Zambia – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Internet Hope?

Is there hope on the horizon? Given our generally crappy internet connection and speeds – even though we do use the best ISP available, any development like this would be so welcome. Thanks to The Citizen for the story.

Zambia and Botswana authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding to connect the two nations with a universal optic cable that will enhance Internet connectivity and telecommunication services. Zambia’s Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) and the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) this week signed the MoU to connect a fibre optic cable network through the Kazungula border post.

The joint telecommunications project will cost US$258,000 and is expected take between three to four months to be built. Zamtel CEO Amon Jere said in Lusaka that once effected, the project would make Zambia a telecommunications hub in the southern African region. Jere said the project would help reduce the cost of international connectivity and improve the quality and speed of Internet services.

He disclosed that that the company was considering connecting another fibre optic cable with Namibia through Kazungula. “We are working on providing high quality but affordable high-speed Internet for all Zambians”, Jere said. “Every Zambian must have access to affordable high quality broadband Internet through both mobile and fixed Internet.”

BTC, which provides the country’s national and international telecommunications services, early this year signed a similar $5 million deal with Powertel of Zimbabwe. Under the deal, BTC provides Powertel with international bandwidth capacity for two years after the two organisations completed cross-border fibre optic connections at Ramokgwebana in December 2009.

Fibre optic cables are a special communication module used to carry data and information, widely used by Internet service providers and in other telecommunication systems. It offers relatively low consumer prices. BTC has already committed to invest P504 million to secure reliable bandwidth connection from an undersea fibre optic through the West African Cable System (WACS).

The picture? Chobe National Park in Botswana, close to Kazangula

16
OCT

Africa, Botswana, infrastructure, internet, Zambia

Danny Live and Nasty D

George ‘Soulchild’ Mukwita co-hosts our weekly Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience, and contributes to the blog about the local music scene. Here’s his latest piece.

DANNY- Why his latest album is successful (he’s pictured above)

What has made Danny’s latest album notable is that he has managed to market it as a unique products. Others who do that are largely those that belong to the gospel scene, notably Ephraim, whose last two albums have been sheer works of artistic and marketing brilliance. Danny has managed to create hype around his efforts by releasing the title of the album first – Live – leading many to wonder what it was all about. Some, including myself, even hoped that he’d record some of his songs with a live band, like Koffi Olomide or the Sakala Brothers to mention but a few. After all, he does have a band and is now a consummate live performer.

That hope was rudely dashed. Danny also employed marketing ingenuity by selling his album on the internet, a form that is accessible to most Zambians. Sounds Music Corporation, the only official music shop, reports that these albums have done quite well. Is it a sign that Zambian music products can sell again, profitably?

Danny’s album opens with the intro 2010. It is barely a song with the soccer tune but just an intro. The first real song is We’ll Miss You, a song that celebrates the life of a departed friend with whom he went to all sorts of sordid places, and discussed politics with. The reggae song performed in Bemba and Nyanja has a well-delivered chorus and, despite extremely simple instrumentation, scrapes a good grade. The title track Live follows.

The song comments that despite the warnings we get and the intentions of practicing safe sex, we end up having unprotected (live) sex. Performed with mid tempo reggaeish beat, it is quite graphic about how this happens and is not a family song. Despite this, it has some artistic freshness and also scrapes a good grade largely because of its humour, albeit graphic. What follows is a Kaya-sounding song delivered in Bemba which narrates quite graphically how a person gets drugged not through drinks but through another body part and is robbed by a prostitute in South Africa. It has a catchy chorus and loses its good grade for Kaya sounding beat and verses.

The first clearly very good song musically is Zimene Wachita. Exile (Kangwa Kampemba) delivers a catchy chorus and the verses have interesting background vocals. Once again the song has a sensual slant. He complains that a girl called Maggie is leading him without “delivering,” using at some point quite a graphic term, “kugadama” (lying on your back). The beat is that township beat delivered Lusaka style. Si Vinthu, a slowish reggae song with a bassline like My Jane, is the sixth song. In the first pure love song performed Nyanja, he declares how all material things are nothing without a certain love. Musically, it is a fair effort.

