The Rains!


When it rains in Livingstone it tends to really rain! It also seems incapable of raining without the accompaniment of massive rolls and claps of thunder, and all kinds of lightning – fork, sheet, etc! All very scary! Check the picture of the Chanters Lodge garden during really heavy rain as we experienced a huge storm yesterday mid-morning.

Normally our back yard gets flooded in heavy rain as we’ve never really sorted out the storm drainage, but yesterday the trenches for the foundations of the new office block took all the water! I’m sure our builder will be delighted when he turns up for work tomorrow!

Looks like we might have more rain today too!

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Kids Go Rafting!


It was really lousy experience for me the night my daughter Alexandra and her friend Tatenda appeared on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient, our Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm almost three weeks’ ago now, I was really not well! And I’d been looking forward to the show so much. I did appear on the programme but only just, and I have very little memory of what took place. In retrospect it probably would have been better if I’d stayed in bed….

Alexandra and Tatenda are both students at Kingsmead College in Johannesburg. Bright, pretty and witty they were, I’m told, great Guests on the show! Were they having a good holiday in Livingstone? “Awesome!” What activities had they done while they’d been here? They’d been, or were going to go rafting, and on the sunset cruise. Alexandra had been on the Cheetah Encounter with Mukuni Big 5 Safaris while she was waiting for her friend Tatenda to arrive – the latter had passport problems in South Africa and was late coming up to Zambia.
We’d also had a great family day out together at the Falls.

How was it living in Johannesburg we wanted to know. They liked it. Were they ever scared given the security problems? “Not reeeeally”. What did they like most about Jo’burg? Shopping and parties! Did they have boyfriends? I seem to remember Alex saying “why’s my dad always asking me that?” or something similar. We played Miley Cyrus (“she’s everywhere at the moment” said Alex) and ‘Supernova’ by Mr Hudson ft Kanye West which will now forever remind me of Alexandra. We played Corinne Bailey Rae who the girls like as well. I also remember ‘Puzzle’ by Alexandra Burke.

“How come Richard invited you as Guests on the show?” DJMJ and George wanted to know. “I’m his daughter!” Yelled Alex and everyone laughed. Which football team did the girls support? I can only remember Alex saying “Arsenal” (yes, all my kids are somehow obliged!). “Are you into sport at school”? The guys wanted to know and the girls explained they were usually too busy with drama. “Are you drama queens?” I wanted to know. “You bet!” They replied laughing. Actually they’ve both been very involved with directing and acting in plays at school.

What did Alex think of her brother Mike’s rap music? “Liquid D? Fantastic!”

The picture, Alex and her brother Mike with Tatenda after their rafting trip. Alex is third from the left, Mike on the far right and Tatenda next to him!

Incidentally, after a two year run, our radio show has come to an end. We might be back on air in some shape or form in 2010, meanwhile thanks to everyone who’s been involved with or taken part in the programme over the two year period! Peace!

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Eric Fischer on 107.7 fm


Clare Alderson, The Guest who was booked to appear on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild last Sunday – the radio show which I co-host every Sunday on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station – unfortunately fell ill just before the show, so Eric Fischer, pictured above was kind enough to step in at the last moment! In fact Clare and Eric had travelled together from Namibia, where they’d been part of a two week Biosphere Expedition looking at the relationship between people and wildlife in a rural part of that huge country. Had Eric enjoyed it? Yes he had!

Eric’s a lawyer who hails from Philadelphia, USA where he has his own practice ‘Disability Law Clinic‘ a no-win no-fee set up for disabled people with problems getting claims payments from Government. We took the chance to ask him about the current health care debate in the US, and were shocked to hear that for himself and one of his employees he must pay annual health insurance premiums of some US$33,000. Had Eric voted for Obama? Milimo and George wanted to know. Yes he had! Eric told listeners that he wasn’t married and had no children, but when we asked if we could introduce him to some nice Zambian girls he started talking about a girl called Paris he’d met in Namibia! We laughed!

