PLEASE NOTE: This article is an adaptation from BBC Sounds’ This Is Africa hosted by DJ Edu for a special edition focused on Zambia tittled “Zambia Ku Chalo” PART THREE.
The episode began with an introduction from BBC’s DJ Edu as he said, “Greetings! Its DJ Edu the Afro boss here and welcome to the third of our series of programmes from Zambia.”
He continued, “In this edition we will be spending time with the reigning king and queen of Zambian music. We listened to the opinion of Zambian OGs, first Chef 187 and then Roberto.”
[MINI THROWBACK FROM THE PREVIOUS EPISODES]
● Chef 187, “One artist that people are very excited about at the moment is an artist called Yo Maps. Everyone seems to be loving whatever he puts out.
● Roberto, “Right now, I will definitely say Yo Maps has been leading the pack with a new set of artists that have emerged in the country. If you speak of female artists, we have Towela. Towela is a 100% RnB/Afropop artist.”
》TOWELA KAIRA: “Alola alola, you are listening to Towela Kaira from Lusaka, Zambia and This Is Africa from BBC.”
DJ Edu joined in and continued, “As you’ll hear later, Towela may dispute Roberto’s description a bit. She has been experimenting with different sounds. Keep it locked for a great conversation with with a very inspiring artist. But first! Yo Maps.”
BBC’S DJ EDU HAS A CONVERSATION WITH ZAMBIAN ARTIST YO MAPS
The interview starts with DJ Edu getting food at a local market and interacting with the public by asking questions about Zambian music. He opened, “As we found out when sampling Zambian food, his fans absolutely adore him. Out in Lusaka, we had to eat, the most recommended place by everyone was Matebeto, now this is a food… and it’s got sellers shoving meat in your face as well as fish. We settled on one place, we sat down and ordered for our meal. The meat was so massive we had to share it out and it came with Nshima, spinach, greens of all sorts, a bit of beans on the side, casava leaf, a lot more.”
He continued, “Now, the far end of the market we saw a couple of kids dancing and since we are out here to check out the music scene and what’s popping. It was only right we go and ask them what kind of music they are into.”
DJ EDU TALKING TO KIDS AROUND THE MARKET ASKING THEM WHO THE BIGEST ARTIST IN ZAMBIA IS
First Kid: “Yo Maps definitely (sings Yo Maps’ song Location chorus). Yeah! Yo Maps, the biggest happening in Zambia, we love him, so good. His music is just ‘mwaaa,’ he is just the best, yeah.”
Second Kid: “He is the biggest Zambian artist, we are so proud of him because he is going beyond Zambia. He’s been to South Africa, he’s been to Namibia, he’s been to Botswana, Zimbabwe. ”
First Kid adds while being complimented, “Even America, yeah, Australia as well. We are very proud of him, we could say, Yo Maps viva Zambia. Yeah, Zambia Ku Chalo.”
First Kid continues, “No matter the situation you are going through, just go to one of his songs, you’ll find it, and he’ll speak to you(laughs).”
BACK AT YO MAPS’ STUDIO, DJ EDU CONTINUES THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERSTAR
YO MAPS introduces himself, “Hey guys, my name is Yo Maps from Zambia. This Is Africa from BBC, peace, one love, ku chalo!”
DJ Edu exchange greetings in Nyanja before he asks Yo Maps, “So boss, how does it feel to be the most popular artist?”
Yo Maps responded, “Its amazing you know, looking at where I am coming from, a small town to where I am right now, it’s very encouraging. You keep working hard, you can achieve anything, you know.”
He continued, “I used to have little challenges with my mom, because my mom didn’t want me to do music. But there were(was) something in me, I had that passion in music so I didn’t give up. I remember, there was this day, I had an agreement with dad. Back then, my dad used to be a deacon in church, he was like if you start singing in church, then I’ll buy you a studio, so I was like okay, cool. Then I was doing gospel music but you know, there was just something in me(laughs).”
He further added, “So I ended up producing a circular song which went viral and it was trending everywhere, then I heard mum saying, ah but this voice sounds like our son, what’s going on? Has he stopped doing gospel music? Dad was like ah, just leave him you know. So from that time I’ve been pushing here and there, and here we are.”
DJ Edu went ahead to ask the singer, “What was the first song that really made you think that Yo Maps has arrived? That you are very proud of?”
