Wales – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

The Travellers’ Experience

Meet Verrinia (VJ) and Stephen (Steve) Rees (above), travellers and Guests on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. The Experience is our weekly Sunday night radio show airing for an hour on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. VJ and Steve, Guests at Chanters Lodge, told listeners that they had only just arrived in Zambia following a trip through South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

The couple told listeners that they hail from UK. In 2008 they decided to give up their well paid managerial jobs in local government and start to travel. They had subsequently been just about around the world following an itinerary they had drawn up in their early days together. They had met through work and friends and had been married for 19 years. “Was it love at first sight?” Wondered Milli Jam, who loves that question! Steve replied that he was ‘smitten’ while they were dining out for the first time together in an Indian restaurant in Maidstone, Kent, such that he failed to eat his curry!

VJ explained that she had been mostly employed as an archivist back in the day, while Steve was an environmentalist and clearly still maintains a deep interest in environmental and eco issues. Their visit to Zambia would not only include a visit to Victoria Falls but would continue with visits to both Kafue and South Luangwa National Parks. Steve said he had had a passion to visit South Luangwa ever since he had seen a programme in the Survivor series on UK TV when he was very young. He would soon realise his dream! Both VJ and Steve have a love for, and a keen interest in, wildlife. They talked of leopard and wild dog that they had seen on their travels in Southern Africa.

The music on our show was international, local and latest as usual. We opened with tracks from Lilly Wood and Ariana Grande. Milli Jam and Jay chose music from Pompi, Elbow, Eve and Chester ft IC. Our oldie of the week was a track from Jo Klasic ft P Jay called ‘Method 2’, and the prize of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge that we give to the first person to text us the name of the performing artist on the track, was quickly snapped up by a certain Musa.

Steve and DJ told listeners that so far their visit to Livingstone had mostly consisted of sorting themselves and their laundry out, following months on the road mostly camping. They planned to visit both sides of Victoria Falls during their stay and were also interested in a sunset cruise as well as a swim in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island.

After their visit to South Luangwa they would be off to Malawi and Mozambique. They told us that due to more family issues than they had expected back in UK, they had in fact been back to Europe more times during their travels than they had originally planned.

Music wise Steve singled out Peter Gabriel as one of his all time outstanding artists. Generally he was in to rock but both said they had not much time to listen to music while they were travelling. Steve loves rugby and being Welsh born especially the Wales national team. He also supports Swansea City in the EPL.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years’ from now this appreciative, friendly and fascinating couple said they would like to be travelling – Europe in summer, the rest of the world when Europe was cold!

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activities, Africa, Botswana, Chanters, Kafue, livingstone, Malawi, music, Namibia, South Luangwa, tourism, travel, victoriafalls, Wales, wildlife, Zambia

Dr Joanna Lewis

We were delighted to welcome Dr Joanna Lewis (pictured above) as our Guest on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela. That’s the weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm sponsored by our lodge, featuring latest Zambian and international music interspersed by conversation with our Guest of the week. The show’s been running since 2007 and is popular locally – partly because we give away a dinner for two at the lodge every week if a lucky listener can text us the name of the artist singing our ‘oldie of the week’. No-one won on this week’s show – the track we played was ‘It’s Not Unusual’ by Tom Jones – at the request of our Welsh Guest – but it was just too old for our young Zambian audience to know the artist! We promised to make the question easier on the next show, and we will!

Joanna had been in Livingstone for more than a week in the last stages of hosting and organizing an important international academic conference about David Livingstone, to coincide with the 200th Anniversary of his birth. She told listeners that she is a lecturer in African History and African Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science and that this was her fourth visit to Zambia. Single, but “devoted to her boyfriend”, an officer in the British Army, Joanna said she had no children but was a full time aunty to her niece and nephew, Olivia and Thomas whom she greeted on air.

Milli Jam wanted to know more about the conference held during the week and Joanna told him that the meeting had been addressed by international experts, as well as Zambian delegates from University of Zambia all with specialist knowledge of David Livingstone. Some contributors were Ben Di Ponti, who had actually trekked the 1000 kms across Africa following Livingstone’s footsteps, as well as Julie Davidson, a travel writer, who had recently published a book about Livingstone’s wife. Others included John Mackenzie, Keith Hart and Gary Clendennen. “What’s the verdict on Livingstone?” Asked Milli Jam. “Very mixed!” Joanna’s reply.

The music on the show was up to date as usual. We opened with Avril Lavigne’s new hit back to back with Rudimental’s UK number one featuring Ella Eyre ‘Waiting All Night’. George chose Zambian tracks by Chef ft Afunika and Pilato – ‘Kumwesu’ as well as Exile with ‘Nganalikwebele’. Milli Jam served up offerings from Ne-Yo as well as Will.i.am ft Justin Bieber. My pick of the week was Time Bandit’s ‘Mozart’s House’ and we closed with Drake’s ‘Girls Love Beyonce’.

Joanna told listeners that she rather prefers rugby to soccer but when it came to English football clubs her preference was Arsenal, her favourite player ‘Theo Walcott’. ‘All the girls love Theo’ she added. Being Welsh she also likes Swansea City. Music wise our doctor said she liked classical and gospel music but she was certainly foot tapping to the tracks we played on air! Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing ten years’ from now Joanna said she would like to be a world famous novelist with a string of successful novels to her name, retired and enjoying a drink!

Joanna took the opportunity to thank on air all of the contributors to the successful conference, as well as the staff at Chanters Lodge where she said she and her colleagues had been very happy to stay.

