profile: Bana ba Kongo

Bana ba Kongo is a collective of three very different Lusaka-based 20-somethings .  Founded in 2011, the groups music takes a very light-hearted approach to life and living.  Though very tempting to put the group down as a chiunda band, its nearly impossible to clearly define what musical genre Bana ba Kongo can be placed in, as the music is a fusion of many diverse genres. 

Just from the name (which, they insist, must be pronounced with hard ‘b’s!), there is absolutely nothing ordinary about this group.  The band’s music draws influences primarily from the work of contemporaries such as Mozegator, the Mimbulu Family and Ama Blax as well as Nasty D and the kalindula legends of the 80s and 90s.  Their sound, which is the brainchild of main producer Nkandu “stretch.dj” Kataya, is the final product of years of experimenting with different sounds such as house, kalindula, boostele, classic rock, hip-hop and dancehall. 

Freshmen (Ba Fresh)

Freshmen

Albert Njapau (real name Albert Njapau) hails from Chamba Valley in Lusaka, a quite fitting point of origin for the multi-talented singer/rapper. Anyone who knows "Ba Fresh" knows that his trademark is his incredible sense of humor. In the studio, Fresh is responsible for many of Bana Ba Kongo's insanely danceable drum patterns. Fresh has a fair amount of production experience working as Stretch's assistant during his time with  X.Y.Z Entertainment.  Fresh’s lyrical subject matter varies from side-splitting comedy to social commentary to catchy, feel-good call-and-responses.  On stage Fresh can fairly be called the most distinguished dancer of the three

One Billyon

One Billyon

Born Jilowa Wambilisome twenty years ago in Lusaka, Billy (as he is affectionately known) is a product of Mupapa School in Ndola. Billy's biggest strength lies in his versatility, counting song-writing and singing in all imaginable styles as his main threats. Billy can boom out a strong ragga hook, or something far more soulful and emotional at the drop of a hat. Coupled with his knack for creating concepts out of nothing, Billy hopes for a bright future in the game.  The happy-go-lucky University of Lusaka Commerce student counts Bob Marley and P.K. Chishala among his inspirations, and strongly admires the work of T-Sean and B Flow. 

Aubzee (Popo Fyuta)

Aubzee

If its not always his voice, its certainly his rhythms that are behind every BBK record.  Aubrey Chikoyo’s upbringing is rooted in music; his father being an accomplished guitar player.  During his school years in Kabwe, Aubzee and a group of friends were always to be found banging on drums and singing songs at every Kalonga High football match.  His ability on the drums can be heard on songs like “Bengi ba Baila” (where he collaborated  on production with cousin stretch.dj) and "Waluvyanya".  Known also as “Popo Fyuta” and “Red Panther”, Aubzee distinguishing mark lyrically is his poetic use of the Bemba language in his unique delivery, reminiscent of Shimba Boyd of Mimbulu Family in tone and Shimasta in terms of imagery. Metaphors and wordplay are his main staple as he adds to the group’s overall fresh sound.  

Bana first came on the scene late last year with their provocative Internet release ‘Lwimbo lwa Nsele’ which caused a major furor on the underground.  Despite not receiving any airplay (for obvious reasons) the group attracted attention from bar and pub owners, often being invited to perform a few tunes for their patrons. The feedback and response thus far has been encouraging, with many showering praise on the groups outlandish outfits and solid stage-work.  As of writing, Bana have all but wrapped up work on their yet-to-be-titled debut album set to hit shelves in July this year.

Bana Ba Kongo’s music is definitely a breath of fresh air in a Zambian music industry stifled with bubblegum music.  From day one, BBK have always strived to go back to the fundamentals and present a uniquely Zambian sound with a 21st century twist.  Despite the often edgy subject matter and sometimes unconventional approach to song structure, Bana believes that their music will keep people across the continent grooving for a long time to come!

#MampisHair

 Just a few of the best #MampisHair tweets from Thursday
(n.b. I really didn't mean anything malicious by this, just having a bit of fun... We are 100% behind you girl!)
    
    
#MampisHair now on @dstv channel 198

@Jackfro1 #stargame #Mampishair is fluent in 9 languages and is currently learning how to speak 'Am a very awful hair style' @stretchdj
‏

@exquizzitz #MampisHair is the original dark continent #Stargame

@FrancisTandeo @BigBroAfrica we luv u mampi u
‏
@Cutie_Cici Tbh if mampi came to aussie they'd search her hair for drugs n shit!! #realtalk #BorderSecurity
‏
@mack_sqw33zy #mampi #mampi #mampi........wats with the hair????

