Fireside Shebeen Sound Sculpture
The Fireside Sheeben represents the storytelling function present within the foundational infrastructure in the development of Zamrock as not just a genre but a movement and a lifestyle. During the late 50s and early 60’s Emmanuel Jagari Chanda and Ricky Ililonga spoke of being influenced by music that was played by their ancestors in tavern or shebeen setting. Both being under the age of 21, and being under the age of restriction they would receive the sonic transmissions from outside window and behind fences and experience the roots of the movement from the peripheries. This changed when they shifted from the peripheries of ancestral movement and sound to being at the centre of their expression of being a crucuial part of a newly founded nation.
In part I of this piece Rikki Ililonga shares an aural Lozi folktale which tells the story of Truth being an unstoppable force, in the context of a brutal killing of a child of the home village in times of drought, famine and hunger. Nature in all its mysteries unveils the truth through a series of songs whistled by an immortal dove.
In part II Jagari Chanda shares a live rendition of Nazingwa / I’m Stranded. This song alludes to the many economic difficulties that Zamrock musicians faced and continue to face. The song was originally released by Teal Records on the album Witch in 1977.