LOLO’S SEMBE NINANVELELA CARRIES THE DAY WHEN IT COMES TO IMPACTFUL SONGS WITH A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE
Throwback Thursday – In 2010, Zambia saw an artist skyrocket to fame with one hit song “Sembe Ninanvelela” by Lolo. Every single home that had radio, including clubs at the time, played the song despite its message being controversial for club goers.
Many would wonder what caught everyone’s attention regarding this song? Well, it was the message in the song. The late singer, Lolo, sang about an issue that affected most people, even up to date. A song that was based on children who do not listen to their parents.
The singer talked about a man who wished he got married but he ignored pleas from his parents. Looking at his ill state, he cries out, saying only if he had listened and not engaged with many sexual partners, he wouldn’t have gotten ill. He queries his partners Mary, Judy, and Febby. They all deny infecting him, and now everything on his body is hurting.
The singer repeats singing, “Nati sembe ninanvelela, sembe sinina dwale(If I listened, I wouldn’t have gotten sick),” on his chorus. A line that got stuck in almost everyone’s mind, whether young or old, they understood the song or not. This signified how influential the song was and still is.
One of the other things that fueled the song’s exponential growth and the singer popularity was the fact that, the message resonated with most people because at the time of it’s release, there was a large number of people dying from sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. Reports suggested that the artist died 10 years ago due to an illness that was not revealed.
The song still remains most people’s favourites, especially those who love classics, and its message is still relevant up to date, further solidifying what a masterpiece the song was. What is your favourite classic with an encouraging message?
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