ALFRED TEMBO
COMPETING modern musical styles storming the industry are chocking every effort to revive Kalindula, a Zambian traditional genre says Joseph Shumba popularly known as Ambuya.
The contemporary rising musician has pleaded with cultural leaders and policy makers to provide deliberate guidance to help preserve the rich cultural values and primitive ways of Zambian people.
Mr. Shumba has set pace on the attempt to preserve the music genre through dramatic on stage performances accompanied by spellbinding lyrics, he said were channelled towards restoring the traditional music but without success.
He explains that against all tides inspiring texture, catchy lyrics and quality, modern music was too competitive and irrestiable that Zambia needs to guard it’s heritage without fail.
“Music from foreign countries is sweeping hearts of the young people. Much of this music is coming from Europe, East and West Africa.
“The country needs aggressive cultural agents from among the young people for them not to betray their home traditions and the expense of new trends. The old people are tired and they are looking up to the young,” said Ambuya.
Authentic Kalindula music originated from swampy fertile land of Luapula province whose pride and praise lies in the chain of beaches, beautiful wildlife and a series of islands often potrayed in the poetic rhythm of the genre which resonates well with much of Zambian folklores.
The songs were popularly sung during times of cebrations, weddings, funerals and often played without intruments accompanied by clapping. In the modern ways the music obtained a new flavour coated with match beats.
Ambuya said, “We need to appreciate what we have before it is lost. And the best can be done by our traditional leaders and policy makers through deliberate strategies centred on enhancing policies we have in place and revise them to match continuous changing times. In my opinion to preserve out tradition we should have them embroided in our education system.”
The world strongest cultures we best modelled to influence the weak societies and Zambian needs such approaches.
“Had it not been internet, we all could have been worlds apart but the changing times are here and we should respond as a country accordingly.
“The dominnce of Nigerian and Indian cultures in our systems is purely attributed to the countries’ strong will on developing unbreakable policies on education and preservation on their ways by documenting them in film form.
“Zambia should learn from these world lessons too,” He said.
