Paddy Mukando

From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
Paddy Mukando
Paddy Mukando.jpg
OccupationSinger
TV & Radio Presenter
Master of Ceremony

Paddy Mukando is a Zambian radio and TV presenter, singer, voice over artist and Master of Ceremony.

Education and career

He went to St. Paul's Secondary School, Mulungushi and later went to study at the University of Zambia.

In 2004, Mukando joined Radio Phoenix as a newscaster, then presented “Let the People Talk”, “Face the Media”, “Sleep Zone”, “Barclays” and Insurance.

Singing career

Mukando started singing in a cover-band with his siblings while living in Mansa in the 1970s. At the time there was no television signal in Mansa and as a form of entertainment the Mukando kids “grabbed pots and brooms – brooms would be guitars and the pots would be drums and sang Archies songs and Jackson Five songs for their parents.[1]

Other than performing with his siblings, Paddy has almost exclusively sung in church until April 2013 when Peter Langmead asked him to perform in the first Zambian opera, Damyna Damyna at Lusaka Playhouse, which was produced by OperaZ. Paddy accepted and begun his opera career. He has since performed in an opera review.[1]

Heritage Singers

Mukando was part of the pioneer contemporary gospel group called the Heritage Singers. The group was formed by musical academician, John Mwesa, and became Zambia's flag bear at local and international music festivals. The group recorded and released a single with the then president Dr Kenneth Kaunda. This was the president's composition, Tiyende Pamodzi.[2]

Among their notable achievements was representing Zambia during the Commonwealth Expedition (Comex) in 1985 which was hosted by Zambia.[2]

The choir under the directorship of John Mwesa, Dennis Mwesa and Paddy Mukando occasionally regroups for special performances and is also remembered for the song "Wonderful COMESA" an anthem they were hired to do for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).[2]

References

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