The seventh song Tawaiso Mboneko is about how relationships have been casaulised and how easy it is to be intimate these days. It has a catchy chorus and is the second clearly good song musically. Not very good like Zimene Wachita but clearly good. Another My Jane/Kaya-like song, First Luv follows. What saves the song from being poor are the background vocals. Delivered largely in English and Nyanja, it urges a girl to remember the first love when the relationship is rocky.

The eighth song on the album is a reggaeish song Chikalabafye Ififine. Featuring Naso, the chorus is delivered by Naso and appears to have a confusing message. He says people are not happy when active people like himself take breaks and some inclusion of how Kalusha Bwalya gets recognised by FIFA despite being criticised back home. I don’t get the song artistically and lyrically.

The last song is the song that can probably qualify as a live song with beautiful guitar work delivered by left-handed guitarist Ba Davey. The song delivered in Bemba and bits of English is a confession of adultery. The showers don’t end his guilt after he cheats, he declares. The chorus and beautiful guitar makes this another musically good song.

Danny’s effort is mostly about telling stories of things observed in life, particularly of a carnal nature. The songs are not social commentary because by definition social commentary takes a stance, a position, and tends to try to effect change. Danny on the other hand takes no position, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and just makes observations with a strong tinge of humour. Danny has identified his market with his carnal references and innuendos.

His songs cannot be listened to comfortably in the same room by parents and children. They are a bit loutish. Perhaps a parental advisory stamp would have been welcome here, but I have no idea what the Censorship Board of Zambia really does these days.

Nasty D & The Zambezi Symphony

Last Friday Livingstone City was set on fire with performances by Nasty D, 2wice and Amablax Shimasta, all from a band called Zambezi symphony. Nasty D is one of the pioneers of the current Zambia music that we all enjoy, his first single was released in 1996/97 titled “Good Milile” on the Copperbelt, he later relocated to Lusaka in 1998. In 2005 he was arrested for being found in position of marijauna and was later sentenced to do community work, later that same year the Drug Enforcement Commesion (DEC) partnered with him in sensitizing the youth on the effects/dangers of drug & alchol abuse. Musically Nasty D want quiet and was almost forgoten till he made this tour to the tourist capital. I bet this signifies the return of Nasty D and the Zambezi Symphony.His show at Fezbar was well attended – I guess the fans never forgot him..lol

15
OCT

music, radioshow, Zambia

Luke Ford on 107.7 fm

Check Luke Ford, staying with us at the lodge, guesting on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft George Soulchild, our regular Sunday night radio show that goes out every 20.30 hrs Sundays, on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. ‘Let the waves flow’ and ‘imitated but never duplicated!’

Luke is chief executive officer of his own company ‘Gunyah’ (more than a holiday) but also works for World Hotel Link. This is what they say on their website about the company:- ‘Looking for accommodation, tours or activities in destinations “off the beaten track”, or that you’ve read about and can’t find online? Looking for something a little special; a chance to really connect with the destination you are travelling to? Looking to book with people who really care about the local destinations; the people, cultures and environment? Then you’ve come to the right place.’

Luke is helping develop products and tours locally, using local suppliers and agents.

In Livingstone, Luke is dealing with Wildside Safaris – good friends of Chanters Lodge and has been enjoying some of the activities that this part of the world has to offer – the previous day he’d taken the one day safari to Chobe and was amazed at the number of elephants he saw. He also saw lion. “Where do you live?” Milli Jam wanted to know and Luke explained that he travels so much he doesn’t really live anywhere, but of late Vietnam and Prague had both been his base for a while. Luke hails from Australia but had trouble remembering the last time he’d been home!

