1. IV WEEKEND POST, Friday October 2, 2015
LUSAKA’S Levy Mall will today and tomorrow host the
2015 Stanbic Jazz Festival featuring US legend Earl
Klugh, Zimbabwean guitarist Oliver Mtukudzi and South
African house band Mi Casa. Also featuring local artistes
Abel Chungu, Scarlet, Jaggari Chanda, Afro Red, Kiki,
Victor Kasoma and James Sakala. Dates: October 2 and
3. Tickets: K450, K700 (VIP).
THE Barcode tomorrow from 10:00hrs to 18:00 holds
a talent show and from 19:00hrs till late there will be
the ‘Midas Lusaka Tour’ featuring Alpha Romeo, J.O.B,
Frankiss, Bolokiyo, Flexville Marley and Jobik DJ.
Angela Nyirenda this evening launches ‘Salary’ at
Lusaka New Government Complex. Time 20:00hrs and
charges K100 and K200 VIP. Family show tomorrow
at Belvedere Lodge, Leopards Hill from 12:00hrs to
22:00hrs. Charges K50 adults and K20 children.
What’s On!
Musubila
oozes SoulBy Hope ‘Deejay Wolf’
Mkunte @selectalupo
y
ou will be in for
a treat if you go
to the Coffee
and Jazz show
this Sunday
a t t h e
V i l l a g e
Cafe. The
s h o w
b o a s t s
refreshing
live music
from Pompi and
his Catfish
band. But if you
are interested
i n h e a r i n g
something new,
pay particular
attention to a
guy with Shaggy
Afro, possibly
wearing a bow tie
on a shirt but-
toned to the
collar and looking
like an 80s soul
singer - he will
mesmerise you.
His name is
Musubila and he
is leading the
new pack of
Z a m b i a n
artistes who
are setting
trends by
e x p l o r i n g
o t h e r
genres of
m u s i c
beside the
usual. Jazz
and Soul are
his forte
and ironi-
cally, he was
inspired by
the music
from the
T o m a n d
J e r r y
cartoon.
His new
single Bika
Dance oozes
with soul
h a r m o -
n i e s
t h a t
y o u
want
to hear over and over
again and let’s not even
talk about the backing
female vocals offering
just the perfect umph to
an already electic jam.
Musubila has been
touring with Pompi and
made quite an impression
on the Broken English
Tour, signaling that he
has come of age as a
musician and is stepping
out on his own.
But who is this guy
that is redefining Soul
music and adding a
Zambian flavour to it?
Well, he started off a
rapper and when he
realised he didn’t quite
cut it, he switched to
singing.
“Before I was a singer
I was part of a dance
group called Alliance 314
that has its roots at
ZCAS, that hosts the
dance project every year.
I went by the moniker,
Triple M that stood for
Musubila Mangilashi
Mumpangwe and even
though I was okay I
didn’t think I would have
stood out with the likes
of Zone Fam or Krytic. I
wouldn’t have been part
of these greats because
rap was not my strong
element. After the dance
and rapping phase was
over, I started doing
poetry at Bitter Sweet
Poetry Zambia, that’s
where I really got to
experiment and then I
discovered that with
poetry I felt more con-
nected to my audience
and the feeling was
great. I continued with it
but when I sang I felt
even more connected to
my audience ,that’s when
I discovered how I really
wanted to share my emo-
tions and art.” he says.
He has always been a
creative type from an
early age, experimenting
with other forms of art
before settling on music
in 2012.
“From the time I was a
boy I always had a great
desire for music and art
and I have always wanted
to do things that are art
inclined. In grade 3 I
remember drawing a
truck and my friends
were amazed. I’ve always
wanted to be an artist. I
remember being asked
what I wanted to be
when I grew up and I said
I wanted to be a pop
star.”
His music is uplifting
and offers spiritual
insights in its lyrics.
“I always had the
desire to spread hope
through my music and for
it to have the forever
factor even after 100
years I want it to still be
relevant and the music
that has that is the clas-
sics and the oldies.
Fusing that with the
word of God [which] has
been there forever would
be the perfect recipe for
timeless music. My name
“Musubila” has its roots
in the Bisa and Bemba
tribes, deriving it’s mean-
ing from “subila” ,”isubilo”
meaning hope. Musubila
means someone who is
hopeful.” he says.
Raised by a single
mother, Musubila’s
upbringing was a painful
one. He talks about it now
like it has always been
sunny, but deep down a
sadness lingers and the
scars of poverty bleed
anew. “My dad passed
away in 1994 on my moth-
er’s birthday, it’s a
bittersweet moment for
her and what is worse, my
f a t h e r ’ s r e l a t i v e s
grabbed all the property
from us. Because of all
these issues neighbours
started calling my mother
‘Neria’ after the
Zimbabwean movie that
was popular at that time.
As much as I am an
African and a firm
believer in keeping our
roots and culture, some
beliefs are backwards
and pure evil, especially
the tradition of property
grabbing and ‘Ukuchusha
Mukamfwilwa’ mistreat-
ing a widow.” he says
without emotion.
The mistreatment of
his mother was just the
start of the hardships
that would mould him into
the man he is today.
“The struggle was real.
I’ve grown up with my
mother who also played
the role of father at the
same time. She went
from being a rich man’s
wife to being a marke-
teer selling Salaula at
Soweto then went to
Ndola where she set up a
stand at main Masala
market in order to put
clothes on our backs and
take us to school.”
Besides these strug-
gles, Musubila went
through his own growing
pains.
”I was not the sharpest
pupil in my class plus I
used to stammer in my
early school days. I was
timid and would always
have issues expressing
myself so I turned to art
as an outlet for my emo-
tions.” he says.
Musubila would go to
study marketing at
ZCAS. While there he
also started taking his
art seriously.
“ I started discovering
myself all the way
through junior high
school to college and
after by trying out many
forms of art and skills
from table tennis, playing
football, basketball, sing-
ing and dancing and
graffiti. “ he says.
It wasn’t long before
he caught the ear of peo-
ple who would help him
shape his career.
“The person who gave
me my first chance in the
recording booth was
Lawrence ‘Lawdak ‘ Daka
of Nxt Solutions and
Bittersweet poetry gave
me the platform to
perform.”
He would later meet
Mag44 who ended up pro-
ducing most of his music.
“Mag gave me a chance
and also gave me advice
when I really wanted to
do. Pompi mentors me a
lot as well. He is someone
I look up to and he has
been a big source of
inspiration and influence
to me.”
Uncle Rex is consid-
ered the pioneer of Jazz
music in Zambia but it
has seen bevy of young
artistes champion the
genre. Musubila is opti-
m i s t i c a b o u t i t s
progress.
“I think its a growing
industry at a state of
being internationally rec-
ognised, there is a lot of
creativity and hard work-
ers but at the same time
it has a lot to be desired
especially in video pro-
duction for us to
pernetrate sales beyond
borders. but I think it’s
on the right track.” says
Musubila.
He is currently working
on an album to be
released soon under
A t m o s p h e r e
Entertainment. He has so
far just released two
singles, Kaboom and Bika
Dance, which are slated
to appear on the yet-to-
be-titled album.
Let’s talk music,email
me at killagroove@gmail.
com