Traditional music and dance
In Zambia, there are at least as many musical and choreographic traditions as there are ethnic groups. There are just over 70, generally grouped according to the main language families: Bemba, Tonga, Nyanja, Luvale-Mbunda, Lozi and Kaonde.
While music and dance are generally used to transmit or entertain, they often have a therapeutic role in Zambia. For example, the Tumbuka people practice vimbuza, a ritual organized to heal people possessed by spirits. While it is performed by both men and women, only the women - and the village children - are allowed to surround the "patient. The men, on the other hand, beat the rhythm on special drums while the circle gradually goes into a trance and sings songs to call upon the protective spirits. Vimbuza is still practiced in the rural areas where the Tumbuku live and the rite is listed by UNESCO.
Another dance related to spirit possession, also inscribed in UNESCO, is mooba, the main choreographic practice of the Lenje ethnic group (from the central province). When the dance reaches its peak, some of the dancers are possessed by ancestral spirits called BaChooba, and tradition has it that these spirits guide the dancing, drumming and singing. A dance of entertainment as well as healing, known to almost all adults in the group.
Also inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, the Kalela dance of the Bisa, Ngumbo and Ushi peoples is a form of entertainment performed by both men and women and punctuated by songs of call and response. During the dance itself, participants form two or three lines, moving back and forth and singing to the beat of the drum. Public performances appear at many events such as international and national celebrations or weddings and funerals.
Also, some dances are intended for social control, such as the very frenetic ndendeule, performed by Nsenga girls to warn their peers about early sexuality. In the same vein, the chisungu initiation ceremony, present in the provinces of Luapula and Muchinga, aims to prevent sexual relations before or outside of marriage, through initiations in which young girls reaching puberty participate.
Initiation practices include manchacha, a fast-paced festive music played on a set of four to five drums at weddings and ceremonies, marking the transition to adulthood for young girls, and especially the Gule Wamkulu. During a cult related to the initiation of young men into adulthood, the Gule Wamkulu is performed at the end of the proceedings to celebrate the integration of young men into adult society. It is usually performed at weddings, funerals, or the death of a chief and sees dancers wearing costumes and masks made of wood and straw, depicting wild animals or spirits. Once again, this precious practice has been inscribed on the UNESCO list.
This is also the case of the Budima dance, a choreographic practice of the Wé people (linked to Tonga) which is performed during traditional ceremonies, funerals or weddings. Inspired by war, the dance is performed with spears, whistles, flutes, ceremonial axes or shields, the men mimicking the action on the battlefield.
Finally, the last important rite, the "Makishi masquerade" is a long masked initiation ritual performed by young boys of the Tchokwe, Luvale and Luchazi peoples, intended to integrate them as adults into society.
In Zambia, there is no music without percussion. Among the most common are the maoma, a giant drum of the Lozi, theimangu, a percussion instrument of the Bemba and the kachacha, a bell instrument of the Luvale. The mbira, a thumb piano found in many African countries, is also widely used here under various names, including " kalimba.
Generally, to get a close look at Zambian musical and choreographic traditions, it is best to attend the ceremonies of the various ethnic groups. For example, the Kuomboka ceremony of the Losi people, the most famous in the country, ends in a grand evening of dancing, singing and festivities. Dances are also performed at major events such as the Mutomboko ceremony of the Lunda people of Luapula or the one called Lunda Lubanza, performed by the same group.
Popular music
Zambia's traditional music has played an important role in shaping the country's popular musical landscape. Its impact is particularly striking in groups like the Mulemena Boys and the Sakala Brothers.
The legacy of Zambian musical tradition is also at the heart of one of the country's most typical genres: kalindula. A real breakthrough in the 1980s, supported by the government's desire to encourage Zambian music (95% of the music broadcast on the radio had to be Zambian), this aesthetic is a slightly pop "electrification" of traditional music played on bass and banjos (the Zambian version of the instrument) to which percussion is added. A traditional-modern genre par excellence, kalindula orbits around folklore. For example, the Serenje Kalindula Band drew heavily on the traditions of the Lala people, while PK Chishala - considered one of the genre's greatest artists - drew heavily on Aushi mythology and sounds. Overall, the genre is overwhelmingly seen as a vehicle for national unity, with songs adopting different languages of the country and conveying positive messages of tolerance and cultural acceptance and respect.
