 
Somehow in the 1980s, when "World Beat" first caught on in the West we fans thought it would sweep everything up in a tidal wave. Places we'd barely heard of -- like Zambia -- suddenly disgorged their great musical secrets and held us in thrall. Just as suddenly I had a Zambian section (of ten discs!) in my library. Until 1964 Zambia was half of Rhodesia along with what became Zimbabwe. A vast landlocked country with 73 ethnic groups, Zambian music was heavily influenced by its neighbours, particularly the Congolese rumba. Hugh Tracey recorded Zambian miners songs in 1957 and these were reissued as FROM THE COPPERBELT on Original Music. George Sibanda was the best-known Zambian artist from this early era. Alick Nkhata was another pioneer of the Zambian pop scene during this time. His 1952 hit "Taxi Driver" and 16 other hits were collected on SHALAPO by RetroAfric in 1991. President Kenneth Kaunda, a musician himself, decreed in the 1970s that 90% of the music played on the radio should be homegrown. This did a lot to boost national self-esteem and stem the creeping rumba tide. In the early 80s the traditional kalindula rhythm from the Copperbelt was adopted to pop music and became a national sound. This coincided with technical developments when the Roland corporation of Los Angeles, who manufactured Dr Rhythm, the first popular drum machine, introduced the Boss Flanger. No one to my knowledge has discussed the impact of these effects pedals on African popular music but for me the sweet sweeping sound of the flanger is closely identified with East African music of the 1980s. In the mid-80s Nachil Pichen Kazembe (who had returned from working in Nairobi) became a big star, his hits resonating in Kenya and Tanzania with a distinctive Zambian sound that lay, appropriately, midway between Mapfumo's mbira-based lilting ballads and the rocking rumbas of Franco & OK Jazz, though more akin to Kenyan music than either, to my ears. WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) in Bristol discovered Amayenge and Shalawambe in 1988 and issued SHANI! a fabulous compilation from the Teal Records catalogue including "Lelo Baleisa" by Amayenge, Alfred Chisala Kalusha's "Basumbula" and "Kamusisi" by Shalwambe, all of which were smash hits in the small world I inhabit. 1989 was the great year of Zambian music. Amayenge did a session for John Peel (issued on Strange Fruit) which included the instant hit "Free Nelson Mandela"; Globestyle issued ZAMBIANCE! as ORB 37, also from the Teal Records catalogue; and the London-based Mondeca label went one step beyond issuing ZAMBIA!! (with two exclamation points), a compilation, along with three glorious LPs by Amayenge, Masasu Band, and Shalawambe's classic SAMORA MACHEL. Then predictably, things dried up for the next fifteen years. Now the torch has been picked up by Sharp Wood Productions, the estimable Netherlands label who are steadily working through the Hugh Tracey material but have taken time off for some other gems produced by Michael Baird. Baird points out that the breakneck rhythms are played on the drums, allowing the other instruments to drag a bit, seeming more laid-back, although they are also frequently playing at top speed. Most interestingly, he points out that the bass guitar is the lead instrument (just as in traditional Zambian music the lowest drum has the lead). The bassist also plays an octave-spanning style that creates a zooping busyness that propels the rest of the musicians. There are two cuts from Amayenge; among the other bands I had only heard of Julizya. The songs were chosen for topical or political lyrics which are explained in detail. Baird mentions that after inflation, piracy and the toll taken by AIDS, the Zambian music industry collapsed in 1993 with the closure of the Teal record plant. Another sad tale, but here's a chance to hear some vibrant and significant music that will warm the cockles of your heart. -- Doctor Rhythm
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ZAMBUSH VOL 1