The music on the show was nice as usual. We played ‘Take My Heart’ a new track from Gen. Ozzy as well as ‘I Wonder’ by P.J, to give Eric a taste of Zambian music, which he enjoyed. He told listeners of his travels to some 27 African countries over the years and professed a liking for music from the Congo as well as Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg, and other African artists. We played ‘The Way You Love Me’ by David Guetta ft Kelly Rowland and ‘Never Leave You’ by Tinchy Stryder ft Estelle. We played two Miley Cyrus tracks – ‘Party In The USA’ and ‘Before The Storm’ which she sings with Nick Jonas. Eric was appalled, but we pressed on! ‘Down’ by Jay Sean is super and my current ringtone, and ‘I Look To You’ is the title track of Whitney Houston’s new album due for release on 31st August and widely tipped to be a great comeback album. We closed the show with ‘Candy’ by Paolo Nutini.

Milimo and George wanted to know what it had been like for me listening to the show the previous Sunday and not appearing on it and I told them I’d enjoyed it, but that they talked too much! We asked Eric about his two day one night canoeing trip on the Zambezi the previous night organised by Wild Side Safaris and Makora Quest. Would Milimo and George fancy camping at night on the banks of the Zambezi amongst hippo and crocodile? Mmmm, not really! What else had Eric lined up to do while he was in Livingstone? He was going white water rafting with Safpar and a river safari with Batoka the next day, then a micro-light flight on his last morning.

How many staff did Eric employ in the States? I wanted to know. “5” was the reply “and I have a ‘crackerjack’ team” he said. “Crackerjack?” I wondered and Eric told me it means great staff. “So do I” I replied and that gave me a good chance to say “hi” to the Chanters Girls and to thank them for their hard work and support while I’d been ill. I was also able to say thanks to Ireen and those at home, as well as everyone at 107.7 fm. So what did Eric think he might do next trip? Well, he told listeners that he wanted to come back to Zambia and find out more about the culture and traditions in Western Province. “Great stuff!” We said “and here’s the Loziman to help you” as we pointed to George Soulchild!

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Varndean College play 107.7 fm


Not so much an experience more of a party, is what I’d say about this week’s edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild! The show airs at 20.00 hrs every Sunday evening on
107.7 fm Zambezi Radio, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. Why? Well the two young ladies pictured above, Dorothy Spencer (right) and Maddy Rayner from Varndean College in Brighton, Sussex, UK made it seem like a party, bright, talkative, pretty and vivacious as they were! Also in the picture is Alrik Green a lecturer from Varndean. Not in the photo, but very much in the studio was Cerys Green, Alrik’s young daughter – “it’s pronounced Kerris Richard it’s Welsh”, she told me after I’d repeatedly mispronounced it! Sorry Cerys!

Alrik and wife Jane, as well as Cerys and her young brother Jake (the latter was very cheesed off not being allowed to come to the studio) were staying in accommodation reserved at Chanters Lodge for their week long visit to Livingstone, the Varndean students were accommodated at Jolly Boys, the best of Livingstone’s two back packer lodges. “Do you have messages for any listeners?” I asked Maddy and Dorothy early on in the show “we’ll do it together” they laughed and proceeded to alternately read out a long list of names. “Are they all staying at Jolly Boys?” I asked surprised, “then maybe it should be The Jolly Boys Experience with the Chanters Lodge Ingredient this week!” “They’re not all staying there” laughed the girls “but some are and others are people we’ve met since we’ve been in Zambia”.

“What are you doing in Zambia?” DJMJ Milli Jam wanted to know. The girls and Alrik explained they’d been involved in a Kaloko Trust (a Brighton based trust) project near Luansobe, south of Ndola on the Copperbelt, building toilets at Kwesha Primary School as well as making chairs and tables for the same school. Had they enjoyed it? Yes! Had they thought the trip worthwhile? Yes! “And how were you received by the Zambian population and the students at the school?” I asked “wonderfully well!” They all agreed! “And what have you been doing since you came to Livingstone?” George Soulchild asked “You should know” they said to him “we’ve been partying and we’ve seen you at one of the clubs we went to!” Fits of laughter! “Did you enjoy your safari to Chobe National Park?” Milli Jam asked the girls – they had and had been lucky to see both lion and leopard. “We went to the crocodile park and I held a crocodile” chipped in little Cerys. “Great stuff!” We said!

