciar’s hit single ‘Umutokofyompo’ came with this Kopala lingo, which I think you are familiar with can you tell me what Mutokofyompo and Mupandapwiti mean?
Lol, Mutokofyompo is the love a gal has for her man, and its kinda slipped my mind wat mupandapwiti is… hehehe.

Q: Well, lets let it pass for now,just wanted to clear the air. By the way, why the name Bobby East?
Well, Bobby comes from my name Robert and I have kinda always been called Bobby East from way back

Q: Where does the East come from? Are you from Chipata?
Hahahaha, no man, definitely not Chipata!!! Hehehe! Well, it just started out in high school, I thought it went well with the Bobby, lol.

Q: What label are you signed to?
We work with our man Blazer

Q: I hear Blazer has a studio in Lusaka we well,is that where you are based?
Yes my man, we are Lusaka based.
 

Enlightening stuff…..

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Life Is Vitumbuwa!

George da Soulchild Kaufela, co-presenter of our popular Sunday night radio show ‘The Experience’ on Zambezi 107.7 fm, reports on a latest smash hit in Zambia which we featured on last Sunday’s show.

“Every once in a while a new song comes on the Zambian music scene and breaks records. Alubusu did it with “Bwela Panyumba”, Jimmy did it with “Over Over” and now 2wo-1ne wants a piece of that hit song action with their new smash hit “Vitumbuwa”. Within a week of release the song garnered over 10,000 YouTube hits, shot straight to number one on Hot 87.7 FM and has sparked a twitter ‘Vitumbuwa’ trend, with 800 tweets so far. Oh! And so far the song’s been downloaded over 7000 times!

With punchlines like “lelo tamunzila vitumbuwa, pa Friday ni test ya vitumbuwa, so apa nasoma vitumbuwa, ma extra lesson ya vitumbuwa, I swear to tell the whole truth, nothing but the truth about vitumbuwa” you’re bound to find yourself singing along and better yet, pressing that repeat button while you enjoy your tea with vitumbuwa!

2wo-1ne is a group of young artists who got started way back in the early ’05- ’06 era. Recognizing a shared vision to make quality jams for a society that really needed it, 2wo-1ne was cast out of iron tough bars, solid music and an insatiable desire to dominate the air waves.

Daniel Lyapa Fumbeshi Sikazwe, one half of the 2wo-1ne rap group, rap name K-Star aka ‘The Hidden Playa’ aka ‘Da Rhymaniac’ was born in Lusaka and raised on the Copperbelt. He grew a passion for hip-hop in 2001 and seriously began rapping at the end of 2005 when he contested at ‘The Hip-Hop Burnout’ held at The Cage (now Hollywood City). He came out in the top three and got signed to Xpozd, under which a group ‘Xpozd Natives’ was formed with co-rappers Camstar & The Dyplomat but the group split up in late 2007.

Daniel joined 2wo-1ne with original members Buttah, Thug Chuld & Nova Caine at the end of 2008. They recorded a mixtape called ‘Berg City On Lock’ with Krytic and Young Thuga who were part of the project. The project also featured a number of other rappers that included Zone-Fam, Camstar and Street Bangers. 2wo-1ne started working with Superman who formed the label SO’ GOOD ENT in early 2010. This is also the team that started the Cypher 260 in Lusaka at the end of 2009. K-star is also signed to SO GOOD ENT and has worked on numerous projects including the latest 2wo-1ne project featuring the song ‘Vitumbuwa’.

Vitumbuwa is now the number one song on Hot 877’s top 10 and is also one of the most played songs on JoyFM as well as Q-fm. The song is a funny creative one that circles around a common local delicacy known as vitumbuwa (fritters – see above). On the song the rappers divert everything in one’s life to vitumbuwa.”


Now you know – vitumbuwa!

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Kaufela

The Post, Zambia’s most popular newspaper, recently featured George da Soulchild aka Kaufela (above right, with Milimo), co-host of our regular Sunday night radio show, ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience’, in an in-depth interview. Why didn’t George mention our show? We wanted to know. “I did but they edited it out” he told me. Shame on them, but great publicity for George!

“Down in the tourist capital Livingstone, stands Zambezi FM Radio host and musician George Da Soulchild-Kaufela, formally known as George Mukwita. The Weekend post caught up with this multi-talented DJ after his scintillating Born and Bred performance in December last year, alongside TY2 on the track he featured called ‘Spotlight’.

Q: Why Kaufela, your colleagues go by western names?
A: It all started in the studio, I did a song by that name, the fellas loved it and I think it best describes who I am, besides the fact that I’m Lozi.

