Meet Richard Nyathi (above) – half South African, half Zimbabwean, born and brought up in Zambia, Richard has spent the past fifteen years or so in the far north of Norway – if that doesn’t make him truly Zambian then I’d better look for another reason! Got it! Richard arrived at the studios of Zambezi 107.7 fm to feature as the Guest on our radio show about ten minutes after we’d gone on air with the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient, featuring Jay Hillz last Sunday. Truly Zambian as I said! Milli Jam stood in for Richard at the start of the show telling us about his son’s gold and bronze medals in an Under 16’s athletics meeting in Botswana. Great stuff!

The Chanters Lodge Experience airs every Sunday night from 20.30 – 21.30 hrs on Livingstone’s leading local radio station. At the top of the show Milli Jam wanted to know how Richard and I had come to know each other, and we explained to listeners that Richard was one of the first Guests at Chanters Lodge when we opened way back in 1998.

I went on to tell Milli Jam that Richard, and one or two of his friends, were very keen on a group of Norwegian volunteers working in Livingstone back then! The Norwegian girls spent a lot of time at Chanters accompanied by Richard and his friends – so much so that Richard ended up marrying one of them – Marianne Olsen (who has also been a Guest on our show) – and moving to Tromsoe in the far north of Norway. Richard, a civil Engineer by profession, now works in maintenance for Moi i Rana town council. Mo i Rana is a town and administrative centre of the municipality of Rana in Nordland county, Norway. It is located just south of the Arctic Circle. Richard told us that socially Norway is a non racial country but professionally it can be difficult for people with non-Norwegian qualifications to get ahead. Things, however, had been better for him since he moved to Moi i Rana.

The music on the show was good with latest tracks from Mr Probz and Indiana at the top of the show, followed by tracks from KCee, Owl City, Katy Perry and Chiko Wise. Our oldie of the week was Beyonce’s ‘Naughty Girl’ and the prize we give to the first person to text us the name of the artist on the track was quickly snapped up. My pick of the week was MNEK’s ‘Every Little Word’ and we closed with a new track from Joel Compass.

Richard told listeners that he had definite plans to move back to Zambia and revealed that he had recently remarried – his new bride was Zambian and the couple were busy trying to finish building their house in Livingstone. Richard had also acquired a plot in Kazungula on the banks of the Zambezi. Milli Jam and I were happy that for once we had a fellow ‘Gunner’ alongside in the studio. Richard revealed that he had been to the Emirates Stadium many times to watch Arsenal ‘live’. His favourite player at the moment – Tomas Rosicky, favourite all time – Dennis Bergkamp. About the manager. “Why can’t he re-invent himself?” was Richard’s question! Music wise Richard is into jazz and reeled off a list of favourite artists, unknown to the rest of us!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years from now our Guest said he would like to be retired, living in his house on the Zambezi and fishing! Milli Jam, who had stood in for our Guest in the early part of the show said he wanted to be the owner of a radio station. “This one?” I wondered. “Why not!” The reply. It was a good show.