The music was good. Two local tracks, actually the same two as we’d played last week. “Why?” I wanted to know. “They’re hot!” I was told. ‘Nafuti Nafuti’ by Baska Baska (‘again and again’) and Mampi’s ‘High on Me’. As usual we played the UK number one of the week – ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas, back to back with ‘Candy’ by Paolo Nutini, my track of the moment! ‘Remedy’ from ‘Little Boots’ is high in the charts right now but it was new to the girls, so too was ‘Thinkin’ & Linkin” by Liquid Danger, a Zambian rap artist. Now that did surprise the assembled company – more about that next week! DJMJ loves Ne-Yo so it was no great surprise to hear ‘Round and Round’ and when we featured ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, Maddy looked at me shocked! “But I love this track!” She exclaimed! Yes Maddy! “Sport, football?” DJMJ wanted to know but disappointingly there wasn’t a Gunner amongst ’em “Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea” only George Soulchild(Liverpool) looked slightly happy. “Why don’t you support Brighton’s local team?” I wanted to know. “Ooooh! They’re our second favourites” they all said looking sheepish, as opposed to gullish! (geddit?)

We ended with the usual questions about future plans. Maddy wanted to travel and intended to start soon. Dorothy wasn’t quite sure but thought she might go straight to University. They both said they’d like to be married 10 years from now and actually named names of young British celebrities as potential partners, not famous enough for me to have heard of or to remember for that matter! Alrik still hoped to be married to Jane, but said he wasn’t sure where he’d be in 10 years time, but he was sure that if you’d asked him that question 10 years ago, he wouldn’t have answered that he’d be appearing live on local radio in Livingstone, Zambia. Nice one!

What about Cerys, would she like to be married 10 years from now? ‘DEFINITELY NOT!’ was her emphatic reply. Right on Cerys!

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Dave and Sally Sanger play 107.7 fm


You’re tuned to The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm announced Milli Jam (DJMJ) the presenter, when our show went on air at 20.00 hrs last Sunday. “107.7 fm?” I queried. “Yes, the frequency transmission has changed” I was told. No worries, 107.7 fm rolls off the tongue rather nicely!

Our guests on this show were Dave and Sally Sanger pictured above with daughter Kate and her boyfriend Chris just on their way to see Victoria Falls at the time I took the shot. “Are Chris and Kate an item?” I asked Sally on air. She laughed. “You’d better ask them!” She replied, but went on to admit that “they seem very fond of each other!” “Is it true” Milimo wanted to know “that you’re all from England but you’ve come to Zambia to meet Kate and Chris?” It was! Dave explained that Kate and Chris had been travelling for almost six months, all over South America in particular, and that when he and Sally heard the couple would soon be in Victoria Falls in Zambia, they made arrangements to come and see them. It had been a joyful reunion!

“What made you choose to stay at Chanters Lodge?” Asked Milli Jam (Dave and Kate were staying in our accommodation). Dave explained that he’d found Chanters in the Zambia Travel Guide produced by Bradt where the Lodge is well written up. “Is it true you’re an expert on trees?” Milimo asked Dave who acknowledged that he’d worked with trees and in landscaping all his life. “Don’t know much about trees” said Milimo, rather stumped (sorry!) “What do you do?” He asked Sally instead, who told him she’s a primary school teacher of 9-11 year olds in UK. “Do they work with computers?” I was interested “Gosh! Yes!” replied Sally and went on to say that they teach using computers in UK primary schools these days. “We’re so far behind in Zambia” I moaned to the assembled company, who agreed.

“Richard told us that you broadcast on hospital radio in UK” Milimo commented to Dave, “can you tell us about it?” Dave explained that he broadcasts once a week in Basingstoke General Hospital south west of London which has roughly 1000 beds. We wanted to know all about that, and Dave told us that he plays a lot of music on his weekly 2 hour show, both requests from patients as well as requests for patients. It’s a purely voluntary arrangement but he felt he might well start doing more than one show a week in future, as he was now semi retired and really enjoyed radio broadcasting. Amongst the patients’ favourites were Westlife and Frank Sinatra but Dave said you could get asked for any artist anytime.

On our show this week we played two local numbers so Sally and Dave could hear some Zambian music: Mumpi with her single ‘High On Me’ and then ‘Ndiwe Zuba’ by Baska Baska, apparently a hot single meaning ‘you’re my sunshine even though you trouble me’. As usual the translations were in some doubt! Riding high in the UK charts we played ‘Beat Again’ by JLS and ‘Supernova’ by Mr Hudson ft Kanye West. We also played the lovely new Whitney Houston number ‘I Look To You’ from her soon to be released come-back album, as well as ‘She Is A Bad Mamma Jamma’ and ‘Confusion Girl’ for the Chanters Girls who were hard at work on a busy night back at the lodge.

