Paul da Prince


Kaufela, co-presenter of our regular Sunday night radio show contributes to the blog:

Youth artiste Paul Munanjala otherwise known as Paul Da Prince has described his recent performances in South Africa to promote his just released mixtape as an eye-opener. In an interview with the Weekend Post, Paul, 19 talked about the tour which he undertook to Johannesburg in April.

“I was in South Africa to promote my mixtape which I released in April. The mixtape has songs like Number One, You, just to mention a few. I’m urging my fans to buy it, it’s in stores now!” he said. He added that besides performing, he also met other artistes. “I found myself dancing with a crew from Monash University called the Rejects. We performed at Monash Beer fest on Thursday April 21. Cabo Snoop (a kuduro artist from Angola) was part of the event which was covered by MTV Base.

“While in South Africa, I met a new producer who will send me instrumentals that I will work on with ‘house’ which is a popular genre in South Africa,”said Paul. “I made a lot of contacts in South Africa and I plan on going back there to collaborate with many other artistes,”he said. He hopes to release his debut album by December.

“My album will be released before the end of the year because the mixtape I have released is basically just giving people what they expect in my album and will feature artistes like Tsouya, B-Flow and Slap-D,” he said. Paul featured in the song Boss Lady done by Ruff Kid.

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Yellow Fever – Zambia

SASTM Newsflash

Subject: Yellow fever vaccination recommendations: Africa

The WHO has revised the Yellow Fever (YF) vaccination recommendations for Africa. However, the South
African Department of Health has issued the following information regarding the requirements for travellers
from and to South Africa. Effective 1st June 2011

1. Tanzania
Returning travellers from South Africa to Tanzania and those from Tanzania travelling to South Africa willrequire proof of YF vaccination. This is unchanged from the present regulations.

2. Zambia
Returning travellers from South Africa to Zambia and travellers from Zambia to South Africa will now require
proof of YF vaccination. Previously, proof of YF vaccination was not required.

3. In-transit passengers, irrespective of the time period in-transit, will still require proof of YF vaccination.

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Priscilla Appama


We love having international Guests on our regular Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild – airing every week from 20.30-21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Our latest edition featured Priscilla Appama pictured above and Priscilla’s truly international – born and raised in Mauritius, educated in France, currently teaching French at the Australian Monash University in Johannesburg, South Africa and on holiday in Livingstone, Zambia staying at Chanters Lodge. How international do you want?

Priscilla told listeners that she’d lived in Johannesburg for the past 3 years but found it a difficult place to stay as a single woman because of security concerns. Her favourite city in the whole world she declared as Paris, France. She was looking forward to a 6 month sabbatical from her work soon for research purposes. She’d come to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls and while she’d been in Zambia she’d ventured into Botswana for the one day safari to Chobe National Park which she’d thoroughly enjoyed, seeing elephants of all different sizes and ages as well as lots of other game. A huge thunderstorm on the Zambezi as she made her way home excited her – she’d also taken the sunset cruise with Lady Livingstone on the river another day and had been so relaxed she’d almost fallen asleep! She’d also enjoyed a morning at the Spa at David Livingstone Safari Lodge.

The music on the show was hot as usual! Candy by Aggro Santos featuring Kimberley Wyatt remains our opening theme. Following that we played ‘Lazy Song’ by Bruno Mars back to back with ‘Til The World Ends, remixed featuring Nicki Minaj and Key$ha alongside Britney Spears. George’s local selection was P-Jay featuring Sanga with ‘Tombolilo’ (something to do with frogs, we were told, in a rather vague explanation) coupled with Kaufela featuring Hamoba with ‘Wilalila’. For the uninformed Kaufela is George himself – he’s just finished recording the tracks for his first album and told listeners that ‘wilalila’ means ‘don’t cry, everything will be ok’. Milli Jam chose Madonna with Justin Timberlake and ‘Across The Sky’ back to back with Ndubz and ‘Love Sick’. The last three tracks were ‘Highway 20 Drive’ by the Zac Brown Band, ‘What You Think’ by Jennifer Hudson and ‘Unorthodox’ by Wretch 32 featuring Example. An excellent,varied play list that had the Chanters Girls rocking back at the lodge on Labour Day!

Priscilla told listeners she had an eclectic taste in music – everything from her own traditional Mauritian sega music to jazz and that she was actually a trained singer, though recently she hadn’t sung very much. Single, Priscilla said she had a boyfriend, though no details were forthcoming! Her parents still live and work on Mauritius as does her married elder sister. She has a brother in USA.

