radioshow – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Zambia – Music Scene

George Soulchild, who co-hosts our Sunday night radio show on 107.7 fm writes:

EXILE
Local artist Kangwa Kapampa aka Exile, born on the 4th of July 1981, is one of the most talented acts in the local music industry. He’s a music producer/composer, singer and runs his own establishment called Freedom Entertainment, but he is currently under contract with Showdown Records run by Runnel, another popular local artist, who featured on the Chanters show last year. Exile’s recent album “7 Days” was released late last year. The album is not doing as well as expected, but cannot be compared to his last offering, as his new project appeals more to the fans. It must be stated that his greatest work will always be his first album “So Lucky”, released under Mondo Music in 2004/5 and managed by Chisha Folotiya back then. On the latest Chanters show we played a song from his ‘7 Days’ album called “Nganalikwebele” (‘If I Had Told You’). The song talks about a man withholding some information of his past relationships or his infidelities from his woman, as a way of protecting her from further heartache when she demands the truth from him. The song is sung in Bemba.

AFUNIKA
Copperbelt based upcoming artist Frank Chirwa Jr, aka Afunika, is a music producer, songwriter as well as a singer. Last Saturday with other Copperbelt base artistes Afunika graced the Kambeba Lodge anniversary bash. His performance alongside his dancing queens proved to be the audience’s favourite as he performed his songs from his debut album including the current hit, Miss You (Fo Shize), which was clearly enjoyed by many at the show. The song is currently enjoying massive radio air play across the country including night clubs and the like. The song whose hook is sung in English with verses in Bemba talks about a man missing his woman and all the little things they used to do and how he just cant wait for them to reunite. Afunika’s Miss you (Fo Shize) was one of the local songs we played on the Chanters show. Afunika is without a doubt the most happening artist in Zambia today.

Brick & Lace (pictured above) and local artistes to share stage.
Local artistes JK, Mampi, Slap Dee and B-Flow are among selected artistes to share the stage with Jamaican R&B reggae fusion duo Brick and Lace at Lusaka’s Barclays Sports Complex and Hollywoood City this Saturday. Apart from Brick and Lace – comprising sisters Nyanda and Nailah Thorbourne – the local artistes will also join support performances from special guest Jozi from South Africa, and Zambia’s Celtel Star Search hip hop finalist Kapuka aka TR with his partner TEF from Canada. The performance will take place on 21st August with TY-2, P-Jay and No ID dancers as other supporting acts.

The concert whose tickets are being sold courtesy of Inzy and Zambezi Airlines will be anchored by QFM DJ Peaches and Chuma Phiri from rhythm100 radio online station, based in South Africa. It will also be supported by Channel O’s DJ Waxxy and DJ Gomez from France both of whom will make surprise appearances.

The show, which organisers say is meant to expose Zambian artistes to international talent, is expected to be attended by members of the National Arts Council executive committee.
Brick and Lace who originally consisted of three sisters; Nyanda, Nailah and Tasha Thorbourne will be visiting Zambia for the very first time with a track record of successful international tours, and are well-known to the Zambian market with hit songs from their debut album ‘Love is Wicked’.”

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Chanters, music, radioshow, Zambia

The Chanters Lodge Experience

It could be a title of a Guest review couldn’t it? In fact it’s the name of a weekly radio show, sponsored by Chanters Lodge on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The full title of the show is ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Soulchild’. George and Milli Jam, famous local DJ’s, are pictured above. The show goes out live at 20.30 hours every Sunday.

The radio programme is essentially musical, featuring old pop, new pop and Zambian music. Richard Chanter, owner and manager of Chanters Lodge also features weekly on the show. A Guest from the lodge is usually invited to talk about their experiences in Zambia and at the lodge, and the music and chat are intertwined in an exciting and interesting way. Local personalities also feature on the show from time to time, and several members of staff at the lodge have guested on the show.

Last week our Guest was a retired professor of history from Australia who was interesting and entertaining. The music was good. The show featured two Zambian tracks – Exile with ‘Nganalikwe ba le’ (‘If I Had Told You’) and Afunika with ‘Darling’. (George might write more for the blog about these artists and tracks later in the week, time permitting). The show opened with ‘Candy’ by Aggro Santos ft Kimberley Wyatt. The new UK number one ‘Beautiful Monster’ by Ne-Yo featured, as well as Mary J Blige’s ‘Each Tear’. Leona Lewis’s ‘Bleeding Love’ took people back a couple of years while Professor Green’s ‘Just Be Good’ and Usher’s ‘DJ Got Us Falling In Love’ are smack up to date. The show closed with Treysongz ‘Already Taken’.

