Musical instruments in Zambia: guitar

Musical instruments in Zambia: guitar. We came across one guitar in Chibale until 2004, but no one knew how to play it. Since 2004, there are several guitars. Listen to Song 3 for an example of guitar playing.

A part of the song Malimbe fi alila kwa Chibale by Joseph Nyendwa, 2009.[/mfn]

Text of Malimbe fi alila kwa Chibale

Malimbe fi alila kwa Chibale             How the music sounds in Chibale
Yalila bwino bama                               It sounds well, mother
Waiyo bama                                         Waiyo, mother
Cifundaulo cila ee                                It only disturbs the dance gathering

Mwebaume ba Chola/ ba Mika/        My friend Chola/ Mika/
/BanaKabamba balabila                    /Mrs Kabamba has said it
Naluba icamposa mu filimba            I don’t know what drove me to music
Nemwine nali nine mboni                  On my word, I was a Witness
Nemwine nine citawala                      I was a Watchtower

Kambasanga balikele/ baleshana      I found them seated/ dancing
Yalila bwino bama                                It sounds well, mother
Waiyo bama                                          Waiyo, mother
Icinfundawila mu cila ee                     Disturber of the dance gathering

Guitar playing in Serenje District

Musical instruments in Zambia: guitar. In the 1980s, amplified and electric guitars were played in Serenje district, but not in Chibale, by a few kalindula bands.

      Photo 78 Serenje Kalindula

   
The cover of the LP Elo Yalila by Serenje Kalindula, 1987.

One of them made it at national level: Serenje Kalindula (Band), one of the founding bands of Zambian kalindula. Listen to the guitar playing on their song Ka nshambala.

A fragment of the guitar playing on the track Ka nshambala by Serenje Kalindula (Band), 1988.1A track from their album Elo Yalila (Teal Recording Company).

Text of Ka nshambala by Serenje Kalindula (Band) They have poisoned me

Ba Saimani nalema nebo – Mama lelo
Ba Vic wesu nafwa kale – Mama lelo
Mpeniko muyanda nalema nebo – Mama lelo
Nafwa tubambe twambaba kale – Mama lelo
Batata wandi bambaba nebo – Mama lelo

Saimani, I am tired – Mother, today
Vic, my friend, I am long dead – Mother, today
Give me some medicines, I am tired – Mother, today
I am long dead because the tubambe plants have hurt me – Mother, today
My dear father, they have poisoned me – Mother, today

Saimani Kaseba was the leader and Victor Shakwenda a member of the band. Kwa Ka nshambala is a drinking place. The song seems to allude to acts of jealousy or witchcraft that threaten the band.

The local kalindula bands in the district, as those in Chibale, used self-made banjos and large basses. There was no electricity nor money to buy (electric) guitars or amplifiers. The patterns played on the electric guitar in ‘electric’ kalindula and those on the banjo in local kalindula differ. See also the sections on the audibility of the banjo and the adaptive playing style of the babatoni in acoustic kalindula music.

Musical instruments in Zambia: guitar. Before the coming of kalindula, acoustic guitar had been played in Serenje district, or at least by people coming from the district. This becomes clear from the recordings Hugh Tracey made in the 1950s. As an example, here is a fragment of Iuwale, played by Mbasela Kunda and William Munyanda.

Example of guitar playing from Serenje District in the 1950s. A song, Iuwale-o-iuwale, accompanied by guitar performed by Mbasela Kunda and William Munyanda, recorded by Hugh Tracey in 1957.2On http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=40162.

Text of Yuwale ∵ 

Yuwale oo yuwale maminsa  –  Yuwale oo yuwale
Yuwale oo yuwale maminsa Yumba  –  Yuwale oo yuwale
Bamukanana nshiliwo

Kusangana balyupa kale bamuka cibinda
Kamukutika mangwinwi pe shilya lya bemba
Banyina mwana ati ukamubenge

Twali nakabinda ee

Footnotes

  • 1
    A track from their album Elo Yalila (Teal Recording Company).
  • 2
    On http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=40162.

IJzermans, Jan J. (2025) Amalimba. Music and related dance, text & ritual in one African region. https://amalimba.org/musical-instruments-in-zambia-guitar/

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