My parents divorced when I was 4, I began my singing from the church choir, shared Dandy Krazy
BORN and raised in Wusakile Compound in Kitwe district on the Copperbelt, Wesley Moses Chibambo popularly known as Dandy Krazy’s journey began from humble beginnings to national stardom and captured the hearts of many.
He attended Kalela Primary School, where he excelled academically despite challenging circumstances after his parents divorced when he was just four years old, and was raised by his elder sister, alongside his twin siblings, in an environment of immense hardship, a story he shared with Diamond TV before his sudden demise.
Dandy Krazy’s father, a musician fondly known as “Bashi Mpundu,” in his compound instilled in him a love for music that would shape his future.
He started singing at his church as a tenor in the “Jesus Choir” at a young age, and Dandy’s natural talent for music and dance began to shine.
Drawing inspiration from Congolese rhythms and later expanding into R&B and other genres, he built a reputation as one of Zambia’s most dynamic reggae performers.
He recounted his moments in high school, including falling in love, adding that he was never a known pupil at his school aside amongst his class mates.
“I was not popular in school because I was not participating in alot of clubs aside from Jets and debate but I was known in my class because I was a noise maker. I had a crush in my class and I never used to miss school because of her. I would escort her to school but I never got a chance to tell her. Until we finished grade 12. My first relationship was when I was 21 years I completed my grade 12 a virgin,” he recalled.
Despite his rise to fame, Dandy never forgot his roots.
He often spoke about his struggles growing up, including the family’s annual Christmas meal of chicken, which was considered a luxury at the time.
“After my parent’s divorce, my mom remarried in Malawi while my dad went back to the village. I was only four, my immediate siblings who were twins were just in theirs diapers while my elder sister was six. My father would come to visit my siblings and I once in a while until he died when I was in grade 11. I still miss him and I would have loved him to see me successful and see that Dandy Krazy has done a lot of good things in this country,” he shared.
His commitment to his family was something he never let go, as the eldest man of nine siblings, he worked tirelessly to uplift them from poverty, ensuring their education and well-being.
Despite the music fame,Dandy remained a devoted brother, sponsor, and mentor to his family. “I promised to remove my family from the village, and I did,” he said with pride.
“We are very close with my siblings and I would tell them that I would one day remove them from the village one day where they went after our parent’s divorce until I removed them all. We are nine and 8 of them are here. My immediate young brother is working in Mapani, the other one is working as a lecturer in Ndola, I sponsored his education, the other one is at my lodge while my other two sisters, I’m still sponsoring them in school we are so much close together as a family,” Dandy added.
Dandy Krazy was more than just a musician. He was a symbol of hope and perseverance.
He encouraged young youths aspiring for success never neglect hard work and education.
“What I would like to tell younger people is that life is not as easy as it may look like. You need to work hard. People can call me a Satanist today, but my family doesn’t call me that because they have seen me improve my life every day and work hard. You can’t call me a Satanist if you never called me poor then. Also, you need to get an education, but not getting one doesn’t have to hinder you from success as you can still make it in life,” he encouraged.
Married to his wife of 15 years, he leaves behind a family of four children, three daughters and a son, Dandy died on Thursday, January 2, 2024 a day after he was involved in a road traffic accident in Kapiri Mposhi together with his crew while he was on his way for a new year’s eve performance in Kitwe.
A celebration of his life will be held tomorrow at the Lusaka Show grounds tomorrow Burial will follow at Lusaka’s Memorial Park.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba January 5, 2025