Tilman Schimmel

Meet Tilman Schimmel (pictured above), economist, soon-to-be fully fledged lawyer and thoroughly nice guy from near Stuttgart, Germany. Tilman was our guest on the 1st 2011 edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild, our Sunday night radio show that airs on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm weekly between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs. 107.7 fm is Livingstone’s best loved local radio station with a listener radius of about 70 kms, strong enough to be heard in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Kasane in Botswana.

Tilman was staying at Chanters Lodge for a week, prior to travelling to Johannesburg, South Africa, to take up a 3 month internship with LindsayKeller top attorneys – ‘solution orientated thinking’ quote/unquote! Tilman told listeners that he was very much looking forward to the challenge, though somewhat concerned about the reported dangers of life in Johannesburg. This attachment forms part of the law degree course that he has nearly completed at Eberhard-Karls University, Tubingen.

Still young, Tilman loves to travel which he’s been doing since age 16 and we were surprised to hear that he’d already visited 73 different countries! He professed to love South Africa, Nepal and Seychelles the most. Couldn’t differ with him on the last one, having spent two and a half happy years in Seychelles – ‘The Islands of Love’ – as Food and Beverage Manager, Reef Hotel back in the 70’s.

“Are you married”? Milli Jam asked Tilman. He replied he was not, but told listeners he had a girlfriend back in Stuttgart, a teacher, unable to travel to Zambia with him as she was ‘dogsitting’. A phrase, I suspect, not too easily understood by our Zambian listeners! He was very much hoping she’d be able to join him for a while during his time in Johannesburg.

The music on the show was good. After our opening theme by Aggro Santos we spun ‘Immabadboy’ a single by Mr.Vezzy featuring Mugeez from R2Bees the Ghanian outfit. Vezzy is a DJ on Qfm one of Lusaka’s hot radio stations and this single’s making waves – “brought to you by Richard Chanter via Twitter” I added! We played it back to back with Sean Kingston’s ‘Party All Night’ which Zambians were still doing as our show aired! George’s Zambian selection was ‘old and new’ – the old – Black Muntu’s ‘Chibzibe’, the new – B’flow’s ‘No More Kawilo’. I really liked that one, “what does it mean”? I enquired. ‘No more being single’ I was told, though as usual there appeared to be some debate!

Milli Jam wanted to know what activities Tilman had done or had planned while he was in Zambia. It was clear that he was very interested in the local culture and had even been playing ‘solo’, a traditional game, in Livingstone Zimbabwe Market with local characters. The following day he had a trip planned to Zimbabwe to see ‘the other side’ of Victoria Falls, and the day afterwards a visit to Botswana on the Chobe 1 day safari offered by Chanters Lodge. Tilman has a keen interest in animals and wildlife.

The music continued with ‘Fireworks’ by Alicia Keys ft Drake and the ‘still at number one in UK’ Matt Cardle’s cover of the Biffy Clyro number ‘When We Collide’ (originally ‘Many Of Horror’ – gotta be one of the weirdist pop titles ever!) We gave away the usual dinner for two – won by Lydia for rightly texting us that Tilman was from Germany and updated listeners on pop chart information from UK and USA, and this week Germany too in deference to Tilman.

“So you’re a qualified economist and soon-to-be fully fledged lawyer” Milli Jam observed to Tilman, “what sort of job would you like when your course is through”? After a pause for thought Tilman replied that he’d love to hold a post with an international company which afforded him the opportunity to travel. Great stuff – and I wouldn’t bet against this serious young man achieving his ambition.

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