The Top Zambian Songs of All-Time - Starting Eleven
I asked some friends to name their top 5 songs ever, from Zambia. I do not have a Zambian alter-ego, yet. I used what I have learnt around Museke. I also asked Google Gemini & other AI bots. You know AI is my friend these days right? I also contributed my top 5.
I have never been to Zambia, which is crazy. Neither am I doing this gate because of #FuguGate which made me say #ThankYouZambia and which gave birth to #FuguFriday. I learnt about Zambian music from some friends, around my time at MIT and then later at Stanford. Google helped during the Museke days too.
I wanted to make a list of the top 5, but there are too many songs. So I have aggregated 11, to represent Zambia in the World Cup of #MusicWeDeyFeel. The starting eleven. Drop your opinions, props, suggestions in the comments section. Here we go, in no particular order, you can suggest who plays centre forward, sweeper, maestro, left wing back or goalkeeper in the comments.
Na Musonda - PK Chishala (1990)
This song won the poll. I did not know about this song or this artiste. "Na Musonda" is one of those songs that has become part of the national fabric. He was a master of the kalindula, which is an uptempo style. Peter Kalumba "PK" Chishala is a giant of Zambian music, from Kitwe. His music is the sound of community, of gatherings, of Zambian life.
Na Musonda is a classic kalindula track that tells a story through upbeat, rhythmic delivery. The album which has this all-time track was named after his wife Harriet Chishala, who provided backing vocals on the track too. Awww, lovely!
Try Again - Yo Maps (2023)
Yo Maps has become the voice of this generation in Zambia. Elton Mulenga is from Kasama. "Try Again," featuring Able Chungu, has over 1.78 million Spotify streams, it has been a huge commercial hit!
As you can see, this is a song about resilience, hope, and perseverance. It's the track you play when you need encouragement. This is the attacking midfielder, taking all the setpieces. This is sung in Nyanja, Bemba and English. It was the undisputed Song of the Year, Best Mainstream/Pop Award and the Most Conscious Song Award at the 2023 Kwacha Music Awards, with the album Try Again winning Album of the Year, and Yo Maps winning Best Male Artist as well.
I knew Mampi as well thanks to Museke. Miriam Mukape is Mampi Queen Diva. She is rightly called Zambia's queen of pop and R&B. "Walilowelela" translates roughly to "you have cried for him/her" . The song tells the story of a woman confronting a lover who repeatedly breaks promises. Let’s put this song on the left wing.
This song's legacy is tied to Mampi’s stint on Big Brother Africa (StarGame) in 2012, which helped make the song more popular. It became a massive hit in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Cameroun. Walilowelela is still one of the Zambian songs with the most YouTube views (20 million plus). A remix by French artist Luyanna further propelled the song's global reach, especially in Europe and across Africa.
Introduction - WITCH (1972)
WITCH stands for We Intend To Cause Havoc. What a name by the way! Hehe. The kind of havoc we dey feel is the kind that has defenders scrambling. WITCH was formed in Kitwe on the Copperbelt in 1972, fronted by the charismatic Emmanuel "Jagari" Chanda (lead vocals), with Chris Mbewe (lead guitar), John Muma (rhythm guitar), Gideon Mulenga (bass), and Boidi Sinkala (drums). They are seen as the most popular Zambian band of the 1970s, and Introduction was their debut album. They were key in giving birth to the Zamrock genre.
We would put this Introduction track on the right wing. The song is a literal introduction of the band to the listener and the world. The track features a repeated "here it comes" chant. At the 2023 Kwacha Music Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Emmanuel Jagary Chanda, honoring his pioneering contributions to the Zamrock Music genre.
Good Woman - Roberto (2012)
I first got to know about Roberto when he came out in 2007, during the Museke heydays.
He has continued to be one of the most consistent hitmakers in the Zambian game. He has collaborated with lots of top African musicians as well. Robert Chindamba Banda is from a musical family, from Chipata. His elder brother, David Banda (General Ozzy), inspired him to pick up a career in music.
Good Woman was the lead single from his third studio album, My Name Is.... The song seems to be straight from a casanova’s stable with lyrics like "Though I lied / And I cheated and deceived", "You cried a river yet stood by me", and "I'll be the best man this whole world will ever see”. The success of the song and its parent album led Roberto to win Best R&B Album and Best Song Writer of the Year at the 2013 Zambia Music Awards.
Final Form - Sampa the Great (2019)
Final Form is the striker, the final finisher of all the Zed moves. This black power anthem is about "expanding yourself and calling out any negativity towards that growth process." The music video features both indigenous Nyau dancers and aspects of modern Zambian youth culture. Some lyrics: "Last name Tembo, first name Eve / Somebody ate the fruit they told The Great to never eat / I'm drippin', DNA steeze / It's like I'm born great, I'd be mad too, jeez" and "Great state I'm in, in all states I'm in / I might final form in my melanin".