“Is it true” Milli Jam asked Dave and Sally, “that you recently climbed Table Mountain in Cape Town”. “The cable lift wasn’t working, so if we wanted to see the view from the top we had no choice but to climb – it took 3 hours and it was tough!” They replied. “The cable lift wasn’t working?” I said “that’s got a familiar ring to it” (the lift to the 107.7 studio on the 6th floor hadn’t been working that night) “Sorry!” said Milli Jam “we forgot to warn you!” “We climbed down to the Boiling Pot and back up again today too” said Sally proudly and irritatingly! I’d struggled with the 6 flights up to the studio, but got very little sympathy.

As usual we greeted Guests and staff at the lodge and gave away our standard dinner for two. “Where are you off to when you leave here?” Milimo asked, and Dave explained that he and Sally would take a Mazhandu coach to Kafue, then a taxi to Gwabi and from there would be spending time on the Lower Zambezi. Can’t be bad……

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Richard Downey & Family


I first met Richard Downey in 1979. He’s pictured above with his wife Anne, and daughters Jenny and Katherine, enjoying the poolside at Chanters Lodge last weekend. I was General Manager of Ridgeway Hotel in 1979, (now Southern Sun Ridgeway) and one of the first things that happened after I’d taken up my new appointment was that our Chief Accountant, John Fletcher resigned to take up a similar post at the Pamodzi Hotel, now Taj Pamodzi, across the road! As this was roughly a month before the famous, and for us huge, Commonwealth Conference held in Lusaka that year (which incidentally decided the independence of then Southern Rhodesia) it was a crisis. Luckily we were able to recruit Richard, then working for Deloitte, Haskins and Sells on the Copperbelt. Richard held the appointment for about 3 years before returning to UK to further his career.

So, having not seen Richard for about 10 years since his last visit to Zambia, I was delighted to receive an accommodation request for a three night booking at Chanters Lodge for him and his family for last weekend. At the time we confirmed the reservation we also confirmed that he, and at least one other member of his family, would guest on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild, our regular sponsored Sunday night radio show which airs at 20.00 hrs every Sunday on Zambezi Radio 107.5 fm – ‘Let The Waves Flow’. Richard duly appeared last Sunday with daughter Jenny and it was a super occasion.

“Why did you first arrive in Zambia?” DJMJ wanted to know, and Richard explained that he’d first come to take up an appointment with Deloitte Touche on the Copperbelt in 1975. He’d been planning to return to UK in 1979 when the call came about a possible appointment at the Ridgeway, and thus he’d taken up his first accountant’s job in industry as opposed to the ‘profession’. In the end he’d been happy to stay in Zambia because he’d met his wife Anne through his job at the Ridgeway. Anne’s also a CA and had been working for Deloittes in Lusaka when they met.

Richard explained to listeners that when he’d first gone back to UK, he’d taken up an appointment with Anchor Hotels, after which he moved on to work for the Harvesters chain, helping to hugely multiply their number of pub and grill outlets. Currently he was working for Balls Bros. “Did he have regrets about leaving Africa?” we asked, and he replied that although he missed Africa he felt he’d made the right career decision. He added that he’d love to return one day and ‘put something back into Zambia’. We hope he does.

Daughter Jenny was in good form. “How old are you?” “13”. “Where do you go to school?” “Surbiton High School” “Have you got a boyfriend?” “No!” Followed by giggles! “What have you done since you arrived in Livingstone?” We asked her, and she explained that she’d been all the way down to the Boiling Pot when they’d visited Victoria Falls and ended up having to be carried across a stream. They’d also been on a brilliant game drive in the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park that afternoon with Bwaato Adventures, and had seen loads of different animals including elephant, buffalo and impala. What else had the family planned for their short stay in Livingstone? A half day canoeing/dinner cruise combo for the following day which Jenny was looking forward to, and thereafter they were off to Luangwa Valley and to the Lower Zambezi.