@ThatBoiDutch Beats by Dre & now we got WEAVE by MAMPI ,..#mampishair

@Mwine_Filimu The President has commissioned a commission to look into #MampisHair

@stretchdj "@the_banda #MampisHair is the reason for global warming" #stargame

 @stretchdj @dowjones5 If you look closely you will see two elephants, a land rover and six midgets playing golf in #mampisHair #stargames

@stretchdj #Mampi was here #MampisHair http://pic.twitter.com/tUDmfQcy

@stretchdj Fraudulently obtaining K1bn from MTN ain't beeeg #MampisHair is BEEEEG!!!

 @exquizzitz “@Lalozie: #MampisHair just might be #Zambia's 11th province...” *buries self alive*

@Lalozie #MampisHair is the reason Phineas and Ferb were finally busted by Candace...

@velaruze Adams family finaly find a wife for Thing #mampishair

@exquizzitz #MampisHair is the reason there's so much congestion on Lusaka roads

@exquizzitz I'm going to sleep late and fail to get up early tomorrow because of #MampisHair

@The_Banda I bet the girl in this picture wishes she had #MampisHair ~~» http://pic.twitter.com/LfpwkP4Q

@velaruze Breaking News lady gaga loses prop latest whilst on tour #mampishair
‏
@bnach92 @Miss_Bee90 Rapunzle Rapunzle let down #mampisHair

@velaruze If John Cena stands behind #mampishair .. Wat will he say? " U can't c me

@stretchdj #MampisHair > #MyasHair

@casbabie #Mampishair is so unbeweavable

@velaruze #mampishair hair can knock out Esther Phiri.

@stretchdj #MampisHair doubles as her back-up dancer

@Jaybzm #MampisHair can smell what The Rock is cookin'

@pumulokaywala RT @Excus3MyFrench: #mampishair is the inspiration behind Dandy Crazys #CHINTELELWE

@SaniboyMwale Let's have sex no #mampishair attached #dead
‏
@Fuchsiaristic So am looking at myself in the mirror right and my weave says to me,When I grow up,I want to be like #MampisHair

@Chipochedu *dies... comes back to life... Then dies again* RT @geshgroove " pap in Zambia in english is called nshima " #Mampi #BigBrotherStarGames
‏
@haksy89 Some say she can hide the Stig in it... Others say, astronauts are able to see it from space... All we know is, its called #MampisHair

@michstizzy Contrary to popular belief #MampisHair actually grew a human being;her name is Mampi,she is a singer & a contestant in the BBA7

@rebellion414 I bet you need a rake to comb #MampisHair

@Fuchsiaristic #Didyouknow #MampisHair originally belonged to Samson.

@stretchdj #MampisHair is going to be on the new currency

@Bradleychingobe Its easier for a camel to pass through an eye of a needle than to find a chigayo lost in #mampishair

@Hardy_LS @MCFC have sent Patrick Viera to sign #MampisHair for undisclosed fee rumoured to be in the range of $1,600 to $1,600,000

 @Hardy_LS #MampisHair fills my ......" tv http://twitpic.com/9jj7pc
‏
@stretchdj George Lucas is rumoured to be interested in #MampisHair for the role of Chewbacca in the next Star Wars flick

@TwentyKwacha #MampisHair will sponsor MMD's national convention.

@Princess_Cobra #MampisHair can scare Chuck Norris

@stretchdj #BreakingNews Bigfoot has finally tracked down in Randburg, South Africa. #MampisHair

@stretchdj #MampisHair shot the sheriff

@stretchdj There is a conspiracy concerning #MampisHair and the Eurozone crisis

@Lalozie The 2.1bllion buried by Liato was change he got after buying #MampisHair

@luchi7 The tennis world is thinking of using #MampisHair as a playing surface after experimenting with blue clay

 @stretchdj #MampisHair only dates football players' hair ;)

@Hey_Mr_Lee #MampisHair was an extra in 'Willow Smith's - I whip my hair' video #TeamZambia

@stretchdj #MampisHair has its own diary session #TeamZambia

@stretchdj #MampisHair could feed a family of 6 for, I dunno, the better part of eternity :)

@stretchdj #MampisHair ghost wrote "Swilili"

@stretchdj the purchase of #MampisHair triggered a week of mayhem on the Lusaka Stock Exchange

@stretchdj #MampisHair has its own website

@stretchdj #MampisHair is the GDP of Malawi

@stretchdj hey @kryticismusic lets start a TT #MampisHair
  
5:24 PM - 10 May 12 via web · Details

Stretch's Life Instruction Manual

[first published in August 2009]

1. Carry these important instructions with you wherever you go

2. Playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas into the wee hours of the morning is not a good idea if you have work the following day.
But if you really have to play it, include lots of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Camstar and Slapdee

4. Know where and how to get a SIM Replacement...

5. Know how to say "Give me a cigarette" in at least 10 different languages

6. Never EVER say thank you afterward... that's just rude

7. There is never an excuse to NOT wear socks

8. If you ever have to attend to the call of nature and discover yourself without tissue or newspaper... sacrifice your socks...