Sampa Tembo, known professionally as Sampa the Great, is from Ndola. She is from a musical family, her mother Theresa is a dancer (Bemba), her father Alfred was a DJ and her sister, Mwanje Tembo, is also a singer. Final For" is from her debut studio album The Return. The song won her awards at the 2019 & 2020 ARIA Music Awards. She even became the first artist to win the Australian Music Prize twice. Sampa won Best International Achievement at the 2023 Kwacha Music Awards, cementing herself as a top Zambian musician.
Kaya - Danny Kaya (2005)
Danny Siulapwa is one of Zambia’s top all-time musicians. He has become known as Danny Masiku Onse, Danny Yakumbuyo, Danny Kaya, or Danny Champion. Danny is from Kasama. He and other musicians are key in the popularity of Zed Beats, which showcased a lot of versatility.
Kaya earns its position named after its singer at left back. This song did well in the poll. The song's enduring popularity speaks volumes. The song was at number one on the charts for several weeks. Kaya translates to "I don't know" or "Maybe" in Bemba and Nyanja), talking about human mortality. There is a football mention there too. "Bushe ukatambako na World Cup 2010?" ("Will you even watch the 2010 World Cup?"), referring to #MzansiMundial.
Contolola didn't just top local charts, it crossed over to many countries as well. I got to know about this song when it came out, during the Museke days. It was one of the first Zambian music videos to receive heavy rotation on MTV Base and Channel O. The song earned Zone Fam the Best Southern African Act award at the 2012 Global Rockstar Awards and a nomination at the Channel O Music Video Awards, placing Zambia firmly on the international music map. The music video was a "game-changer" for local standards, featuring high-quality cinematography and choreography.
My favorite track from Zone Fam is Shaka Zulu On Em though. Contolola means Control it”, and figuratively, “Own It”. It is an anthem of dominance, success, and self-confidence. I like how it talks about "owning your city" and "running things". This makes it one of the central defenders. It is sung in Nyanja (Chewa), Bemba, Zulu and English.
So Lucky - Izrael (2004)
Izrael was formerly known as Exile when he first came out. His real name is Kangwa Kapampa. So Lucky is the lucky track that was submitted multiple times, and we need a lot of luck in our goal. Here’s the goalkeeper.
So Lucky is a romantic ballad about a man expressing profound gratitude for finding a partner who truly understands and loves him. Its key line "I'm so lucky to have you," emphasizes that in his exile, he has found his "Israel" (home/promised land) in his partner. The Zed Beats track dominated Zambian airwaves, winning Song of the Year on the Radio Phoenix Local Rhythms countdown in 2003/2004.
Khala My Friend - Amanaz (1975)
This Zamrock track was also paramount in the poll. Khala My Friend is part of the Africa album, recorded at Malachite Film Studios in Chingola and released in 1975 by Zambia Music Parlour. According to band member Keith Kabwe (vocals, guitar)), the album Africa was titled "because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen... all the atrocities slave drivers committed." Others in Amanaz included Isaac Mpofu (bass guitar), John Kanyepa, Jerry Mausala, Watson Lungu. The band's name stands for "Ask Me Any Name At Zambia".
The song is sung in Bemba and English. "Khala" means "friend" or "companion" . Some lyrics: Hello, Khala my friend / Where do you think you're going to? / And the road you're taking / It has no end". "Khala My Friend" has been featured in multiple TV series and films—in 2012 it appeared in the film Komedia, in 2016 it was used in the series Cudzoziemianie and the HBO series In Need, and in 2021 it appeared in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso. This song features in central defence, the sweeper.
Kondwa - Yo Maps (2023)
We have another entry from Yo Maps. "Kondwa" translates to "to be loved" or "to be happy/spoiled" and is sung in Nyanja (primarily), English, Bemba. Some lyrics: "Suziba kwenachokela (kondwa) / Nakula nama bvuto ine (kondwa) / Mulungu anani dalitsa (kondwa)" — "You don't know where I'm coming from (loved) / I've grown up in poverty (loved) / God has helped me (loved)" and "Nikwanisa no samba, samba / Nikwanisa no gona tulo / Mulungu ku mwamba, mwamba / Amani dalitsa neo" — "I'm managing to take care of myself / I'm managing to sleep peacefully / The God above, above / He helps me (loved)"
The song managed to win Song of the Year at the Ngoma Awards even before it had an official music video. It reached #1 on Apple Music Top Songs in Malawi, surpassing global stars like Davido and Omah Lay. Fans created viral dance challenges inspired by its addictive rhythm. It has over 2.29 million Spotify streams, and is from the same Try Again album. This album helped Elton Mutenga win a lot of awards.
Many thanks to friends like who contributed to this – Chisenga Muyoya, Duncan Sodala, Edward, Ethel Mbewe, Katendi Kalumba, Likezo, Muby Antonia Chela, Mulenga Chela, Taffy, etc. Have more #MusicWeDeyFeel to contribute? Drop a comment.
Check out this playlist of songs that were nominated, etc on YouTube.
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