We gave listeners the chart news and gave a prize too to the first person to text us Priscilla’s home country – Mauritius was the correct answer from many respondants. Alicia won. When Milli Jam asked Prisicilla his usual final question, she replied that in 10 years from now she hoped to be retired and writing books. ‘Married with children’? I asked. Priscilla just laughed! ‘Follow your dreams’ she advised our listeners.

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Ross & Helen Quantock Rock 107.7 fm


Meet Ross and Helen Quantock pictured above, all the way from Busselton, Western Australia, a town famous for having the longest wooden structure in the southern hemisphere, namely the 1841m long Busselton Jetty pushing right out into the Indian Ocean! The Quantocks told us this when they featured on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience, our Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, airing weekly for an hour at 20.30 hrs and co-hosted by Milli Jam (who also happens to be manager of Ayuba, the trendiest club in Livingstone), George Kaufela (rapper on technical) and myself.

Ross and Helen told listeners that one of the main purposes of their visit to Livingstone, staying at Chanters Lodge, was to catch up with old friends from Zimbabwe whom they’d first met in 1992, by chance, on the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Helen had asked this lady if she could take her photo, she’d done so, they’d exchanged addresses and kept in touch ever since. As Ross and Helen didn’t, I told listeners of the fantastic help the Quantocks had given this lady and her family through the tough years in Zimbabwe, up to now. Eunah from Zimbabwe and her family of 4 had just spent 3 days in Livingstone at Ross and Helen’s expense having a great holiday and returning home laden with presents, as usual!

Ross and Helen have been married for 42 years and have a son and daughter, as well as four grandchildren. Ross told listeners that he was now retired but for the last 25 years of his working life he’d driven huge trucks and graders on a bauxite mine in Western Australia. He also confirmed that ordinary vehicles do seem very small to him these days! At that time he was working for Alcoa a US aluminum manufacturing company. The trucks he drove carried up to 100 tons of ore! Helen said he’d loved playing with his Tonka toy trucks but she thought she was happy now he’d retired!

The music on the show was super. We played ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO and friends for the second week running, mainly because it was the current Australian number one and also top in UK. We featured the latest tracks by Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez – ‘Judas’ and ‘Papi’ respectively. Our local track selection included Slap Dee with ‘Nomba Nishi’ (‘So what’?) and B-Flow ft JK with ‘Wanga Wanga’ (‘Mine all mine’ – yes a girl of course!). Kelly Rowland’s ‘Train On A Track’ and Akon ft Chris Brown with ‘Take It Down Low’ wound up a great play list.

Amongst the activities Ross and Helen had chosen during their Livingstone visit were the sunset cruise, the Chobe one day safari and a visit to Zimbabwe mainly to see their friend and her family safely on to the night train to Bulawayo. Helen mentioned that they’d also brought a friend Margaret from Australia with them for this trip, a former neighbour of theirs in Australia who was also thoroughly enjoying the sights and sounds of Livingstone and Victoria Falls. When they left Zambia at the end of the following week, the party were heading to Pretoria to spend some nights with a friend before leaving for home in Australia.

Our guests thanked everyone in Livingstone for their hospitality and wished listeners a happy Easter. As usual we gave away a dinner for 2 at Chanters Lodge for the first person to text us telling us where this lovely, loving, generous couple came from. Australia was the right answer on many messages. We also gave listeners all the latest international chart and Lodgeblog news.

Great show, great guests, great music!

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Cara Watts – Lions Manager


“Not many people in the world with that job title”! We remarked, when Cara Watts, pictured here with George da Soulchild Kaufela (left) and Milli Jam, guested on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience, our regular Sunday night radio show, airing weekly on
Zambezi fm from 20.30 – 21.30 hrs. “No” Cara replied succinctly. Cara is a lions manager for Lion Encounter based at Thorn Tree Lodge, having previously studied Animal Management and Welfare at the University of Lincoln in UK. She’s been involved with Lion Encounter since first going to Zimbabwe with them as a volunteer some three years ago. She subsequently came back to Zambia for a lot more!

“How many lions do you look after”? Asked Milli Jam. “24 altogether aged between 4 months and 5 years” said Cara. “How dangerous are they”? Milli Jam wanted to know, sounding rather fearful, and Cara replied that it depended on which ‘stage’ of lions he was talking about. She explained that there’s a 4 stage process in bringing up the lions before some are put back in the wild. Cara’s job involves ensuring the health and welfare of the animals and she assured Milli Jam that lions can be dangerous! She explained that Lion Encounter offer 3 activities for visitors, a lion walk and a lion drive as well as a night lion encounter. I reminded Cara about the time Nigerian visitors to Chanters Lodge had witnessed lions hunting then killing a wildebeest in front of them during their lion drive. They’d been thrilled!

