Chanters Lodge has enjoyed tremendous support from the Norwegian community in Zambia, and indeed from Norwegians in Norway, since the lodge opened in July 1998. In recent years, we have often accommodated students during the notoriously ‘slow’ months in Livingstone of January and February. This year is no exception, so we were delighted to invite Trine Sletteng (left) and Britania Lomax (above) on to the most recent edition of  ‘The Experience’ – that’s our regular Sunday night radio show on
Zambezi 107.7 fm, airing at 20.30 hrs for an hour, and streaming live on the internet. Our show is a great mixture of Zambian and international pop music as well as lively chat with our guests of the week, and is hosted by Milli Jam and George Kaufela, two of Livingstone’s top DJ’s/radio presenters.

Trine and Britania, guests at the lodge, are student teachers at the University of Tromso in northern Norway, Trine is in her 4th year of study and Britania her 3rd. The girls told listeners that they were in Zambia for one month’s practical teaching training at Nansanzu Basic School in Livingstone, but they had not yet started their work due to a string of unforeseen circumstances at the school. They were scheduled to begin their teaching stints the following day. “Nervous?” We wondered. “More nervous about appearing on radio right now!” They replied, but we assured them that there was no need to be nervous about either event! We were sure the Grade 8 and Grade 9 students they were scheduled to teach would be delighted to see and learn from them. Between them the girls would be teaching art, history, home economics and English.

The music on the show was great and rather different on this edition. We opened with ‘Drive By’ from Train – not a well known band in Zambia. This was coupled with ‘Only Human’ by Tim McGraw featuring Ne-Yo, a track from Tim’s latest country album. George featured ‘Vitumbuwa’ a huge Zambian hit for 2in1 (the word means fritters, fried food hawked by street traders in Zambian cities). He coupled that with Slap D featuring Maureen Lilanda with ‘Iyo Nyimbo’. Milli Jam picked Sean Paul’s ‘Hold On’, back to back with K’Naan featuring Nelly Furtado with ‘Anyone Out There?’

One of the reasons our show is popular locally is that we give away a prize of a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters Lodge every week to the first person to text us telling us who’s singing our ‘oldie of the week’. This week the track was Destiny’s Child’s ‘Bootylicious’ and the prize was quickly snapped up! Another regular feature on the show is our ‘pick of the week’ – a track that we’re tipping for chart success in the future. This week our selection was Flo Rida ft T_Pain and LMFAO with ‘Run To You’. We closed the show with Cover Drive’s hot single ‘Twilight’.

Trine and Britania told listeners they were single and married respectively and that Tromso had been very warm recently but was very cold when they left for Africa. “Very warm?” we queried. “Yes” they said, it was +1C. We laughed and gave them an idea of what ‘very warm’ meant in Livingstone! The girls told us about the walking safari they’d done a few days previously in the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park as well as the gorge swing and flying fox they’d braved that very day. Had Livingstone been what the girls expected? “Oh yes!” They said “we were told its real name is Luvingstone and we do love it!” We loved them too, wishing them the best of luck while they were here!

Faced with the inevitable ‘last question’ Trine said that in ten years’ time she’d like to be settled down with a good job, nice home and two children. Britania told listeners she would be ‘travelling the world one day at a time’. “Good luck!” We said!