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few weeks ago, on this space, I shared my views on the current popular song Kwa George by Zambian B1.
It is a song which is trending, which has also attracted some interest and debate to an extent. Without surprise, my entry also attracted some notable reactions. This week, I am, therefore, compelled to share some feedback I received from Nischelle Chirwa.
This, I will do, not in the spirit of trying to drag the debate, but to share what I feel are some moving thoughts on the song and music in general. This is what I got, verbatim.
Hi Brian,
I read your article about the song and this is what I think about it:
I am an avid listener to music and I have been told that I listen to too much of it sometimes.
Music is a powerful tool and sometimes I think that its importance is overlooked.
I think music is not taken seriously as it should. Speaking about music being a powerful tool you said how this song is making people spend money like crazy and also at the expense of families even falling apart because of it.
I mean look at it this way: if a father decides to go out and drink whether with his buddies or alone, he might out of the hype of the song overspend on booze or something and in the end his kids at home may end up not having food.
Personally I have not heard the song but the fact that it came out in January and its only hitting the airwaves now is something that is crazy.
You are right by saying it’s strange no single Malawian came across the song when it just came out and yet there are sites that offer free Zambian music.
I completely agree with you when you say that Malawian musicians have slow music instincts.
I listen to Zambian music 99 percent of the time and the music young people are producing from Zambia can’t compare to what comes out here. I have a good ear to some extent when it comes to music.
When I listen to music I do not just listen to the beat but I also listen to how everything was done individually. The reason why I love to listen to Zambian music is because of how the music is done and most importantly they do not copy the trends out there.
Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with an artist being inspired by an artist but to imitate wholesale without adding your own element or flair that for me makes the music boring.
I stand to be corrected but something that I have noted when it comes to Zambian music is that they are in a league of their own.
This is what I believe has made them succeed in the industry. I feel like this whole thing of copying has made local music not to go too far.
On the local scene I feel like Lulu (I am actually listening to his song Hanna as I write this) and Pastor David Kalilani do it well and they are in a league of their own.
Also their lyrical content is mature, especially for Pastor David Kalilani.
You are also right by saying that when it comes to music we don’t care about the lyrical content but as long as the song has a good beat and rhythm it will get people dancing and that is all that matters.
A good example I can give is Chilawe by Black Nina featuring Nepman.
When the song was at its prime we heard the song at weddings, bridal showers, etc and yet the song has swearing words in it.
That in itself begs a lot of questions too.
Thanks for your insightful thoughts Nischelle. I hope you will write again. n