Q: First time I heard of you was a song with the late Crystal Shaun, then Ty2 and Petersen. Now what are you up to?
A: Yes I’ve been singing for a long time but it’s only now that I want to put my work in to an album. My debut release should be out this year. We’re just putting everything together, trying to make sure we have the right strategies to give it the best promotion before and after it’s on the market.

Q: Yes, coming to the songs. You stand out for singing in Silozi, most of your colleagues are into Bembalise-Nyanjalise, do you have a ready audience?
A: Plenty! Zambians dance to Congolese, Swahili…all Zambians have an idea of Bantu language. That being said I also use Nyanja, Bemba and English. It’s a mix – the best of all worlds. In other words my music is easy to listen to and understand.

Q: In your upcoming album you have collaborations with big names like Haamoba, Roberto, Petersen, K’Millian, Bflow and Ty2.Tell me, how do you manage to work with so many Lusaka based artistes when you’re based in Livingstone?
A: They are all my personal friends so working with them was pretty easy. We had a lot of fun making and recording songs – we worked on the music when they came down to Livingstone. I’m also a promoter and organize shows in Sesheke and Livingstone.

Q: With which studio do you work?
A: Raising Sounds Studio in Livingstone. Roni does the work.

Q: What are you going to call your album?
A: Not yet decided. I’m tempted to call it KAUFELA MUSIC but like I said, we haven’t yet decided.

Q: Face it, the RAP/RNB scene in Zambia is congested and competitive. Macky 2, Slap D, Afunika, Mampi, PJ etc so what’s your game plan?
A: Competition yes, but I’m not worried about those guys, I just focus on my music. Roni and I make good music that can compete fairly anywhere in the world at any given time, it’s just a matter of time before we become household names! They should be worried about me! (laughs).

Q :Any last words to your fans and prospective fans?
A: We started out so simply just with Livingstone. Thank you very much for the love and support. It’s now time to take it national then International – one step at a time and we’ll soon get there. To those discovering me for the first time feel free to request for my music on your local radio stations and look out for my album dropping this year. Go for it! Big up to all the radio DJs that promote my music and all the night club DJs that do likewise, and to all the guys that hold me up! Cheers!











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The Kay Jay Experience

We were happy we didn’t have to use his full name when Kay Jay (above) guested on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient last Sunday night! Why? Well he’s called Kelvin Lisbon Kangwa de Souza which is quite a mouthful! Kay Jay explained to listeners that his father was half Portuguese and half Bemba, hence his Portu-Bemba name. For the uninitiated The Chanters Lodge Experience is our regular Sunday night radio show airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. The show streams live on the internet too.

The programme has been running for 4 years and is popular partly because each week we give away a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters Lodge to the first person to text us telling us who’s singing our oldie of the week. This week the answer was Aliyah and Cedric, age 14, won!
He came for lunch on Monday with his elder sister! Awesome! Older people tried to win as well but perhaps their age made them slower off the mark. Just a speculation!
Kay Jay is a senior producer at 107.7 fm having started with the station as a presenter earlier this year. “Meteoric rise to power” commented Milli Jam dryly, who was quick to apologize to listeners for the absence of George da Soulchild Kaufela, usually the co-host of our programme but absent attending and performing at the annual Born ‘N Bred awards show in Lusaka. Kay Jay told listeners that at 107.7 fm he was responsible for making sure that programmes ran on time, advertisements were broadcast on schedule and that all the presenters knew their schedule, reporting in good time accordingly. We wondered what was the biggest challenge of the job. “Frowning faces” he replied and we needed no further explanation. Milli Jam, one of 107.7 fms longest serving presenters, laughed!
The music on the show was right on point as usual. We opened with ‘It’s Not You (It’s Me) by T-Pain vs Chuckie featuring Pitbull back to back with ‘The Believer’ by Common ft John Legend. Milli Jam’s local selections were Orga Family with ‘Nkuku Nankanga’ coupled with ‘Wounded Buffalo’ by Afunika. We featured Nicole Scherzinger’s smash ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ and ‘Lottery’ by Stevie Hoang. After Aliyah’s ‘oldie of the week’ we closed with Chris Brown and ‘Thinking Out Loud’ back to back with ‘Who You Are’ – Jesse J’s latest smash.
Kay Jay was very interesting describing his life before joining 107.7 fm. Educated at all grade levels in all boys schools in Lusaka, he said he was now ‘too excited’ when he met girls and used this and ‘financial instability’ as excuses for not yet being married. “I thought it was about love” Milli Jam commented dourly and I said I was sure the Chanters Girls would agree with that! Kay Jay spent some time in Netherlands with Dance For Life – young people all over the world getting into action to stop HIV and making a move to change the future – The Dance4life platform makes all those efforts visible, encouraging even more people to join the movement, Kay Jay explained. He hosted 10 shows and was proud to be one of only 3 African presenters. He had loved the Netherlands and had visited almost all parts of the country.