“How popular is the TV Series about the lion encounter on ITV in UK”? Milli Jam wanted to know, reminding Cara that not so long ago the crew who were visiting Zambia to record the series, had guested on the show. Cara said that Series 2, currently being broadcast, was a great success and although there was no firm decision, she thought that a third series was a possibility. “What music do you like”? Asked Milli Jam, completely changing the subject away from lions! Cara said her tastes were quite general but at the moment she was into Lady Gaga and Jason Derulo. “Great”! We said and proceeded not to play tracks by either!

Instead on this show we played ‘Believe In Me Now’ the latest from Taio Cruz, back to back with ‘Colder Weather’ by the Zac Brown Band, currently No 1 on the US country charts. George then chose Mampi’s ‘Swilili’ and Roberto’s ‘Love You More’ for his local tracks – the Mampi track is hot in Zambia! (She sings about her confusion as her boyfriend doesn’t contact her often any more or as often as he used to!)

Milli Jam chose ‘All Of The Lights’, the smash hit by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, then Jennifer Hudson’s ‘Don’t Look Down’. Rihanna and Britney Spears’ remix of ‘S&M’ was coupled with Beyonce featuring Swizz Beatz and ‘Move Your Body’. We closed with ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO and friends, huge in UK right now.

Cara told listeners that she was happy to be on leave while her parents were visiting Africa and that they’d just returned from a safari in Kapama Private Game Reserve in South Africa where they’d spent five wonderful days, managing to see all of the ‘Big 5’ and taking some great photos. The day after the show Cara and her parents were heading to Chobe National Park in Botswana for a two day safari and were greatly looking forward to the trip. “Are you married”? Asked Milli Jam, inevitably. “No” replied Cara. “Spoken for”? I continued. “No” replied Cara. That was that. “Where would you like to be and what would you like to be doing 10 years from now”? Asked Milli Jam. “I’m not really sure” replied Cara thoughtfully “but I’d like to be in Africa and still working with animals”.

Lovely girl! Lovely show! Lovely lions!

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Absent From School


Loved these from Gill Staden’s excellent weekly Livingstonian.

Actual Absentee Notes from Parents in South Africa

– My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

– Please excuse Promise for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

– Dear School: Please ekscuse Sipho being absent on Juneuary 28, 29, 30, 32 and also 33.

– Please excuse Blessing from PE for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his
hip.

– Please excuse Khanyile from being absent yesterday. He had (diahre) (dyrea) (direathe) the
shittings.

– Please ekxcuse Wiseman for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the verunda, and when we found it on Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

– Winnie was absent December 11 – 16, because she had a fever, sore thorat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and shore thorat, her brother has a low grade fever and headache ached all over, I wass’nt the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

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Lindiwe Bungane


I am still struck by Lindiwe’s success in Dream Girls on stage in Johannesburg so I went looking for more information about her. This is what I discovered.

She sang to her first audience in the first grade and has been hooked to this dream ever since. She has previous stage experience, having performed in hotels and clubs and at festivals such as “Africa Day” which draws top African acts such as Femi Kuti and Ismealo. She has studio experience having recorded her debut album as well as doing collaborations .She has a deep understanding and passion for music and has won music awards in Zambia. She rates her biggest music achivement to date as winning the African version of “Fame Academy” in South Africa which saw over 10 million artist from around the continent audition. Here’s some of her personal statistics.

Height: 154 cm / 5ft 1in
Ethnicity: Black / African descent
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Brown
Eye colour: Green

She says:
“I am an urban Afro soul artist and my music is a fusion of neo soul, folk, rock jazz and rnb. I wrote 10 of the 12 featured songs on my album and enjoy mixing languages such as English, my native Bemba, Nyanga, Nsenga, Zulu and Lingala. I believe that when you are destined to be someone no one can take that from you.”

Now the show – Dream Girls
Recently on stage at Harlem’s world famous Apollo Theatre in New York City and now touring the USA, a brand new, sensational stage production of DREAMGIRLS comes to South Africa, currently on stage at the Teatro at Montecasino and opening at Artscape, Cape Town in June 2011.
Featuring an entirely South African cast to play its all African American characters, DREAMGIRLS is produced by leading South African Producer, Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management in association with John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions, New York.

