Richard Rocks!

Of course I do! But this time the ‘Richard’ in the title refers to Simon Daka, pictured above, who records under the name of ‘Richard’ – it’s his middle name he informed us, when he was questioned at the start of the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela. That’s our weekly radio show airing from 20.30 – 21.30 hrs every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show streams live on the internet too! We often invite Guests staying at Chanters Lodge to appear on the programme, but we also have a reputation for helping to promote young aspiring Zambian musicians and artists, so from time to time they feature and we were happy to welcome Simon to this particular show.

Richard (or Simon if you will!) told listeners proudly that he was really a ‘Lusaka Boy’ but that he’d moved to Livingstone some time ago to stay with his sister who, like their late father, served in Zambia Police. “That’s alright then!” I said “next time I’m stopped by these strict lady police officers at a roadblock, my first question will be are you Simon Daka’s sister”? Richard’s a rapper and has so far recorded about six tracks with various different studios including Rising Sounds. He has a son Chard with his fiancee Nelly and was determined that he would marry his ‘darling love’ this year, telling us that he’d already saved what he needed for ‘lobola’.

We featured one of Richard’s tracks on the show entitled ‘Umusuma’ meaning ‘beautiful’ and dedicated to Nelly. The track is well produced and has a good beat with inspiring lyrics. We also played ‘Okondewa’ by Jemah featuring our own Kaufela. Our ‘oldie of the week’ was also a Zambian track – Joe Chibangu’s ‘System’ and the prize we offer to the first person to text us telling us the name of the performing artist was quickly snapped up by Draria, who won dinner for two at Chanters Lodge. We played ‘Thrift Shop’ the huge hit by Macklemore as well as Every Storm (runs out of rain)  from Gary Allen’s USA number one selling Billboard 200 album ‘Set You Free’. Tracks from Davido ft Ice Prince and Blue rounded off the show.

Simon told listeners that apart from rap he really liked hip-hop saying “hip-hop speaks for me!” He listed his inspirations as 50 Cent and Naz. He explained that he had spent some time working in one of Livingstone’s larger hotels as a receptionist and that he really liked the hospitality business. He greeted some of the managers and staff of the hotel who had helped him in the past. He expressed little interest in soccer unless it was the Zambian national team playing, at which point we mourned Zambia’s recent ejection from the ongoing Africa Cup Of Nations!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Simon ‘Richard’ Daka said he would like to be fully involved with the hospitality business, possibly owning his own lodge, bought from the proceeds of his extra-ordinarily successful career in the entertainment industry! We wished him well.

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