“How did you come to choose Chanters Lodge” the guys wanted to know, and Luke went on to explain that a colleague of his from Hotel Plan had recommended us, but he’d also ‘met’ me on Twitter and the reservation request had been made through that medium. Luke has almost 4000 followers on Twitter and when I said that made my nearly 1000 look very little, his response was ‘what about those with 100,000 followers?’ He has a point! How did he get so many? ‘Through interaction and Tweetups’ was his reply. We haven’t had a Tweetup in Livingstone, it’s a function where Tweeters meet in person.

The music for the show was very well organized this week. We opened with our new theme Aggro Santos – ‘Candy’, then we played two hot tracks from the current UK top 10 – ‘Heartbeat’ – Enrique ft Nicole Scherzinger, and Tinie Tempah’s ‘Written In The Stars’. Two local tracks – Nasty D with ‘Zikolamutendela’ and Shimasta featuring the late great Lily T – ‘Some Attention’. George will write some news on the local music scene later this week, all being well. Chris Brown’s ‘Yeah x 3’ sounds like a hit, and Milimo brought back memories with Foreigner’s ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is’ and Toto’s ‘Rosanna’.

We gave away the usual dinner for two to the first person to text us as to where Luke came from – Australia was the right answer, and the prize was won by Jasper. When I reached home later in the evening I was told it was a confusing question seeing our guest had said he didn’t really have a home! Point taken!

Where was Luke going after his visit to Zambia? The World Travel Market in London. Where would he like to be and what would he like to be doing 10 years from now? ‘Travelling’ – surprise, surprise!

12
OCT

Africa, Botswana, guests, hotels, music, radioshow, travel, victoriafalls, Zambia

Shupiwe Mulenga

Meet Shupiwe Mulenga, one of the famous ‘Chanters Girls’. Shupiwe joined Chanters Lodge, Livingstone on 13th April 2009 as a trainee. She’s 23 and has one brother and one sister, both younger than her.

Shupiwe’s dad passed away in 2006 which must have been traumatic for a then 19 year old. Her mum is still alive and runs a pre-school/primary school in Kabwe, north of Lusaka. She has about 100 children in school Shupiwe tells me.

Shupiwe completed her Grade 12 at Hillcrest Technical Secondary School in Livingstone, just up the road from Chanters Lodge and stays with her Aunt Cecilia – secretary to the general manager of Zambezi Sun Hotel. “Won’t they poach you away to Sun” I asked Shupiwe. She shook her head.

Shupiwe is single, loves music (like all the Chanters girls) and clothes! (The latter I’ve observed for myself.) “What’s your favourite kind of music” I asked her. “Slows”.

In November Shupiwe will become acting head cook at Chanters Lodge. She’s a talented, careful cook and a good organizer – just the skills we’re looking for. She also happens to be very pretty and highly intelligent.

We wish her the best of luck in her new appointment.

7
OCT

Africa, Chanters, food, livingstone, People, staff, victoriafalls, Zambia

Lion Country

We were delighted on Sunday night’s ‘Chanters Lodge Experience’ (our regular weekly radio show aired from 20.30 hrs for an hour on Zambezi 107.7 fm Livingstone’s great local radio station), to host the film crew staying at Chanters. The team are winding up filming the lion encounter based at Thorn Tree Lodge for the forthcoming second series of Lion Country, a documentary to be broadcast on ITV in UK from January 2011 every Friday at 20.00 hrs for 12 weeks.

“We’re in competition with Eastenders at that time” commented Phil Broadhurst – the cameraman who took that great shot of the studio above. Personally I don’t think they need to worry – they had an audience of 4 million for the first series and the second series sounds wonderful! The rest of the crew in attendance were Sebastian Dunn, the sound man, and Alison Quirk, the producer. Also in the photo are Milli Jam and George Soulchild who expertly co-host the show, and myself.