The music on the show was right up to date and super as usual. To give Richard and Jenny a flavor of the latest Zambian music we played two tracks from Haamoba – ‘Tizakondana’ meaning ‘we’ll take care of each other for ever and ever’ and ‘Mooye’ which is Chitonga apparently meaning ‘woman’ or ‘he’s found a girl’. As usual there was debate about the precise meaning of the songs… ‘Room Service’ by Pitbull for all the hoteliers, and ‘Beat Again’ the track from JLS that had taken the UK charts by storm the previous week and is the current UK number one, both featured. Now that surprised young Jenny! Old and current favorite tracks of mine were both on the playlist. ‘You Saw The Whole Of The Moon’ by Waterboys from the 80’s and ‘She Is A Bad Mamma Jamma’ by Carl Carlton a great fresh number. “What’s a Mamma Jamma?” I wanted to know. “A hot black girl” replied Milimo quick as a flash! I’ll take his word for it and the Urban Dictionary link there shows he was right!

We had an extra prize on offer this week – a brilliant Barak Obama T shirt sent from the States by Shel And Claire Weissman, previous guests on the show and we simply asked listeners to text us the name of the President of the US – you can imagine the response! We gave away the standard dinner for two as well, for the first person to text us the country that Richard and Jenny live in. That prize was quickly won as well. It was great to catch up with old times “Were you at the Ridgeway when Richard used to sing?” DJMJ asked Richard Downey “No” was the reply – “I didn’t know that he could!” “We’ve never heard him either” was Milimo’s helpful answer!

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Derek Lee & Lorretta Williams


“What temperatures do you experience?” We asked Derek Lee pictured above with partner Lorretta Willams. “About 40 degrees below!” Replied Derek. “Play some music!” I said quickly to DJMJ. “My favourite track at the moment is ‘Walking On Snow’ by Jordin Sparks” chipped in George Soulchild, “can we play that?” “Wait until next week, we’re playing Leona and Alexandra this week!” I replied. “And anyway have you ever walked on snow? He hadn’t! You’ll have guessed that all this conversation took place on the latest edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild, our regular Sunday night radio show airing at 20.00 hrs on Zambezi Radio 107.5 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station.

“And why does Derek experience temperatures of 40 degrees below?” I hear you ask. Well first of all he hails from Falkland Islands (which is a pretty cold and bleak place in its own right) but although he now lives with Lorretta in Ilfracombe, Devon he works as a steward on board the British Antarctic Survey Vessel the James Clark Ross and frequently experiences temperatures that low during his ‘four months on’ which he works. “What’s life like when he’s away for that long?” DJMJ asked and Lorretta replied that they missed each other a lot but were able to keep in touch on MSN. And, they made up for the parting when Derek had his ‘four months off’! “How long have you been going out together?” We asked, and this entertaining and lively couple told us they’d been together for about 14 months, and though it wasn’t quite love at first sight, they’d fallen in love with each other after 10 minutes when they’d met on Barnstaple Station in North Devon, UK.

(I was getting incredibly ‘homesick’ throughout this show as Lorretta and Derek talked about the North Devon coast which I love, and on which, as a family in the 60’s, we used to have wonderful days out with my parents and siblings in places like Saunton, Braunton, Lynton and Lynmouth. And who could forget stopping for home-made ice cream in Dulverton on the way home to Tiverton having crossed the stunning landscape of Exmoor which my late mum and dad loved so much. Anyway, I digress.)

“Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro – You Know I Want You” thumped out Pitbull, just one of the tracks we played showing that we’re right up to date on the Chanters Lodge Experience! Alexandra Burke’s “Overcome” was next. “Who’s she?” DJMJ and Soulchild wanted to know, and I explained that she’d been singing on X-Factor when I was in UK last November, and that she’d eventually won the tournament. We played two Zambian tracks so Derek and Lorretta could get a taste of our music, Sikifuna Chabe (‘it’s not my wanting that things are like that, what can I do?’) And ‘Could I Be’ a great track which my 7 year old son Henry loves, both taken from Danny’s latest album ’10 Years’ a smash hit here in Zambia. ‘Could I be the one to be?’ ‘Obsessed’ by Mariah Carey and ‘A Little Too Not Over You’ by David Archuleta contributed to a balanced and popular play list.

“How was your one day safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana?” DJMJ asked Derek and Lorretta, and they told listeners that they’d been incredibly lucky. Just after they’d started their trip they’d come across a leopard sitting in a tree admiring its kill, an impala, which was hanging in the tree next to the big cat. “What other activities have you got lined up for your visit?” We wanted to know, and Derek and Lorretta told listeners that they had a 15 minute helicopter ride organized for the following day and on Tuesday, they’d visit Livingstone Island. They explained to listeners that they’d made their bookings for their visit to see Victoria Falls through Wildside Safaris and had chosen accommodation at Chanters Lodge partly because of the good reviews about the lodge on TripAdvisor. Were they pleased with their choice? Of course!