9. Look right, look left, look right again...

10. If it's yellow and it has a mustache, it just wants your money

11. People have much better things to do than talk about you...

12. Never buy weed that's already been rolled. It's probably not weed.

13. If you ever want to succeed, you actually have to work at it.

14. If she dumps you, spend a year winning her heart back. After you get her back dump her the following week

15. Do it right now. Not tomorrow

16. Send all your uncles and aunties a text every two weeks.

17. Profit ni profit

18. If you're going to talk to a guy or girl you like, brush your teeth thoroughly .

19. Never fart when you're alone in an elevator. You will be gravely embarrassed at the next stop.

20. Don't argue with the conductor

21. Ten pin can solve almost any problem imaginable.

22. No matter how round and appealing it looks, don't grab it. You will lose your job or go to jail

23. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west

24. There's some words you just shouldn't say. Especially when you are drunk.

25 . Save water. If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

26. Warm clothing in cold weather. Self explanatory

27. Expect lots of negativity from around you as your successes begin to stack up

28. Know your bartender by first name.

29. Build a strong friendship with your superiors. Teachers, bosses, religious leaders, parents and senior family members.

30. If you don't know what you're talking about, you don't necessarily need to shut up. Just keep making your audience feel small and stupid. This is also the first rule of Stretch's Guide to Propaganda. But we shall tackle this another week.

31. There are some phone numbers you must always keep in your head. These include your significant other( spouse, girl/boyfriend), your parents, and a friend who is most likely to be holding a large quantity of cash on his person at any given time. Please note that this last individual is the most important person in your life. He is the difference between spending a weekend in jail and resuming a great night on the town.

32. There IS actually a cure for the common cold. It's 10 little yellow pills known as Piriton and they can be bought for as little as K500.

33. Size matters.

34. Dry lips aren't sexy.

35. Dancing alone in a nightclub doesn't mean you will die alone. It just means you're not the best dancer.

36. Make up for your shortcomings with mastery of your strengths

37. Not matter how much you shake and dance, the last drop always ends up in your pants. (Andrew Adams, thanks!)

38. You don't need to watch the game. Just find out the half time score, final score, and the scorers. Everyone will be fooled.

39. The herd is probably headed to an abattoir, en masse. You don't have to follow.

40. You don't need drugs, movies, alcohol, or novels to escape reality. Just good old-fashioned daydreaming.

41. Breakfast. Non-negotiable

42. Delicacy is another way of spelling gag reflex.

43. If you have to dumb down when talking to your significant other, the relationship is destined for failure.

44. If you walk from Kabwe roundabout to Kafue roundabout and complain of fatigue at any point, you are either very lazy or a very spoilt brat. Or, God forbid, both.

45. Just pay.

46. Never harbour a grudge against your closest friends. Get it in the open. Argue and fight about it. Then move on with life.

47. Ignoring phone calls is rude.

48. The easiest way of doing it is often the most boring way. Challenge and excite yourself.

N.B. There is no number 3.  I don't need to give a reason, there just isn't.

A Quick Note on Journalism

I feel its worth mentioning in passing the falling standards of journalism.  I have worked in the private media for a little while, and I'm fairly familiar with the workings of the profession.

One of my biggest concerns are the lack of originality in reporting in our media.  I always get the impression that there's a template that all students are given on their first day of journalism class on how to write a news item. 

How many times have you heard the following?

"Scores of Lusaka resident today witnessed..."

"Republican President ..."

"Works at [insert name of company] today ground to a halt when [specify problem]..."

"Police in [insert city name] have arrested ...."

"The Drug Enforcement Comission (D.E.C)..."

(really, what's the point of mentioning an acronym of an organisation we are all familiar with? FAZ is another victim)

Thats just a handful of the opening lines that make me cringe everytime I hear them.

I'm also very worried about what seems to me like unobjective reporting from the Zambian Watchdog . Watchdog needs to realise they are one of the very few online publications and Zambians in the diaspora rely on them almost daily for accurate news from back home.  I really have doubts as to these claims:

Who we are
The Zambian Watchdog is owned by private Zambian journalists.
What we do
We publish breaking news on Zambia and about Zambia on a 24 hour basis. We also publish investigative special reports. At times we aggregate news carried by local media.
Our guiding principle
We write news regardless of who or what the subject is. We fear no one. We favour no one.

Like I said earlier, I have interacted with journalists like Costa Mwansa, David Bweupe, Joe Chilaizya and Alexander Musokotwane.  I wonder what their opinions on Watchdog are. 