The lodge gives away a dinner for two with drinks every week. This week the prize was given to the first person to text Richard the Guest’s nationality and as usual there was a good response, showing that after more than a two year run, the show has lost none of its popularity with the local population. Zambezi 107.7 fm has a range of about 65 kms, touching as far as Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Kasane in Botswana.

Our Guest praised the staff at the lodge on air, which was good news, and the radio show has proved excellent for staff morale. We often wonder what the Chanters Girls get up to while they’re listening to the programme at the lodge! Dancing? We guess so! The staff love to hear their names mentioned weekly and feel proud that the lodge is recognised on radio.

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Africa, Botswana, Chanters, guests, livingstone, music, radioshow, reviews, Zambia, Zimbabwe

George Mukwita – Guest Blog

Here’s George Mukwita’s Guest blog for the week. George, who works under the name of ‘George Soulchild’ co-hosts our weekly radio show which goes out live every Sunday at 20.30 hrs on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm – ‘imitated but never duplicated’.

ROBERTO.
Local artist Robert Banda AKA Roberto has been nominated for this year’s African music awards in the following categories: best artist Southern Africa, best African new comer, best collaboration with Toniks of Uganda. The Awards are set for the 15th of October 2010. His new song ‘Your Love’ sung in English and Nyanja from his forthcoming album played for the first time on 107.7 Zambezi FM on my breakfast show and we also featured it on the Chanters show just days after its release, its red hot! Something for this coming summer I must add.

DANNY
Danny is labelled as one of the BIG 5 local artists, his new song ”Live” has like all of his songs in the past received criticism in one way or the other. In his new song Danny educates on the importance of consistent and correct use of condoms every time one has sex…In a twisted clever way bringing out the artistic self that he is known for, in the local music industry there are few who can deliver like Danny does. The song is a big hit in the clubs taverns and shabeens it’s also the title track to his new album. We featured it on the Chanters show. Danny has been in the Zambian music industry since 99/2000. His last album didn’t fare so well, now all eyes are on his new project as it promises to do better – guess we just have to wait and see.

MAMPI ROCK’S SESHEKE
Local artist Merriam Mukabe aka Mampi last Friday attracted a very large crowd of Sesheke fans at Goma night club in Katima Mulilo Sesheke, Western Province where she appeared for the first time and delivered a spirited performance that was also meant to introduce some of her new songs from her forthcoming album.

Rumour has it that the Diva has some roots in Sesheke. Therefore it was not surprising that a number of people turned up to witness a daughter coming home. The performance started at 10:30 pm, her stage act was great and it kept the fans screaming for more. After the show she talked about her performance .

“My performance here is one of those usual shows to just help me keep in touch with my fans and let them know what I am working on and that I’m the best when it comes to this because I always aim to give my best. I’m glad I came here – I had no idea how much they love me here. As you may be aware, I am currently working on my new album which hopefully will be released by end of the year. I will be back”

Mampi, whose second and probably most successful album, Chimo ni Chimo was released two years ago says her new project is specifically targeted at introducing her to the international market.

Thanks George!

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blog, Chanters, livingstone, music, Namibia, radioshow, zambezi

Doctor Trey

Meet Doctor Trey, aka Trevor Ndhlovu, well known Livingstone DJ. Trevor guested on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience, our popular Sunday night show, that goes out live weekly on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm at 20.30 hours. It has ‘The Milli Jam Ingredient’ meaning it’s co-hosted by Milimo Mudaala, also a well known Livingstone DJ, and George ‘Soulchild’ a regular host on 107.7 fm who helps with the technical side. It was a good show featuring some of the latest Zambian hits which George will be writing about for the blog later in the week, as well as numbers by Ne-Yo, Eminem and Travis Macoy, ft Bruno Mars, Brandy and Kelly Rowland.