As a Gunner (Arsenal supporter) Kay Jay was inordinately proud of having shaken hands with Robin van Persie when he was in Holland. We were very jealous! He also met, hugged and we suspect fell in love with Doutzen Kroes the gorgeous Dutch super model. More jealousy on our part! In 10 years time Kay Jay told listeners he wanted to have his own business, a Phd and a wife and family.

Great ambitions, great guest, great show!

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Pick N Pay Zambia

There have been consistent rumours of these people opening in Livingstone but as yet there are no definite signs. We have Spar (currently moving from Falls Park to the city centre) and two Shoprites but there are still plenty of basic items that it is difficult, if not impossible, to find. I doubt if there is enough business for a third chain store – unless of course they could compete on price and variety and put Shoprite or Spar out of business in the city. Business Live reports:

Retailer Pick n Pay has announced the opening of its third Zambian store in Lusaka, further signalling the group’s confidence in the Zambian economy. Pick n Pay opened its first store in Lusaka in July 2010 and its second in Ndola in March 2011. “The third store, which will be situated in the Levy regional shopping centre, is one of five planned for the country over the next four years,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.

According to Pick n Pay head of group enterprises Dallas Langman, the southern African region represented an increasingly attractive market. “As disposable income continues to grow, the region’s retail potential remains largely untapped and there is considerable opportunity for foreign investors who are willing to enter intro constructive partnerships with local communities, suppliers and government agencies,” Langman said.

“The incredible success of our first two stores and the enthusiasm with which it has been welcomed by our customers, has exceeded our expectations and has fully vindicated our decision to expand our presence in Zambia rapidly in coming months,” he added. A fourth store will open in Makeni on 1 December. “The combined investment of both the Levy and Makeni stores is in excess of R40 million, signalling our confidence in the Zambian economy,” Langman added.

Situated in Zambia’s second largest shopping centre, the 4,000 square metre Levy store will sell in excess of 20,000 lines ranging from fresh produce, clothing, home-ware and liquor. The store has created employment opportunities for a further 150 Zambians. “Investment in African talent, the growth of our employees and skills development is a crucial part of our expansion strategy and it has been gratifying to be a part of job creation and socio-economic development in Zambia,” Langman said. He added that at least 65% of stock was locally sourced while 70% of fresh produce was provided by Zambian suppliers.

“Pick n Pay has a total of 230 local suppliers in Zambia which include agencies which supply imported products to the company’s stores. “The company has a total of 10,100 grocery lines listed in its Zambian stores, of which 6,700 products are derived from local suppliers.” The range includes canned vegetable products, coffee, legumes and an organic range of sauces as well as processed meats.

“It has been very satisfying to be able to source much of our produce from local suppliers, particularly small scale farmers who have proved themselves more than capable of providing foodstuffs at a price and of a quality demanded by Pick n Pay’s customers.”


















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Kirk Franklin In Lusaka Tomorrow!

 
 
George da Soulchild, co-presenter of our weekly Sunday night radio show reports:

 

Organizers of this month’s one-off concert by US gospel artiste Kirk Franklin have described the event as a great development for the music industry in Zambia. Christian label Doxa Music has facilitated the December 5 concert which will be held at the 8,000-seater Blessing Centre in Lusaka.

 
Daniel Mutale, Doxa Music’s finance and administration director said it was an honour for the label to host the ‘Stomp’ star. “From a Christian point of view, we feel very blessed to be given such a privilege of hosting him. And then from the music fraternity, as you may be aware, Kirk Franklin was the first gospel artiste to sell a million records. So it’s such a great privilege for the music industry and for the development of our music industry in Zambia. We can get inspiration from such a person. We just feel we are contributing to the well being of the music industry in this country” he said.
 
Mutale expressed delight at the partnership Doxa has entered with mobile service provider MTN and Sounds Investments in promoting Franklin’s visit to Zambia. Multiple Grammy, Stellar and Dove-award winning Franklin, 41, will lead a 17-member team of singers and musicians in what is already expected to be one of the most highly anticipated concerts in Zambia. The concert marks another feather in the cap for Doxa Music, whose other notable exploit was the successful hosting of Australian rock and worship band Hill Song United in Lusaka three years ago.
 
The concert has been organized by The Relay, a company that’s using hip hop to take the Gospel around the country. “We emphasise on bringing people like these hip hop guys from the US because they are very gospel-centric, very Christian oriented, which is what our organization is all about,” said Chilufya Mulundu, one of the lead organizers.

 

Mulundu added that the group would be performing in Zambia as part of its Unashamed Africa tour. The concert will also feature local acts Tio, D-tour and Abel Chungu Musuka.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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