K9? You wonder? Meet Kenan Chisenga (above), Livingstonian, entrepreneur and singer/rapper whose stage name is K9! Kenan was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz. ‘The Experience’ is our weekly radio show airing from 20.30-21.30 hrs CAT every Sunday on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Kenan told listeners that he was born and brought up in Livingstone, partially by his grandmother, as he had lost both his parents, his mum in 2003. An only child, Kenan had been forced to fend for himself. He explained that his mum was Toka-Leya by tribe from Chief Mukuni’s village.

Milli Jam asked Kenan how and when he had started in the music field and he revealed that it had all kicked off in 2010 when he had met and started working with ‘The Shaker’ aka Rodger Kabwiko, well known artist and music producer. K9’s first single had been ‘Monga Mpepo’ (‘like air’). “It was for my girl friend and told of her being as important in my life as the air I breathe!” K9 explained. “Is she still around?” I wondered. “Errr ummm eish” the reply! Kenan said that it was difficult to make a living from music in Zambia, therefore he was also a businessman, importing and selling hi fi equipment. He had not yet produced an album but felt that his live shows were more important in terms of fund raising, due partly to the high level of music piracy in Zambia.

We featured one of K9’s tracks on the show ‘Niwe Weka’ (‘you are the one’) and very good it is too! We also featured tracks from Will.i.am, Zone Fam (a hot local outfit), Pharrell Williams, and 5SOS, as well as Ariana Grande. Our oldie of the week was by John Legend, and the prize we give of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge, to the first person to text us the name of the artist on the track, was quickly snapped up by a certain ‘Brian’.

Milli Jam wanted to know who was Kenan’s favourite local artist and he mentioned Hip-Hop Crisis and PJ. Internationally he favoured Dr Dre. His favourite Livingstone club was the New Fairmount and bars at Bee Hive and Dry Manzi. He revealed that he had been white water rafting but had never done the bungee jump. He felt Holland would win the World Cup and loves Manchester City, especially the Ivorian Yaya Toure. Had he played any shows during this holiday weekend we wondered? “Yes with Ruff Kid at Eastpoint on Friday” replied Kenan. On being told that there were K9 T shirts available as part of his branding, I asked for one for my son Henry who was present in the studio getting his first taste of our show! A promise was made!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years from now, Kenan told listeners that he would like to be an investor in Livingstone making money!