In ‘another life’, Doctor Trey is a driver/salesman for WTC (Wright Trading Company) for whom he’s worked for years. He was the original DJ at Masaka, better known now as Pub and Grill, owned by Glen Wright. Trevor’s less busy than he used to be since WTC gave up their agency for Mosi and Coca Cola. He’s married with 3 boys and was happy to be able to greet his family on air. Doctor Trey’s an ardent Liverpool fan, and had this been known beforehand he might not have featured. Chanters is strictly Arsenal!… There was much speculation on air about the first game of the new season this coming Sunday when these two teams meet at Anfield. Ah! Premier League soccer, again!

Richard was asked if the winner of last week’s prize had turned up and whether it had been a ‘take away’. He confirmed that Gloria, the winner, had come for a lovely private dinner at Chanters’ expense with a handsome young man and had much enjoyed her night out. Nothing like take away! This week’s question asked for Trevor’s DJ name and the prize was quickly snapped up! People get so excited about winning that they forget to give their own names on the text, which then disqualifies them even if the answer’s right!

Trevor was asked about his ambitions for the future and told listeners that he would love to have his own transport business, revealing that his second born son was in the process of learning mechanics for this purpose. Richard greeted family, Guests and staff alike, and George was happy to recount his week in Sesheke (on the Namibian border) with Mwampi, hot Zambian artist. Why hadn’t he brought her back to Livingstone to guest on the show? No adequate response! Oh well…

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Africa, Arsenal, Chanters, football, livingstone, music, radioshow, zambezi, Zambia

Zambian Music – Chanters Lodge

George Da Soulchild writes about the Zambian music we played on last Sunday’s Chanters Lodge Experience on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, when the Hagenbeeks from Utrecht were our guests. (I had a text from them today saying they were safely on the Tazara Train to Dar.) This is our regular show and we featured the story on the blog earlier in the week.

George’s real name is George Mukwita (aka George Da Soulchild). George is a 27 year old radio dj working for Zambezi Fm Radio, Livingstone. He has a popular show he hosts every Monday Night called “Monday Night Chill Factor With George” and also co-produces the Chanters Lodge Experience weekly for us.

We played 2 Zambian tracks on last week’s show:

‘Kaufela’ Featuring K’millain “Efo Nakutemwa” (Thats why I love you) is a brand new Zambian
track sung in Bamba, Nyanja and Lozi it carries some samples of a P-Square song titled “I
love you”. In a nut shell the song talks about a man appreciating his women Kaufela.

Ty2 featuring Crystal Shaun, Lillian and Kaufela titled “Change for the Better” is a Charity
song sung in English and Bemba. The song was recorded in Livingstone and mastered and
duplicated in the UK. Later released as a single on the 25th of May – World Malaria Day this
year. The song was produced to raise awareness of Malaria, and all proceeds raised will be
channeled to help those that cant get to health centers to get treatment. Money raised will be used to buy medicine and malaria testing kits and mosquito nets for them. The project was sponsored by the Butterfly Tree Charity. There’s a nice picture of the artists above!

Thanks George!

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JUL

Africa, development, entrepreneurship, livingstone, radioshow, victoriafalls

Chanters Lodge and Zambian Music

George Mukwita writes:

‘ZAMBIA’S sensational singer JK is set to launch his fifth album ‘Akapilipili’ on July 30 at Lusaka’s Barclays Sports Complex. The title-track video has continued to enjoy airplay on local and foreign music channels. Kapiripiri. The love song features the beautiful Salma who is currently working on her solo project under So-GOOD Entertainment based in Lusaka, and Kapiripiri is one of the many local tunes from the album receiving massive airplay both on radio and in the clubs. As`the hottest show on Zambezi fm the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Millie Jam Ingredient feauring the Soulchild just had to drop the jam on the Sunday show.

Confirming the release of the album Digital Xtreme Entertainment chief executive Gibson Phiri said in an interview that over 10,000 copies of the new album have so far been offloaded. “I must say that the long-awaited album is finally out in stores and we appreciate the patience and support people have given us. We have about 10,000 copies and people can get the album in most leading music outlets,” says Phiri, who is also managing JK. “We had to take time to work on a good package and now we are even ready to launch the album on July 30. Then after that we take the album launch to different places, starting with South Africa in August, Namibia, UK and many other places for our fans in the Diaspora. We will also hold several shows locally,” adds Phiri.