“Are you scared of lions?” We wanted to know. Generally they said they were not, but they mentioned that when they were filming in Zimbabwe they were surrounded at night by 80 of the beasts making a tremendous noise. Sebastian, the sound man, gave us a great impression of a lion’s roar which we made him repeat! “Have you done the night encounter?” we asked the crew. “Not yet, it’s the last thing we have to shoot before we go home” Alison informed the listeners.

The crew gave us the background to their professional careers revealing that both Phil and Seb have been highly involved with all sorts of programmes featuring wildlife in the past. Alison is the producer and the organizer. We’ve had great business at Chanters from various members of this crew during 2010, and it was lovely to hear them praise the lodge, the food and the staff and to tell listeners that Chanters really felt like their second home.

The music for the show was a good mix as usual. Bruno Mars ‘Just The Way You Are’ kept up our record of playing the current number one in UK – we played it back to back with Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl In The World’ the first single from her new album, high in the US Charts. On the local scene George featured ‘Temperature’ by Uniq (“I suppose it means his girl friend raises his temperature” I speculated. “Affirmative” the guys replied). We played the ever popular Petersen’s “Dance With You” as well. (I was delighted to be given a copy of the new JK album by George, though Milli Jam reported massive disappointment amongst the Livingstone public that JK had been miming during his recent album launch at Steprite).

Milli Jam featured Soul IV Real’ ‘Candy Love’ back to back with Aaliyah’s ‘Rock The Boat’ and we played two tracks from the new Phil Collins album ‘Going Back’ – the title track and ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’. Great new version of an old favourite. We played ‘Going Back’ for Cara, the Lion Manager out at lion encounter who’s a great Collins fan.

As usual we gave away a dinner for 2 at Chanters Lodge with drinks – this week for the first person to text us the name of the animal the guys had come to here to film. There was a quick response and everyone got it right! We greeted Guests, mentioning that we were very multi-national this week at Chanters with Guests from Japan, Italy, UK, Egypt, USA, Norway, South Africa and Zambia. We wished two of the Chanters Girls not feeling well a speedy recovery, and greeted the rest of the staff by name too.

The crew thanked the lodge for our hospitality and thanked too all the people at lion encounter who had made their trip so memorable. “When do you leave?” Asked Milli Jam. “On Wednesday” replied Phil, as Milimo and George laughed. “What’s funny?” asked Phil. “Richard only brings Guests leaving on Monday” they replied, as we closed a really fun show.

5
OCT

accommodation, activities, Africa, entertainment, radioshow, tourism, uk, wildlife, Zambia, Zimbabwe

SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children’s Villages do a first class job helping orphans in Zambia to live a ‘normal’ life. At Chanters Lodge we have supported them on several occasions and it’s great to see our 1st Lady getting involved, as this piece from LusakaTimes shows:

“First Lady Thandiwe Banda has paid tribute to SOS Children’s Villages Zambia for supplementing Government efforts in the provision of quality health care and education to children. Mrs Banda who is also SOS Zambia Ambassador called for enhanced partnerships between Government and stakeholders in programmes that aims at uplifting the welfare of children in the country. The First Lady said this when she graced the SOS Children’s Villages Zambia, fund raising musical concert by Lee John and the Imagination Band from the United Kingdom in Lusaka.

Mrs Banda said it’s the duty of citizens to look after children as Government alone cannot manage due to meagre resources. Earlier, SOS Children’s Villages Zambia National Director Florence Phiri said the village is currently supporting over 6000 children at its three villages in Lusaka, Livingstone and Kitwe. Mrs Phiri said the village has diversified its parameters by reaching out to other children in poorer communities surrounding the villages.

And speaking at the same function, SOS Children’s Villages Zambia Board Chairperson, Lucie Kasanda said plans are also underway to construct another children’s village in North-Western Province. Ms Kasanda said this is in line with the village’s programme of targeting 16 000 children to be at its villages by the year 2016. Proceeds from the fundraising will go towards the construction of the children’s village in Chipata, Eastern Province which is being funded by SOS-UK.

