ALICK NKHATA - Radio Lusaka - LP - Vinyl [AUG 15]

LP - Black Vinyl. 

Vocalist, guitarist, and bandleader Alick Nkhata moved eff ortlessly between lonesome country slide, big band pop, and air-tight vocal harmonies, all with roots in Bemba and other African traditional songs and rhythms. It’s a dizzying, inclusive, expansive blend from an artist and music archivist who became the voice of his nation’s fi ght for freedom. The lyrics and music represent the times - lonesome country laments like “Nafwaya Fwaya” and “Fosta Kayi” drift along the railways to urban centers and copper mines. “Nalikwebele Sonka (I Told You Sonka)”, sung in “deep-Bemba” pairs honey-soaked yodels with a warning about the downward spiral of unemployment in townships, while 'Mayo Na Bwalya’ (Mother of Bwalya) is a mother’s plea to a traditional songbird for guidance of her wayward son. Songs like “Shalapo,” “Kalindawalo Na Mfumwa,” and his biggest hit, “Imbote,” infuse piano, big band horns, and even early electronic instruments into stunning syncretic pop masterpieces.

Tracklist: 

Side A
1. Nafwaya Fwaya
2. Kalindawlo Ni Mfumu
3. Elena
4. Fosta Kayi
5. Nalikwebele Sonka
6. Shalapo

Side B
1. Kapata Mukaya
2. Bambi Balefi sa Kumwabo
3. Imbote
4. Fodya
5. Mayo Na Bwalya
6. Tuli Beni Calo