Nashil Pichen Kazembe: Difference between revisions

From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia

Nashil Pichen Kazembe (view source)

Revision as of 17:57, 29 January 2017

13 bytes removed ,  29 January 2017
→‎Music career
No edit summary
Line 36: Line 36:
He went on to release two albums, ''[[A Phiri Anabwera (album)|A Phiri Anabwera]]'' and ''[[Hot Hits of Nashil Pitchen Kazembe (album)|Hot Hits of Nashil Pitchen Kazembe]]'' and had a chain of singles which included Naleli Libota, Nazangi Mwana, Merci Imbwembwe Yandi, Kasongo, Naweli Nini (swahili), Ichi tamfya Abaume (echo nshishibe), Unkhalamba simatenda, Ndelwala Love, Peace Work, Mpandileko Akabwanga, Chuma Chivuta, Ni Mwamuna Wanga Mwana, Lucia, Ba shi Maggie and Bashi Chanda.
He went on to release two albums, ''[[A Phiri Anabwera (album)|A Phiri Anabwera]]'' and ''[[Hot Hits of Nashil Pitchen Kazembe (album)|Hot Hits of Nashil Pitchen Kazembe]]'' and had a chain of singles which included Naleli Libota, Nazangi Mwana, Merci Imbwembwe Yandi, Kasongo, Naweli Nini (swahili), Ichi tamfya Abaume (echo nshishibe), Unkhalamba simatenda, Ndelwala Love, Peace Work, Mpandileko Akabwanga, Chuma Chivuta, Ni Mwamuna Wanga Mwana, Lucia, Ba shi Maggie and Bashi Chanda.


His 1974 hit "''[[aPhiri Anabwera]]''" was the first single to sell more than 50,000 units in [[Zambia]]. It was a song about Mr Phiri -  a long lost migrant worker who returns home from the city empty handed only to find that no one in his village remembers him. Pichen had earlier scored a string of hits with his [[Super Mazembe (band)|Super Mazembe]] band singing in Zambian, Congolese and Kenyan languages. Although he returned to Zambia in the 1980s and recorded a number of albums there, Kenya knows him more for his Nairobi hits. It was in Kenya that he developed his unique style of combining Zambian traditional music with Congolese, Kenyan and Southern African urban rhythms like soukous, benga music and kwela. He was also very popular in Zimbabwe.
His 1974 hit "''[[A Phiri Anabwera (album)|A Phiri Anabwera]]''" was the first single to sell more than 50,000 units in [[Zambia]]. It was a song about Mr Phiri -  a long lost migrant worker who returns home from the city empty handed only to find that no one in his village remembers him. Pichen had earlier scored a string of hits with his [[Super Mazembe (band)|Super Mazembe]] band singing in Zambian, Congolese and Kenyan languages. Although he returned to Zambia and recorded a number of albums there, Kenya knows him more for his Nairobi hits. It was in Kenya that he developed his unique style of combining Zambian traditional music with Congolese, Kenyan and Southern African urban rhythms like soukous, benga music and kwela. He was also very popular in Zimbabwe.


===Identity and origin===
Because of his fame in East Africa, most believed that Kazembe was actually Kenyan. To this date, he is known more among Kenyans than Zambias because he had settled there as early as 1958. On the other hand, because of his style of music and the way he sometimes dressed, others believed he was Congolese. A lot of his Zambian-Rhumba songs competed fiercely with original Congolese musicians such as, John Bokelo, Baba Gasto Ilunga, Dr Nico and many others.<ref name=times>[http://www.times.co.zm/?p=13182 PITCHEN KAZEMBE LEGACY LIVES ON] by Davies M. M. Chanda, [[Times of Zambia]], 7 March 2014</ref>
===Lyrical controversy===
During his visit to [[Kitwe]]’s [[Mindolo Mine Township]] on the [[Copperbelt]], he interacted with miners and this culminated into the release of a hit song, "''[[Abalumendo Ba Ku Mindolo (song)|Abalumendo Ba Ku Mindolo]]''" (Men of Mindolo), which angered them as it exposed and criticised their drinking habits, including begging and scrounging for a local brew called Kangala or Ikanga as it was better known during weekends, instead of looking for employment. The miners did not take this kindly and declared Mindolo, a no go area for Pichen as they threatened to manhandle and beat him up.<ref name=times/>
During his visit to [[Kitwe]]’s [[Mindolo Mine Township]] on the [[Copperbelt]], he interacted with miners and this culminated into the release of a hit song, "''[[Abalumendo Ba Ku Mindolo (song)|Abalumendo Ba Ku Mindolo]]''" (Men of Mindolo), which angered them as it exposed and criticised their drinking habits, including begging and scrounging for a local brew called Kangala or Ikanga as it was better known during weekends, instead of looking for employment. The miners did not take this kindly and declared Mindolo, a no go area for Pichen as they threatened to manhandle and beat him up.<ref name=times/>


Kazembe spared no one in terms of gender in his songs such as, Chilyelyelye Uleke (Uletekanya mune, ukalya nechakukulya), which attacks gluttons who might end up consuming poisonous food.
Kazembe spared no one in terms of gender in his songs such as, Chilyelyelye Uleke (Uletekanya mune, ukalya nechakukulya), which attacks gluttons who might end up consuming poisonous food.
===Identity and origin===
Because of his fame in East Africa, most believed that Kazembe was actually Kenyan. To this date, he is known more among Kenyans than Zambias because he had settled there as early as 1958. On the other hand, because of his style of music and the way he sometimes dressed, others believed he was Congolese. A lot of his Zambian-Rhumba songs competed fiercely with original Congolese musicians such as, John Bokelo, Baba Gasto Ilunga, Dr Nico and many others.<ref name=times>[http://www.times.co.zm/?p=13182 PITCHEN KAZEMBE LEGACY LIVES ON] by Davies M. M. Chanda, [[Times of Zambia]], 7 March 2014</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Retrieved from "http://www.chalochatu.org/Special:MobileDiff/12268"