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Release
Date: 6
September 2002
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Category: Zambeat
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Catalogue
No:
MZB5MC/MZB5CD
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In February
2002, Tasila Mwale was chosen as winner of the MNet Idols Zambia
competition. She beat a field of over 400 other hopefuls to win
the prize of a recording contract with Zambia's leading record
company, Mondo Music.
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Her album is called
Uchi, and it's twelve brilliant tracks show why this 18 year-old
Kitwe girl is surely a force to reckon with in Zambian music.
The production and
song-writing team on this album was made up of some of Zambia's leading
musicians such as Ballad Zulu, Joe Chibangu as well as members of Shatel
and Black Muntu. They have crafted Tasila's voice into a superb album
with a wide range of topics and musical styles that will appeal to
Zambian music lovers of all ages!
As the name suggests, Uchi
is pure sweetness.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
The album starts with a
song in which a girl cries for her man Sombo to return to
her. He went out one day and never returned. She laments of how she did
everything for him and can't understand why he left her.
Nali Mu Diga is
track #2 and is done in Nyanja with a twist of Nyanja slang. A girl
issues a warning to all the girls to stay away from her man. She loves
him so much and if anyone tries to interfere, they might come to
unpleasant happenings. When he was single, no one else wanted him, but
now that he is hers, how come he is suddenly so attractive?
Written by and
featuring Ballad Zulu, one of Zambia's leading musicians, Kiwena
Fela is a wonderful Lozi love song in which a couple declares
their love for each other. This has already become one of the most
played songs on Zambian radio and looks set to rank among the best songs
of the year.
Sunga Ichupo
is a track is done in Bemba, in which the singer is shocked that her
friend Jane suspects her of wanting to have an affair with Jane's
husband. "Keep your marriage," she advises her friend. Jane
should stop looking for problems outside her marriage and start taking
care of her husband, their children and their home. She should also stop
going out drinking, as these are the real causes of the breakdown of her
marriage.
The next track is not
only full of beautiful harmonies but also full of good advice. Written
by Black Muntu's Mwembe Chulu, Lelo follows the familiar
theme of warning us not to remember that we may not always have what we
have today. Someone who we have been laughing at may be in a better
position than us. Let us be careful how we treat people when are doing
well because they may treat us the same way when we are down.
Iwe Na Ine
is a remake of the classic 1976 smash hit by Agudu and the Afromods. The
title translates as 'You and Me.' A relationship is between two people
and involves no one else. This girl sings about how her man has been
there for her in her times of need, when everyone else had deserted her.
The two of them will make a family, solve all their problems and will
take care of each other till the end.
Next up is the funkiest
dance party song on the Uchi album. Iyaya features
upcoming rapper Queen Sheba, and has a thumping R&B beat that will
surely get revellers moving. Let's party as a family, the song says. She
also advises that as a family they need not only meet when they are
attending someone's funeral but should also meet to have a nice time.
'It is not only love'
that make a marriage work. In Si Chikondi Cheka, women are
advised to be self-reliant and not depend on men to be the breadwinners
in a marriage. The controversial message in this great Nyanja track
written by Black Muntu's Leo Bweupe, tells us that while, as money
cannot bring you happiness, it certainly makes a marriage easier.
The title track is # 9
on the album, and was written and produced by Ballad Zulu. Tasila sings
along to a smooth guitar backing as she declares her love and total
commitment for her man. Uchi in Nsenga and many Eastern
Zambian languages means honey. This is how she describes her feelings
for him in what is sure to become one of Zambia's favourite love
ballads.
One can feel the pain
of the singer in Leka Akoni, a Bemba track in which the
singer feels that she has wasted her time on a man who has left her for
someone else. She vows that she will not beg him to take her back but
will let him be and will move on with her life. As the old saying goes,
'Let a bird fly away', if it belongs to you it will come back. If the
bird does not belong to you, you will find another one.
Nituhele
is a Lozi track that was written and produced by Saboi Imboela of Shatel.
The title means 'leave me alone'. A young girl has been in a
relationship with a guy that cheats on her and lies about it. Whenever
she confronts him, he convinces her that every body else is lying and he
is telling the truth. Finally she finds out the truth and tells him that
her eyes are now open more than they have ever been and that she's
leaving him.
The album ends with a
gospel track called Mwe Lesa. The singer prays to God to
forgive and bless a friend of hers. No matter what hardships we go
through all we need is to put our lives in God's hand. God is the only
one who can give us blessings and show us Mercy. Look out for a gripping
choral section that features backing vocals by Shatel, Mainza, Lindi,
Vincent Chiumya and Joe Chibangu.
Below
is a profile on our Zambian Idol:
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How does she
feel about winning the Idols Zambia competition: She says
she definitely feels happy and overwhelmed by it all. She is
grateful to the judges for picking her and she is glad that they
decided to take a chance on her.
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Birth date: 24th
February 1984
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Star sign:
Pisces
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Tribe:
Chewa (from Chief Jumbe's Village).
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Left or
Right handed: Right handed.
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Birthmarks: She
has none
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Shoe Size:
7
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Funny
habits: Dances in front of the mirror.
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Inspiration:
She gets her inspiration from her sisters because they're
all really hardworking and have made it in life. Her sisters are
successful in whatever they do.
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Inspiration
musically: Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston. She
gets her inspiration from a lot of musicians and whenever she
hears something she likes, she wants to sing.
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Dream Car:
Lexus
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First time
she cried as an adult: She can't remember because she cries
a lot.
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What makes
her cry: When she's feeling upset or sad, and when she feels
bad about something that she did.
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Pet peeve: Hates
being brushed against by strangers when she is walking in town.
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Favourite
Food: Roast chicken & chips.
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Dream
collaborator: Ja Rule
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Describes
herself as: Quiet and shy to the point where she has been
told that she is antisocial. She tends to be noisy around people
she is familiar with.
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What she
says about Zambian Music: She is happy to see that Zambian
music is developing and getting there.
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What would
she like to be known for: Being a brilliant dancer.
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What's so
different about Tasila: She's new, she's good and she is
ready to learn so that she can also top the charts.
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Why did she
join the Idols Zambia competition: Because she loves singing
, and she wanted to win a contract with Mondo Music because she
likes the music that they produce.
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10 years
from now : She will be an established international musician
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How long has
she been singing: Believe it or not, Tasila is not one of
those that have been singing all their lives and always knew she
would get somewhere with Music. She always knew that she could
sing but never really took it seriously. She only decided to
give it a go in grade 12 where she started singing for the
Scripture Union club at school.
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Primary
school: From nursery to Grade 7, our Idol shuttled between
Nkana Trust School in Kitwe, Nchanga Trust School in Chingola
and Chongololo Primary School in Chipata.
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Secondary
school: Mpelembe Secondary School in Kitwe. She wrote her
Grade 12 exams last December and has just received very good
results.
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Courtesy
of Mondo Music
http://www.mondomusic.co.zm/artists/jk.htm
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