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Africa, education, entertainment, guests, livingstone, London, music, politics, radioshow, staff, victoriafalls, Wales, Zambia

Dave & Hazel Roberts guest on ‘The Experience’

Meet old friends of mine Dave and Hazel Roberts (above), lively guests on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient, featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela. For the uninitiated ‘The Experience’ is our popular Sunday night radio show airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, and streaming live on the internet. Zambezi 107.7 fm studios are situated on the 6th floor of Mosi-o-Tunya House, the large office block in downtown Livingstone opposite Livingstone Museum, and that’s where we go to broadcast our live show every Sunday evening!

The programme is a great mixture of international and local music as well as fascinating conversation with our weekly guests. We give away a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters Lodge every week to the first listener to text us, telling us who’s singing our ‘oldie of the week’. This week the track was Phil Collins’ ‘Do You Remember?’ The prize was quickly snapped up by Mwiinga. We also feature my ‘Pick Of The Week – Tip For The Top’ and my selection on this particular show was JLS with ‘Pieces Of My Heart’ – we’ll see what happens in the charts if and when the track’s released as a single.

Dave and Hazel told listeners this was their third visit to Zambia. They’d stayed in Livingstone from1998 to 2000 when they’d spent two years as volunteers at David Livingstone Teacher Training College, teaching student mathematics teachers. The Roberts’ are both qualified maths teachers, and noted on air that the standard of maths teaching in Zambia had not been very good in the past. They felt they’d contributed a lot to help rectify this situation during their time in Zambia. They’d volunteered through VSO twice more after leaving Zambia, once in Malawi and once in Senegal and they’d also enjoyed both these tours of duty. Their current visit was part of a four week African holiday which had taken them first to South Africa then to Zambia. They were enjoying meeting old friends in Livingstone as well as visiting old haunts like Chanters Lodge, and they told listeners proudly that they’d been two of the very first customers at the lodge when it opened in 1998. “That’s true!” I confirmed.

The music on the show was good, we opened with ‘Hurts Like Heaven’ a track from the brilliant Coldplay album ‘Mylo Xyloto’ back to back with ‘Convertible’ a great new recording from Chris Brown. George chose Exile’s ‘Auwe’ coupled with Ty2 featuring Kaufela with ‘Spotlight’ – this was a special request from Dave and Hazel who demanded to hear some of George’s work. “It’s a great track!” They said. “Of course!” We said. Milimo dropped Bei Maejor’s ‘Fell In Love On The Dance Floor’ and Ne-Yo’s ‘Regardless’. Coldplay’s ‘Paradise’, the current UK number one, closed our show.

Dave and Hazel told listeners they were from UK and that they had two adult children as well as two young grandchildren. Although neither of them were from that part of Britain they were currently living near Wakefield, West Yorkshire in order to be near their grandchildren. They’d been married for 44 years, having met in 1966 at a meeting for maths teachers in Germany. “Was it love at first sight?” Milli Jam wanted to know. “No!” Quipped Dave in his Welsh accent (for he is of that race) “it was maths at first sight!”. We laughed. This lovely, loving couple wished they had more time to spend in Zambia but sadly would be driving to Lusaka the following Tuesday and flying back to UK two days after that.

We wished them well and ‘bon voyage’, thanked them for taking the time to appear on our show, and hoped we’d see them back in Livingstone again one of these fine days!

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JAN

Africa, Chanters, education, entertainment, Germany, guests, livingstone, Malawi, music, radioshow, rsa, travel, volunteers, Wales, Zambia

Go Zambia!

My niece and her husband recently settled in Cardiff and are about to open their own catering business – no wonder then that this story in WalesOnline grabbed my attention! We wish Professor Hall the best of luck in her remarkable project!

“Artwork by school children and professional artists in Cardiff and Zambia will go on display in an exhibition marking the start of a new link between the two. Professor Judith Hall is working to set up Go Zambia – a new community link between Cardiff and the Chongwe district in the Lusaka Province of Zambia. The aim is for experts in Cardiff to help the African community to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing maternal and child mortality, improving environmental sustainability and achieving universal primary education.

The exhibition marks the first public event to raise awareness of the burgeoning link and all the art on display has been inspired by Zambia. Prof Hall, a consultant anaesthetist at UHW and head of the department of anaesthetics, intensive care and pain medicine at Cardiff University, founded the charity Mothers of Africa to reduce maternal mortality and has been working in Liberia, Ethiopia, Togo and Benin. Now she is in the process of setting up this wider link with Zambia.

“The idea is to have a multi-disciplinary project which can work more intensively in this country compared to what we’ve been doing before,” she said. “The main problems in the district are communication problems – there’s one road running through the district with a modern hospital at one end and a slightly older one at the other end. But most people live inland where travel is difficult and it can take hours to walk to the road and get help.

“Access to clean water and electricity is a problem immediately after you leave the road. Healthcare is arranged around health posts most of which have no electricity. Solar panels could transform practice. “Each post is run by a qualified nurse, working in isolation. There is no continuing education for staff. As a result morale and standards are probably very low because of this. Pregnant women cannot be delivered at night because there is no electricity. Many die on their way to hospital.”

Prof Hall, a former Welsh Woman of the Year, has organised the exhibition, featuring work by primary and secondary school pupils in Cardiff and professional artists, at the Butetown History and Arts Centre during January to raise awareness of Go Zambia.”

Awesome!

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DEC

Africa, charities, children, Wales, Zambia