CQ, Familia sweep Born & Bred Awards

Just over four years ago, two boys sparked off a friendship by e-mail. Living in the cities two different countries at the time, in the missives exchanged they updated each other on the latest information with concerns to the music worlds they lived in. This would continue for a year until they eventually met each other.

Chilu with his sister Sepo and his late mother.

"I had just done two years of with a popular Christian Community Radio station, when we first got in touch with each other. Chilu was and still is passionate about contemporary Zambian music. I firmly believe that he would feel like he had lost a part of his identity if the genre (Contemporary Zambian Music) ceased in its existence. He would probably pick a recorder and go on a global search seeking what ever remnant of it there might still be." he suggests.

There in lays, probably one of the few things that drive this man. Not just his love for music, but also his die hard love for the modern Zambian sound. An attempt to trace the roots for this passion would probably be futile. But then again maybe his mother recalls the first time she probably caught him banging his hand on the table in time with a radio jingle. After all mothers have been known to keep the strangest of secret memories.

What we can be sure of though, is that no matter what it's origins maybe Chilu's love for music has fed it self off a good variety of influences picked off his journey through life thus far. For instance, some will surely re-call the hook off the popular "Shibuka" that appears on Mondo Music's "Rhythm Nation - Volume 1"

Abena Africa, bengile mukati
Batulange efyo bashana
Kamale nomba twaya.
Kamale yoyo, kamale yoyo, kamale yoyo, kamale nomba twaya} x2

Chilu in a Radio Phoenix studio

What is amazing is that he would only pen the song "Shibuka", many years later after having met and chatted with Norman Cook of the British pop group Beats International. The Beats, as they were fondly called, had come to Zambia in 1991 by invitation of the British Council. To claim that they had performed to an excited crowd of young Zambian's at that year's event of the annual Zambia Agriculture Show would be an understatement. The crowd was hungry for them.

To the fortune of many aspiring musician's, Beats International, held a music workshop during their short stay in the country. Norman, who would later be known as the world renowned and multi-award winning DJ/Producer "Fat Boy Slim", advised the young legion of admirers attending this workshop to pick on elements of the culture that immediately surrounded them and simply add a contemporary feel to whatever they found. In that room, listening attentively were Chilu, Choice Fm Jock Tivo "T.I.V.O." Shikapwasha, Kelvin Sampa and Sidiq.

The journey he would embark from then on would see him involved with legendary Lusaka rap crew "Man X" and a successful association with Alan "DJ Life" Mvula who is now considered the father of Zambian rap.

Partnering with Alan was an adventure. With "Zambia Moto", a song he penned, on Zambia's Radio Mulungushi and two trips to perform in Johannesburg South Africa, one would have thought Chilu had decided to take on the career path leading to stardom as a musical show man. Not one to be satisfied with routine Chilu decided to take a break from the stage at the very beggining of 1996, joining the then start-up radio station "Radio Phoenix". Still passionate about music, he used this very opportunity to broaden his taste for music, learning to switch between Rock, Soul, Kalindula and Tribal House with such amazing ease, you'd think he had kept a movie sound track compilation on rotation during any one of his radio shows.

"Radio," Chilu will often confess, " is still my first love."

He has numerous stories to share of the fun times he has had at Radio Phoenix. In 1999, though he would resign from Radio Phoenix and journey further south of continent and assume studies at South Africa's AAA School of Advertising but not having at least become Station Manager during his time there. It is sometime in the very same four years at Phoenix that he met Carol, his lovely wife.

A true genial spirit at heart Chilu continues to take on the challenges and opportunities that come his way. Where his road continues to lead to, one can never tell. Never less, you know it's some place great. He is currently a Project Manager with Young & Rubicam - Gitam, one of South Africa's leading advertising agencies and a founding team member of the Zambian Youth Culture E-Zine: Brokenhill.Co.Zm, where we gladly enjoy his association.

Team Brokenhill congratulates Chilu Lemba on his recent marraige to Carol Madekurozwa. May they share many years together.

Chilu and Carol Lemba

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