If you enjoy General Ozzy’s (above) smooth tunes, you can’t go wrong with popular local band the Goodlyfe Crew from Uganda. A duo comprising 26-year-old Moses Radio (Moses Nakintije) and 24-year-old Weasel (Douglas Mayanja), the Goodlyfe Crew hit the 2008 music charts hard and swept the public off their feet in Africa. Since their debut, the band has won the Bell Pearl of Africa Music Award three times with their eclectic mixture of musical genres, which include the likes of reggae and ragga under the mellow beats and vibes of classic dance hall tunes. The duo featured on a song titled ‘Take My Heart’ with Gen Ozzy which is sung in English and nyanja and was the second and final song we played from the local basket take my heart is a love song with an upbeat to keep you on the dance floor.”

Thanks George!

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JUL

Africa, entertainment, livingstone, radioshow, victoriafalls, Zambia

Patrick Kasoka – Man On Sport

We asked Patrick Kasoka, pictured above at Chanters Lodge, to guest for us on our regular Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm last Sunday – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient. This was to present the prizes to our World Cup winning staff, and he was kind enough to do so. Unfortunately we didn’t get a picture of him with the winners – but Milli Jam deputized and you might have seen that photo on the blog yesterday which gives details of who won!

Patrick’s been 107.7 fm’s ‘Man on Sport’ since the inception of the radio station in 2005 and he hosts 3 programmes a week. Half hour slots on Saturday and Sunday evenings mostly featuring results, both local and international, and then a full one hour discussion programme on a Wednesday evening. Although Zambia’s football crazy, Patrick doesn’t limit himself to that sport but features netball, basketball and a variety of other sport as well. His knowledge is awesome!

Patrick was a soccer player himself between 1979 and 1982 in Zambia featuring for the successful Green Buffaloes army team until a broken leg forced him into early retirement. In fact he joined the army as a result of football, and stayed in the forces for a successful 18 years, mainly involved with stores and supplies, and travelling extensively during this period. Patrick is a Lunda from Zambezi District and finished Form 5, as it was then, at Solwezi High School.

Patrick runs a very successful Youth Soccer Academy in Livingstone which we understand is over-subscribed, and perhaps because he gets to see the good players early on, he, and a catholic priest who has subsequently returned to Poland, formed Communite FC in Livingstone. The Club has achieved remarkable success rising to the top of Division 1 (South), but Patrick lamented on the show that he’s been unable to find new sponsorship and the club may have to fold. Football sponsorship is very expensive in Zambia and it would take a big organization or company to take it over.

Patrick has ten daughters and we asked him if he intended to become a lobola millionaire but he told the audience on air that his tribe, Lunda, are very lenient when it comes to bride price! Altogether, truly Livingstone’s ‘Man On Sport’ and we’re happy to have him around!

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JUL

accommodation, Africa, Chanters, education, entertainment, football, livingstone, radioshow, victoriafalls, volunteers, Zambia

Chanters Lodge – Winners!

Last night on our local radio show, The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Soulchild, which goes out on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm every Sunday night at 20.30 hrs we brought our three prize winners from the staff at Chanters Lodge to collect their winning cheques on air! What had they done to win prizes? Drawn the right teams in the World Cup!

Left to right Melinda Silumbwa, Receptionist, who finished 3rd (she had both Germany and Uruguay!), Agness Mwale a cook from the kitchen who won with Spain, and at the front Alice Nankamba, Acting Head Cook, who is still so sad that Holland lost, Milli Jam, our DJ also in the picture, couldn’t even get her to smile! Getting girls to smile is normally his speciality!

This was a special one off motivational draw for the staff, hoping that the lodge would do great business during the period of the World Cup – that didn’t happen! But a promise is a promise and the winners shared the equivalent of US$300 financed by management.

Congratulations to them all! On tomorrow’s show, some more about last night’s radio’s programme!

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JUL

Africa, Chanters, development, management, radioshow, staff, World Cup 2010

Zambian Music On The Chanters Lodge Experience

On yesterday’s blog about our weekly Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Soulchild – I mentioned that my knowledge of Zambian music is so poor, and lack of venacular language capability so total, that it would be nice if Soulchild (George Mukwita above), could give us the weekly lowdown on the Zambian music we play on the show. I have a Zambian award for the promotion of local musicians and I really feel I should go on with the work! In future we’ll also picture some of the artists and whenever we can, feature them as Guests on the show, as we have sometimes in the past. Anyway here’s George’s first post, and of course we’ll welcome your comments: Thanks Soulchild!