The Chipata Village will be home to180 children and offer support to over1000 beneficiaries in the surrounding community.”

We’re often asked by Guests to nominate a worthy cause for donations of either cash or kind, and we have no hesitation in recommending the SOS Children’s Village in Livingstone.

3
OCT

Africa, Chanters, charities, livingstone, Zambia

Maureen Lilanda

Looking for something to blog this morning, I turned to a piece that George Souldchild wrote about the Chanters Lodge Experience, our weekly Sunday night radio show that goes out on Zambezi Radio on 107.7 fm at 20.30 hrs, while I was away on leave:

“How are you? How’s the England weather treating you? Livingstone is hot! Too hot! Despite that I’m OK and so is Millie Jam. We really missed you again last Sunday, the response was very good. The playlist was a mixture as always. We played ‘Your Love’ by Nickie Minaj, ‘Coca Cola’ by Oga Kent (very hot Zambian song at the moment). Also JK featuring Salma – ‘Kapiripiri’, Ne-Yo ‘Crazy Love’ and Chris Brown – ‘Deuces’ – just to mention a few.” Sounds a really good show!

After this George went on to write:

Maureen Lupo Lilanda to just Lupo

Soulful songstress Maureen Lupo Lilanda is re-branding her stage name. Affectionately referred to as Aunt Maureen locally, the singer now wants to be identified as Lupo. At 43, Maureen’s music career is not strange to Zambia, and the singer is confident her latest stage identity will not take anything away from her music.

The Ngoma award winner, whose latest album is being produced by Zamsounds of Denmark, said that her album will be entitled ‘Simply Lupo’. “I’m dropping Maureen and Lilanda, I’m just using Lupo on stage. I think musically Lupo sounds easier to pronounce and easier to remember and also I am pro-Zambian, so really I would like to drop the name Maureen because that’s borrowed culture.” She said she’d slowly been introducing the name Lupo to prepare her fans for the change.

“If you noticed I changed from Maureen Lilanda to Maureen Lupo Lilanda, so people will not notice much difference when it’s just Lupo. It will now be the re-establishment of Maureen as Lupo,” Lilanda explained. She described her musical journey as an evolution, tracing it from the time she was a young African trying to imitate Western musicians, to now a mature artiste who appreciates her own tradition and culture.

“In terms of the first album, I was doing everything myself, dancing and all, and now I’m really appreciating my roots and I have people taking care of the recording. I think I’m more experienced, more mature and more saleable, more convincing and more pro-Zambian,” she said.

Lilanda was reluctant to divulge more information about her latest offering but promised not to depart from her style. “People should just look out for Simply Lupo and I think all the songs have a social concern in them, so just look out for all the songs on the album,” she said.

Lilanda said she decided to record in Denmark as a way of attaching great importance to the quality of the product and promised that Simply Lupo was expected to hit the shelves by February 2011.”

This piece interested me. Maureen made her stage debut at the Ridgeway Hotel’s Folk Night when I was General Manager of that hotel – a mighty popular show it was every Tuesday evening too – a great place for unknown artists to come along and show their talent. Maureen’s father was PermSec in the Ministry of Tourism and a friend of mine. We wish Maureen all the best with her new image and new album! We’ll certainly feature it – and her – on our radio show when we get the chance!

2
OCT

Africa, entertainment, livingstone, Lusaka, music, radioshow, Ridgeway, Zambia

Great Review

Wow! This was the first review of Chanters Lodge to appear on TripAdvisor after our return from annual leave last weekend. What a wonderful welcome to go with that afforded to us at Livingstone Airport from family and friends! Our ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ is in bloom too (see the picture above) but the really hot September weather is making the garden look a bit wilted. I wonder if we’ll have early rain after this early heat?

“We arrived at Chanters after losing a day travelling after a disrupted flight from Australia. With (much appreciated) assistance from Richard and Anastacia rearranging our Livingstone activities, we were immediately able to relax and settle into what turned out to be a most wonderful holiday.

