But Tonga musicians have now made it; why are Lozi musicians still cry-baby whining?

But Tonga musicians have now made it; why are Lozi musicians still cry-baby whining?



By Austin Mbozi

Lozi language speakers must aggressively sing and spread Lozi music so that their language spreads to non-Lozi ethnic regions.

Why are these ‘mbuye’ cousins of nine so cowardly ‘kanshi’? It had to take me a Tonga man whom they say we’re ‘shishita’ (sleepy) to write/allow them to  phone-in to ZNBC/other media English programmes whenever Bemba/Nyanja speakers phone there. This was in my article, ‘Warning to ZNBC’s Margaret Chisulo; stop M’membe’s Post’s ‘‘Bemba national language’’ rhetoric’ (The Mast, June 3 and June 10 2024).  Yet the Bemba/Nyanjas are still phoning-in but the Lozi are seated ‘ndwii’, not phoning.

Tonga is currently the fastest spreading language because its ‘chuundu’ music has entered the Lusaka and Copperbelt urban markets, and beyond. Chuundu music now has bigtime names like Mr  Crown (singer of the global trending ‘don’t go away’),  Kadas, Tiger Tonka, Mapik, Loud Cry (gospel), Mpande, Black Mark (‘ndime chiminya’), Spy Dollar etc. Within Southern Province, Bemba/Nyanja music is losing so much ground that even the traditionally Bemba/Nyanja language singers like General Kanene, Yo Maps etc have joined veterans JK, Angela Nyirenda, Saboi Imbolela etc in code-mixing or co-featuring with Tonga language singers. Kings Malembe Malembe! When will you sing in Tonga to thank me for learning Bemba through my love for your beats?

Until recently, Tonga music was shunned. In 2006,  Post newspaper music columnist Elvis Zuma wondered why Tonga singing musician Mashombe Blue Jeans was dominating Tonga speaking regions but not spreading to non-Tonga ones. I replied in my book, ‘Language Politics in Zambia’ (2018, p 128), by citing how my then musician-student in my course on ethnic unity Saboi Imboela complained that recording studios were reluctant to record Tonga/Lozi music as ‘hard to sell’; but added that she proved them wrong with her Tonga language hit, ‘ngoyu genteleman’. When I wrote-replied to Zuma that Tonga music spread faced hardships because Nyanja/ Bemba speakers disliked the Tonga language itself, he disagreed; arguing that it was the quality of Tonga/Lozi songs that needed improving (The Post, 16 June 2006). I think he felt that the ‘banjo’ instrument of Mashombe and  Green Mamba,  and the ‘ngoma’ drums of Nsabata (President HH’s hero) needed replacing with the kinds of modern equipment used by Tonga singing veteran Smokey Haangala but without losing  that ‘chuundu’ traditional beat. I personally, and many Zambians across ethic groups, love ‘banjo’ music. This is as seen by the popularity of Green Mamba’s hit ‘ikabanjo’ and Chester’s ‘banjo’. Anyway Tonga music has balanced itself along Zuma’s suggestions. And non-Tonga’s now love it. 

Here are lessons which Lozis can learn from Tongas in promoting music. First, promoters must help competitors within Western Province. Barotse Band (singers of ‘litilimba’) and of that Rasta who sang ‘kinako’ need competitors. Tonga musicians dominated their region by out-competing each other at annual concerts sponsored by Radio Chikuni of the Catholic Church. Ironically, this same Catholic Church nearly had its Western Province–based Oblate  Radio Liseli kicked out for allegedly promoting Bemba/Nyanja languages. How far is it promoting Lozi music?

Lozi music will not spread outside Western Province if it does not first dominate there. Like Tonga music, all music spreads after dominating their regions. American music first dominated America, South African ‘kwaito’, ‘amapiano’ etc first dominated South Africa and Nigerian ‘Afro-beat’ first dominated Nigeria. Active Lozi language speakers in Zambia alone are 1.8 million (9.1 per cent of Zambia’s population). Then add Lozi ‘hearers’ in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. A musician capturing all these can become rich; then spread himself/herself by getting show invitatations from Lozi speaking communities living in Lusaka, Coppberbet, Southern provinces, abroad etc. His/her Lozi audiences will go with non-Lozi funs. Unfortunately, the few times I visited Western Province nightclubs I found dwellers dancing ‘chikokoshi’ to Lingala/Bemba/Nyanja music. They need not ban Nyanja/Bemba language music as attempted by the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in January 2007.  For a while, president Mobutu Seseseko spread Congolese rhumba by banning foreign music from his Congo DR/Zaire, this cannot work in the modern world because other regions can also ban Lozi music. So, just out-sell non-Lozi music. The Tonga musicians succeeded by first capturing the 3.1 million active Tonga speakers in Zambia (15.6 per cent of Zambia’s population).

Secondly, Lozi musicians must dress up modernly/expensively in their music videos. Have you ever seen a Lingala singing Congolese musician dressed shaggy like my ‘mbuye’ Lozi ‘politician’ Alex Muliokela? People do not like reality. They will associate with musicians who will associate their culture/language with the fantasy of elite appearance, even when that culture’s people are still dominantly backward. May those who live in Southern Province tell us. Does Tiger Tonka, Black Mark or Kadas live as expensively as Chester? They look so expensive on videos! Of course, they are past the level of eating village ‘mabisi’ (sour milk) mixed with ‘magwaza’ (boiled grains) for lunch. But do they really eat like Yo Maps? Whatever the case, their elite dressing helped promote Tonga music. Have you seen videos how kids from wealthy urban families sing those Tonga phases alone with Mr Crown in his live shows? Well, it is because he dresses expensively.

Thirdly, wealthy middle class urban  Lozis must buy/listen to Lozi music. Do you know that that ‘ka’ unique dance of President HH demonstrates Tonga/Ila pride to look like cows? Oh yes! He stoops forward, shaping his arms to look like cow horns! Angela Nyirenda told me she sang in Tonga because Tonga elites dominate Tonga music in their cars. It was no surprise that at Nsabata’s (Austin Mwiinga’s) funeral President HH attended/donated cows for the late musician’s children. Do elite Lozis like minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, South Africa–based professor Sitwala Imenda, or ZNBC presenter Innocent Kalaluka proudly dance to ‘malimba’ instrument in a ‘hopani’ (crocodile) style?



The author is the writer of linguistic/ethnic uniting book, ‘Language Politics in Zambia’ (2018). Email: austin.mbozi2017@gmail.com