“Firstly, all local producers deserve to be given a merit for their work. Production of Zambian music is no longer the same as it was seven or ten years ago, a clear sign of development in the industry and in the mind set of the producers and creativity of the artists. Local radio stations are now filled with Zambian music from different Artists, out showing their skills and talents in their productions. At least we are all proud that some local productions even have the capability to be aired on Radio Stations outside Zambia. Zambian music has a rich heritage which falls roughly into three categories: Traditional, Popular and Christian.

The first Zambian track we played on Sunday was by Ston featuring Judy titled Fire! It’s a great track, sung in english and produced at K-amy studio in Lusaka, both artists are under that recording studio. Judy dropped her first album some time last year and is currently working on her second. Ston is yet to drop his first project…it could be before the end of the year we just have to wait and see..

Second track we played was by the very well known K’millian titled Mailo meaning “Tomorrow” – the track is in Bemba.The song is talking about helping out someone, a friend in need. It’s lifted off his 4th album. K’millian is currently in the studio cooking up a new album which should be out some time in October this year.

P-jay’s track titled ‘Contolo’ slang for “Control” was our third and final Zambian track on the show. The track talks about a guy losing his control every time he is in the presence of his women! Don’t get it twisted its an all round love song that will keep you dancing!

(‘Contolo’ – now there’s a nice new word for me! And no, don’t get it twisted! Ed)

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JUL

Africa, blog, entertainment, innovation, music, radioshow, Zambia

Nicholas S Muscara

It was kind of Nicholas, pictured above in the Chanters Lodge restaurant with Chanters Girls Monica and Susan, to appear this week on our radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Soulchild. Why? Because the show goes out on Livingstone’s Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm at 20.30 hrs every Sunday night, and that just happened to be the time the World Cup Final was on TV! We offered a prize for anyone to tell us by text if there was a score before we went off air and by whom. Half time it was 0-0. Lol, as they say!

“Why?” Milli Jam asked me, a bit mournfully, as the show started, didn’t you cancel the programme because of the football?” I told him our reasons – we believed quite a few people watch football on TV and listen to our show on their phones at the same time. There are plenty of people, especially ladies, who don’t like football and prefer our show. Then, what about people without access to a TV? And, Oh! I added, “we’re under contract!” Enough said.

Nicholas Muscara our Guest for the show is an interesting young man, studying for a BA at the University of Rice in Texas, he’s currently on a short assignment in Zambia researching the history of restaurants in Livingstone. I came across him, his professor and a couple of other students having lunch at Chanters. Nicholas asked me if he could interview me on his subject some time. I agreed on the understanding that he’d appear as our Guest on this week’s show. And so the deal was done.

I gave Nicholas an extended interview off air, and answered a few questions on the show about where I thought tourism was heading in Livingstone in general. “Why?” George Soulchild “have you invited someone as a Guest on the show who’s not staying at the Lodge?” We laughed. Jolly Boys, where Nicholas is staying, the famous backpackers in Livingstone, have always been good supporters of Chanters Lodge so that’s not an issue.

Music wise it was a mixed bag. There were three Zambian tracks and this week I’m hoping George’s supplementary blog will tell us what was played, who played the tracks and in what language they were recorded etc. He’s promised ‘tomorrow’. Milli Jam chose ‘Lost’ recorded by BoB ft IT – a favourite track of Milimo’s at the moment, Fire by Stone ft Judy – didn’t do much for me. We closed with Usher’s – Daddy’s Home. I chose some mundane stuff – Snow Patrol – ‘Chasing Cars’ and ‘Human’ by The Killers. Brandy’s ‘Right Here Departed’ for the England team.

Nicholas told us he has a girlfriend Molly in High School in North Carolina. Serious? It seems so. Nicholas seemed a rather serious young man anyway. As part of his research he’d been down to the main local market to cook nsima with the market ladies. Now that I’d like to have seen! Had he enjoyed the experience? Yes! And I hope the help we gave him with some of our knowledge of Livingstone Restaurants over the years has helped his research, and that he enjoyed coming on the show too!

Next week’s programme will feature the winners of our World Cup Competition for the Chanters Girls! We will guest Man On Sport – Patrick Kasoka, finding out more about him and having him present the girls their winnings!

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JUL

blog, Chanters, entertainment, livingstone, radioshow, restaurants, World Cup 2010, Zambia

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