“What job do you do?” DJMJ asked Lorretta and she explained that she was a medical secretary with the NHS in UK, working in administration in a health care centre dealing with children with special needs, especially autistic children. “Stressful?” I asked. “Can be!” Was the predictable reply. “The children?” I continued. “No the NHS!” Replied Lorretta. LOL! As they say on Facebook. Lorretta told listeners she has two sons in their early twenties both with a mind to go into the media for a career. Derek told listeners about his family life back on the Falklands when he was younger and about farms with 36,000 sheep. “That’s a lot of lamb!” We said. “Did you fight in the war?” He didn’t but told us that the Falkland Islanders were jolly happy that the Brits had won, and that Maggie Thatcher could be Queen of the Falklands any time she liked!

What music were they into? 50’s, 60’s and 70’s they replied, Lorretta especially Dr Hook and Smokey. And sport? Nope. DJMJ as usual asked us about Twitter, the Blog and Facebook and asked me my favourite track right now. It was Lemar – “You Got Me”. “You know” sighed DJMJ to our guests “Richard used to be into 50’s, 60’s and 70’s music now we can’t even keep up with him!” Lols all round!

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Greg & Donna Fox, Jamaica


Meet Greg and Donna Fox from Kingston, Jamaica, who guested on the Chanters Lodge Experience last Sunday, our popular radio show going out live on Zambezi Radio 107.5 fm, Livingstone’s popular local radio station, at 20.00 hrs every Sunday. We always give away a prize too, this week as usual a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters Lodge for the first person to text us the right answer to a simple question. In this instance ‘which country did this lovely couple come from?’ Junita texted ‘Jamaica’ right away and won!

Junita Hepplethwaite just happens to be the activities supremo and in charge of the Lady Livingstone sunset cruise reservations, based at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge, Livingstone’s latest upmarket 5 star hotel, with a fabulous location on the banks of the Zambezi overlooking the mile wide spray thrown up as the mighty River Zambezi plunges some 120m over the awesome Victoria Falls! We get great service from Junita and her team for our Guest activity bookings, so we were delighted she was listening, and that she won!

Greg and Donna reserved accommodation and stayed at Chanters Lodge for their visit to Livingstone. Greg was involved in a conference concerning aviation safety in Africa. This is his speciality and he holds a senior position with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority – formerly Director of Flight Safety now Coordinator at Regional Aviation Safety Oversight System. His roots are in England but he migrated to Jamaica via Canada where he was educated. Donna’s pure Jamaican, they’ve been together 14 years and have two sons. Before the show Greg thrust the inch thick FCTP for the Airbus A340 into my hands saying “read this!” ‘FCTP?’ I hear you ask. ‘Flight Crew Training Programme!’ would you believe! I tried and failed! Greg was to give at least two keynote addresses at the ongoing conference being held at Zambezi Sun Hotel.

Greg and Donna’s appearance on the show had been arranged by e mail a long time ago and they’d kindly brought two fantastic Jamaican CD’s for us – a double album of Beres Hammond, one of Donna’s favourite Jamaican artists, and a compilation of great reggae dancehall artists including VYBZ Kartel and Terry Linen. Some tracks were supposed to be played on the show but we had technical difficulties, so reverted to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh instead! Was it true, DJMJ wanted to know, that they’d also brought two bottles of special Jamaica rum for Richard? It was, and the 107.5 fm guys were ‘red-eyed’. Red-eyed? Jamaican slang for jealous!

We played Zikomu by Ty2 his latest smash, to give Greg and Donna a taste of Zambian music, and Cascada’s ‘Evacuate the Dancefloor’ which had successfully held off the Michael Jackson challenge at the top of the UK singles pop charts the previous week. ‘Strangers’ from Leona Lewis and ‘Obsession’ from Mariah Carey showed how right up to date we are at 107.5 fm! ‘Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer’ by Freemasons ft Sophie Ellis Bexter and Emergency 911 by Jordin Sparks are pretty hot songs and artistes and we featured them too on the show!