The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. The restaurant has an indoor/outdoor aspect by the garden for ambience. The hotel is safe. The staff are friendly. It has a nice local feel. It is easy to access other Livingstone attractions/activities. Total thumbs up from me.

Richard knows the area, what is good to do and listens to what you want to do. He has a knack of giving just the right amount of advice and direction as you individually need. Thus making your stay in Livingstone as easy, comfortable, and as customised as you want it.

This is my second stay and I would stay again.”

Thanks! You’d be most welcome!

29
SEP

activities, Chanters, guests, livingstone, reviews, Zambia

Going Back

No! That’s not me! That’s Phil Collins, he has a great new album out in UK with that title! Lots of Tamla Motown on it, which he says influenced him greatly when he was young. We watched a super live TV show of Phil on UK TV last weekend and of course, I’ve bought the album.

As it happens we’re going back too. Back to Zambia after a wonderful holiday in UK spent in Brighton and Dorchester. Actually (as the often say in England) and basically (another favourite) we’ve been extremely lucky with the weather.

Having said that (which they say here all the time) we look forward to 35C temperatures and hot sunshine back in Livingstone, from where I’ll be posting next week!

24
SEP

livingstone, music, travel, uk, Zambia

The Chanters Lodge Experience

I was missing from this week’s Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Soulchild, as I’m in Brighton, UK on leave. There’s a photo of the famous Brighton Pavilion! Here’s George’s blog on the latest edition of our radio show.

Hello Richard,

How’s England? The show was great – we missed you, we had such a great response – it could be due to the fact the I was the guest lol, well this was after our guest Dandy Krazy (local artist) failed to turn up. Last weeks winner was Lulu – she’s having their dinner for two at Chanters Lodge tonight.

“ZAMBIA’S celebrated song bird Angela Ny’irenda recently held a private bridal-shower at a named house in Lusaka’s Rhodes Park area at a ceremony meant to make her marriage with Moses Sakala official. According to a source who witnessed the Kitchen party, the function was organised at a private home along Manchinchi road opposite Manda Hill shopping mall where only close friends to both musicians were present. “It was a very nice function, we had fun and many people enjoyed the ceremony… It was a private function because the media was not invited, maybe they didn’t want the function to be publicized, but some female DJs and musicians – mostly female – attended, especially their close friends,” the source explained.

Miss Southern Africa is an International Event that celebrates the people of Southern Africa – its amazing culture, the colorful and vibrant fashion of its many tribes, its expressive and emotive music and the fantastically beautiful talent… of its women. So Miss SA Zambia will be promoting Zambia – it’s magnicent wild life in its own natural habitat, the many scenic water falls that Zambia houses apart from the Victoria Falls, the beautiful white sandy beaches by the Lake Tanganyika and the Bangweulu, the natural hot springs and the expanse of natural unspoilt land with beautiful lodges and wonderful scenic rivers making a holiday in Zambia a more fulfilling and thrilling one! On the 25th of September 2010, Zambia will stage the first ever Miss Southern Africa Zambia to determine which lady will represent and sell the country to the Southern Africans and to the world at large in Windhoek, Namibia on the 27th of November 2010.

15 young vibrant intelligent beautiful delegates will go head to head vying for this coveted title with musical perfomances by the legendary Zambia’s very own Maureen Lilanda, Exile, and introducing Trizzo, plus many more perfomances.

As JK continues to promote his Kapiripri album his next stop is the tourist capital on Friday October 1st at “Masaka” Step-rite night club and Saturday 2nd at Taonga river shack for the family show with supporting acts from the likes of Afunika, Indy K and Lusaka’s Klub Vegas DJ Bizzy Wizzy and the beautiful Salma who at the moment has got a hot song which she performed at the Big Brother evictions.tickets are being sold at K20,000 and K10,000 for the family.

17
SEP

Chanters, music, radioshow, uk, Zambia

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