I saw and loved the movie starring Jennifer Hudson and would just adore seeing Lindiwe in the stage show, though I might not get the chance 🙁

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Lindiwe Bungane – Zambia’s ‘Dream Girl’


Lindiwe (above), of whom little has been heard at home in Zambia since 2004, has resurfaced as a huge hit in the musical ‘Dream Girls’ in Johannesburg. Helen Mtshali, a recent Guest at Chanters had seen the show and said Lindi was brilliant. Here’s just some of what the Sowetan had to say in a recent piece.

Dreamgirl Lindiwe Steals Show

“Watching the crème de la crème musical Dreamgirls on stage, I felt like taking a grass handbroom and ululating on stage! That’s one of the prime ways of appreciating what somebody is doing. It was just so good!

Everybody pulled their weight, giving the performances of their lives. But the person who stole the show was Lindiwe Bungane, who played Effie White. You could tell that the talented lass had done her homework and more.

These people had to rehearse for a short time and ensure that they imitate the original cast members while infusing their own personalities. Talk about flawless accents. You could have walked in there and thought that this was an all-American cast.”

Well done Lindi!

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SADC Visa

This would make a lot of sense

The fate of a single tourist visa for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries will be determined in June this year. Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ezekiel Maige, says that single visa is top on agenda of the SADC ministerial meeting slated for June, 2011 in Lusaka, Zambia.

Billed as a ‘grand debate’, the ministerial meeting is expected to evolve a ‘grand action plan’ that will lead to the establishment of the SADC single tourists’ visa. “A single visa will go a long way in easing travel arrangements for those intending to sample tourist allure in SADC member countries,” Maige said in Arusha.

SADC member countries are Tanzania, Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Bring it on!

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Desiree Mzimela & Helen Mtshali


“Are you on Twitter”? I asked Desiree (left) and Helen, pictured above, as we got into the car on Sunday evening. “Oh yes”. They replied. “What are your Twitter addresses”? I continued. “Well” said Desiree “I’m @DezMzimela and I’m @helenthetruth” said Helen. “I knew it”! I said, which wasn’t quite the truth (sorry), but as the weekend had progressed, I’d had a sneaky feeling that this Helen was @helenthetruth whom I’ve been following on Twitter and whose been following me, for some time now. “Did you book to stay at Chanters Lodge because of Twitter”? I asked. “Yes” Helen replied. “Magic”! I said, and meant it. Then we were on our way to the Zambezi FM studios in Livingstone, where the girls had agreed to be our guests on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild, our regular Sunday night radio show – a great mixture of music and chat airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs.

Helen is an investment banker in South Africa and Desiree, a trained physiotherapist, is an assistant director (rehabilitation) with the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape. The girls met at secondary school – Hunt Road School in Durban – and have been friends ever since. They were great fun, telling listeners all they’d packed into their short stay in Livingstone. Desiree had taken the sunset cruise on the African Queen on Friday evening (before Helen had flown in) and had been clubbing the same night, dancing til the small hours. On Saturday evening they’d taken the Royal Livingstone Express enjoying a fabulous six course dinner with wine, on that lovely old reconditioned steam train. On the morning of the show I’d taken the girls to Victoria Falls, they’d loved the loud rushing water and had also managed to bungee jump, fly the flying fox and ride the zip line as well! From there they’d taken the elephant safari with Mukuni Big 5 and ended up having tea at the Royal Livingstone. Great itinerary!

The music on the show was smokin’ hot as usual. Akon’s ‘Love Handles’ and Diddy Dirty Money’s ‘Your Love’ featuring Trey Songz and Rick Ross made a racy start to the show. After some chat with the girls Milli Jam dropped ‘Mailo’ by Jay featuring Petersen, back to back with ‘Palamo’ by Karasa featuring Alpha. Half way through the show we spun Adele’s world-wide smash ‘Someone Like You’ coupled with Jennifer Hudson’s ‘I Remember You’ – title track of her cracking new album. Later we played Akon’s ‘Just A Man’ and Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Stereo Sun’ – a track from Lupe’s album ‘Lasers’ which had just reached number one in the US album charts. ‘Boom’ by Snoop Dogg closed the affair.

We gave away the usual dinner for two to the first person to text us our guests’ country of origin and Ivy was the first of many to get it right – South Africa. The girls told listeners they were both Zulu by tribe, and were clearly proud of it. Helen lives in Joahnnesburg and Desiree eNgocobo. When Milli Jam popped the question, Helen told listeners she was single and Desiree just giggled! They were asked where they’d like to be and what they’d like to be doing ten years from now and they both agreed that they wanted to have lots of money, a husband and children – in that order we gathered. They both planned to pursue their careers and charmingly their care for womens’ rights in Africa. I’d bet they achieve all of that – and more! Great show!

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