‘What’s happening on Twitter?’ DJMJ asked me. I took some time to explain #followfriday #traveltuesday #unacceptable, #ihavetoadmit and other trending topics on that site. I also pointed out that Greg and I had contact on Twitter where he’d been reporting on the bbq he’s been building at home. Talking of which, I was happy to report good progress on the construction of our new rooms to the listeners.

Donna and Greg told our audience about their one day safari to the Chobe National Park they’d been on that very day with friends Jorge and Felicia Vargas from Costa Rica also in Livingstone for the conference and staying at Chanters, and the group had been lucky enough to see lion and lots of other game as well. It really is a great one day trip. ‘Where would you like to be and what would you like to be doing ten years’ from now?” was the closing question. Greg said he’d like to be retired and relaxing somewhere nice with Donna, and Donna said she hoped to still be the family co-pilot! Cute, just like her! Don’t believe me? Check the photo!

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Megan and Catherine Bloemker


“How come you two are sisters?” MJ (Milli Jam) asked Megan Bloemker when she and her sister Catherine appeared as guests on the latest edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with the MJ Ingredient ft Soulchild last Sunday, the weekly radio show sponsored by Chanters Lodge on Zambezi Radio 107.5 fm, Livingstone’s popular local radio station. When you see Megan and Catherine in the cute photo above, you can understand why MJ was intrigued by the relationship! Megan explained to listeners that Catherine, a little Lozi orphan girl was adopted by Megan’s parents Betty and Bob in Zambia and taken home to Dixon, Illinois USA in 2004. She’s now turned 7 and has come back to Zambia for a visit with friends and relatives, and to see the mighty Victoria Falls. The family and friends Lyla, Cindy and Lianne Tjoelker were staying in accommodation reserved at Chanters Lodge (of course).

Megan works for Action Zambia as a missionary in Lusaka, although she holds a degree in opera studies from Roosevelt University in Chicago and studied further at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She’s been in Lusaka for 3 years training teachers and organizing feeding programmes at Streams of Living Waters School in Mtendere and Emmanuel Christian School in Kanyama both high density housing areas in Lusaka. “Why missionary work and not acting or singing?” We asked and Megan explained that she’d first visited Africa when she was 16, involved in building a church in Zimbabwe. Africa had called her back – as it does – people say it ‘gets in your blood’! Megan’s also involved in an adoption programme in Lusaka.

“We hear you went to Chobe National Park on a 1 day safari today” MJ said to little Catherine “did you have a nice time and what animals did you see?” Catherine answered shyly that she’d seen Lulu The Giraffe, lions and elephants. “Why Lulu?” we asked and Megan explained that Catherine had a book by Carol Harvey called Lulu the Friendly Giraffe. “What’s you favourite animal in the whole world?” We asked Catherine. “A baby elephant” she answered. “And who’s your best friend back in America?” “Amanda” Catherine answered.

The play list was hot this week. “You Are Not Alone” by the other MJ was a natural choice and so too was “Better On The Other Side” The Game’s new song featuring Chris Brown, P.Diddy, Polow Da Don, Mario Winans, Usher & Boyz II Men – a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Drake’s sizzling right now and we featured “A Night Off” something the assembled company were all looking forward to soon! Ne-Yo’s “Round and Round” and Ciara’s “Never Never” are two of my favourite tracks and we also featured two K’Millian numbers (he’d been our guest on last week’s show) “Give You My Love” and “Mukati Kamutima”. Lady Gaga and Asa topped off the list.

“Have prize winners been taking up their prizes?” MJ asked, and I replied that for some reason they had not in the past two weeks, perhaps because I’d stopped texting them that they’d won. So we asked listeners what public holiday Zambia was celebrating this weekend and the messages started streaming on to my phone. Winnie won a dinner for two and I sent her an sms right away telling her so!

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Drake


Is Drake the next sensation in hip-hop music? Some people certainly think so! Here’s about him from Wikipedia:

“Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian actor and recording artist. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks, the basketball star that became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

As a rapper, he performs under the mononym Drake, and is often billed as the new version of The Fresh Prince. Drake continued to recognize a close affiliation with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, before officially signing with the record label in June, 2009.

His first studio album, Thank Me Later is expected to be released later this year on Young Money Entertainment.”

I have a couple of tracks, ‘Take You Down’ and ‘A Night Off’. The latter we’ll play on Sunday’s Chanters Lodge Experience radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.5 fm and we’ll see what the Livingstone public in general and the Chanters Girls in particular think about Drake!

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