In the same vein, the grammatical and spelling errors in our newspapers and online publications are really a crying shame.  I'm really not trying to nit-pick but its embarassing to us as a nation to have such glaring errors in daily national papers. 

There's my 2 ng'wee

State of the [Hip-Hop] Nation pt. 1

A historian or musicologist can walk you through the origins of the hip-hop genre in the Republic of Zambia.  I however, am no historian or musicologist.  I'm simply an opinionated former DJ/producer.  As such I won't talk about the journey so much as our current destination.

It would be nearly impossible to write a piece on local hip-hop without acknowledging the contribution of C.R.I.$.I.S aka Mr. Swagger.  At a time when few dreamt of making a career of music, let alone hip-hop, Mr. Katongo was on his grind.  The results?  A CV filled with accolades, globe trotting adventures and some solid albums under his belt.

Which brings us to a critical talking point: C.R.I.$.I.S raps in English.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Or so you'd think.  However, for a reason that is very hard to understand, English rappers have not been wholly embraced in Zambia.  Its an old story, but I feel its worth mentioning for the sake of seeking a solution to the problem.  You'd hear Rick Ross playing in a random barbershop in Kamanga, or a blue bus blaring Nicki Minaj on Great East Road.  Your chances of hearing Zone Fam from the pre-Ndine Chikali era?  Nix.  Fancy slotting into a token and spinning something from the late Soosh Matix?  Think again.  Wanna listen to something from the Juggernauts on your favourite afternoon drive time show?  Chances are, your favourite DJ has only a vague idea who or what the Juggernauts are.

And thats just the reality.  As I alluded to in my tweets on Thursday evening, Zambia is endowed with a multitude of naturally gifted rappers.  Lyrically and poetically (wait, is there a difference?) the likes of Skrypted and K.R.Y.T.I.C  could give any MC on this planet a serious run for their money.  The diminutive Klappa Heiz  has one of THE most convincing deliveries I've ever heard.  That deep rumble from the litttle man makes you want to shit yourself with fear.  Like he's gonna jump out ya speakers and strangle you.  We have the likes of K-Star who, I'm told, can freestyle for hours on end.  Non-stop. the list just goes on and on and on

Looking though at the mainstream, we find an encouraging picture.  The wealth of rappers who can spit in vernacular is impressive.  Credit of course must be given to the founding fathers of the vernac game; the Leo Muntus and Masta Flows of this world.  They opened up the doors for generation 'D' referring of course to the two (literally) big ones: Tommy and Slap.  At a time when we didnt think a rap song in Nyanja would ever sound right, those two burst onto the scene in late 2005.  The game hasn't really been the same since. There was of course the infamous debate as to who stole who's style, and we can talk about that till the cows come home. But we won't.  Hoofed quadrupeds aside, I think that particular argument was simply too close to call.  And this far down the line, its hardly relevant, seeing as one of them has ceased to be musically relevant as of this writing.  But I digress.  The Slapdee/Tommy D feud sparked a surging interest in hip-hop.  Now every kid had a dream of being the next chart topper.  Radio stations began to take notice and our modern hip-hop era was born.  And it brought Alpha Romeo, LB, Zone Fam, J.O.B, Bobby East, Brisky,  etc etc etc etc.

I'm always asked about my opinion of Macky 2.  I here for the first time for the record, I give it.  The man is pretty impressive.  He has certainly brought a certain breath of fresh air into the game.  His rhyming and pattern is solid, his hooks catchy and he has the very handy ability to sing, rap and produce under different stage names.  I struggle to think of anything negative to say about his artistic ability.  Shockingly he's a pretty quiet and soft-spoken guy in person the few occasions I've met him.  

Bringing us to the other Kaira brother, Chef 187.  It isn't everyday I'm blown out of the water by one particular artists, but I will admit I was very impressed the first time I heard him.  What i particular love is how he daringly went and explored rap in Bemba, which is previously almost unexplored territory.  I forsee a bright future for him.

Camstar continues to impress.  I think he is best placed to really make it big locally, as he's a beast on either side of the linguistic fence.  Bemba, Nyanja, English, Cam will spit it, sometimes in the same verse.  By his own admission he isn't much of a punchliner, but his wordplay and storytelling abilities are certainly above par.  In my very humble opinion, for now, the crown is effectively his.  Its just that the general public don't know it yet.  You'll see, and you'll tell me I was right after all.

For now, I'll let you digest this all.  When we come back with part 2, I'll be critiquing our current star(lets) and telling you who to look out for the future, and the contribution of third non-rapping parties to the game.  And we'll wrap up with the bigger picture of African and global hip-hop and where we may slot in.

Stay blessed!