Popular from the 1970s to the late 1990s, the genre was carried by artists such as Larry Maluma, Green Mamba, Mashombe Blue Jeans - all of whom became stars at one time or another - and the group Amayenge, which keeps the kalindula flame alive. Among the newer artists, Dominic Kakolobango has distinguished himself with his folk-blues-jazz and Congolese rumba influenced kalindula.
Every year, the best of the kalindula bands meet at the Tonga Music Festival, located in southern Zambia.
Current music
At the roots of Zambia's current music scene was "Zam-Rock". Short for "Zambian Rock & Roll", Zam-Rock emerged in the 1970s as a feverish, psychedelic, dance-oriented style. Inspired by rockers like Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple and soul legend James Brown, the genre added local influences to their style, led by artists like William Mapulanga, Stephen Tsotsi Kasumali and John Lushi. Zam-Rock has been a true counter-cultural phenomenon. The lyrics of the main bands of the genre - The WITCH, The Peace, Amanaz and Paul Ngozi for the pioneers or The Oscillations and Five Revolution or CrossBones soon after - liked to challenge the conservative aspects of society. The Story of Zamrock, a beautiful boxed set of several albums, published on the American label Now Again Records in 2020, documents very well the effervescence of this unique scene.
Another typically Zambian genre, Zed Beats (also called "zed music") appeared in the early 2000s, the term referring to all the new Zambian urban music influenced by hip-hop, dancehall, electronic music or reggae or Congolese ndombolo. Most of the time, these songs have a predominant R&B and pop flavor, infused with Zambian influences - including Kalindula. Popular Zed Beats artists include Danny, Petersen Zagaze, Runnel, Baska Baska and Exile and K'Millian. Although very male-dominated, women have managed to make a place for themselves on this scene, as evidenced by the success of Mampi and Kay Figo.
Not surprisingly, Zambia has also cultivated a hip-hop scene. More surprisingly, the genre has developed its own form called "Zed Hip-Hop". Although it was present in the country in the 1980s, hip-hop really took off in the following decade. The fall of apartheid in South Africa in 1994 brought kwaito, a rap style native to the South African townships, to Zambia. Its success was to serve as an example to young local rappers and push them to turn away from American artists like MC Hammer or Tupac Shakur to build their own identity, as their predecessors had done with Zam-Rock.
Over time, the local hip-hop scene grew to unprecedented success, led by such widely followed and listened-to artists as Macky 2 and Slap Dee. The genre has also spawned various sub-genres and styles, such as MC Wabwino, who raps with traditional nsenga styles and Congolese rumba, or kopala swag, a typical copperbelt variant, led by the famous Chief 187.
Both Zed Beats and Zed Hip-hop are characterized by fast, upbeat beats and lyrics that range from social commentary to political messages to love songs.
If rap has a counter-cultural, even subversive, image in the country, it is worth remembering that it is a female rapper who is the most internationally known Zambian artist: Sampa The Great. Born in Zambia in 1993, Sampa Tembo, her real name, has been rapping since she was very young, influenced by her idol, the American rapper Tupac Shakur. In the 2010s, she studied in the United States and then moved to Melbourne, where her career will take off. Since her first project The Great Mixtape, the artist dives into her Zambian roots to compose her music. A winning bet that allowed him to collaborate with major labels such as Ninja Tune and to open for big names such as Kendrick Lamar or Lauryn Hill.
There are few places to enjoy a good concert in Lusaka but let's mention Fox & Hound, perfect to spend a good evening with good concerts and DJ sets or Chez Ntemba, one of the most pleasant addresses of the city, with a big part of the program devoted to rumba and especially to Congolese ndombolo, but also to rap.