Yo Maps, “It was SEASON YANGA 2019, that song is like a blessing to me, it came out, went viral, people were talking about the song, dancing to it. It was just one of the greatest bangers I’ve ever produced. ”
DJ Edu,”We were speaking to some people in the market and they said your songs reflect life it self, you sing about situations that people can relate to.”
Yo Maps responded, “I talk about reality things, you know, like what people are going through, bad situations, good situations. Sometimes I talk about God, how good he is, love yourself, be happy. Sometimes I talk about things like not giving up, perseverance, determination, working hard because I believe in working hard. There’s is no any other medicine for someone to become successful.”
DJ Edu, “And does that make you controversial or sometimes maybe you are the one who is given the cross to carry when it comes to putting out this news or challenging situation in a social norm, do you feel that way?”
While hesitant to respond, Yo Maps said, “Ah! I think I am a controversial person (laughs).”
DJ Edu, “You don’t say.”
While laughing he continues, “You know, whatever I do, it comes out something else, so I think I’ve realised to say, oh okay, I’ll use the same situation maybe to come up with a song.”
DJ Edu, “I was going through your album MY HERO, are you ever vulnerable with your own songs and say your own stories? Put your own stories in the songs?”
Yo Maps, “Yes, there’s a song called Bana Bandi, there’s also a song called Jealous. I think for me those songs were like telling people what I have been going through as just Yo Maps, you know.”
DJ Edu asks about his music video for the song MY HERO, “In this day and age where there is TikTok, social media and other platforms where people consume very short pieces of material, the attention span is so short. You put out a video that was seven minutes long before the song came in. I mean explain to me why you did that?”
Yo Maps responded, “That song my hero, I was like ok, let me tell a story the way it is supposed to be. In the video there’s me, my sister and uncles, and aunties you know. My mother was suffering, one of our relatives didn’t even pay attention to that. She went to them asking for help but they didn’t help her you understand. But now she’s gone, now I’m seeing different kinds of people coming, uncles, aunties.”
DJ Edu, “Do you feel that has triggered change within society? You know, you’re giving out those lessons.”
Yo Maps, “I think so, somehow yes! People are now saying it’s better we give you flowers when you can still smell them, we clap for you when you’re still alive, loving each other you know, being their, supporting one another.”
DJ Edu, “MY HERO the album, the picture on it is a child next to a grave, explain to me the whole thing, what a powerful image.”
Yo Maps responded, “So the mother is gone, that little child doesn’t have other people, so he had no any other option but to go to the grave yard and cry there.”
DJ Edu, “So your lyrics are very powerful as well as the melodies in your songs. Do you feel that it’s your song writing and your skill that make you have big following or do you think it’s the melody or sweetness of your songs?”
Yo Maps, “I think it’s both and also like where I’m coming from you know, my background, so there are certain things that I understand, I’ve been through this.”
DJ Edu cuts in, “And where did you learn how to write?”
Yo Maps, “I was inspired by dad, because he used to do music in church, I don’t try like getting a book and start writing, I put everything here and when I sit, I see the microphone, then I start singing.”
DJ Edu then went ahead to tell Yo Maps his favourite song “Nga Teba Yahweh” before going ahead to ask him is sound to which Yo Maps responded saying its Afrofusion/Dunka.
The conversation continued as DJ Edu asked, “It comes across as that you are very empathetic with people who go through hardships, with you looking like you hard a much more easier ride, it looks that way. Where does that come from?”
Yo Maps, “I hard a lot of challenges and I wish…”
DJ Edu cuts in, “What challenges, can you share some of the challenges.”
Yo Maps, “You know, the challenges that we used to face is that you can’t just take your music to a radio station then they play for you for free, you know, you have to pay. You can’t just perform as an upcoming artist. You have to pay a certain amount for you to have studio session then now you don’t have money and back home mom doesn’t support what you are doing because she wants you to go to school. So it was a little bit tough, there are certain things I couldn’t do, I almost gave up but there was something in me that told me to say if you give up then what next?”
DJ Edu, “In the industry here, is there a society where you guys work together, you challenge the government and things like that to be able to make a better environment for people to work together and make money from the music?”
Yo Maps laughing asked if he wanted him to be honest to which DJ Edu said a 110%.
Yo Maps proceeded, “Okay, so as for me I feel like we as Zambian artist are not united. We’ve never sat down and come up with certain policies that can help Zambian music, you know. Most of the time we see, when an international artist comes to Zambia you find that the money that they are giving to that artist and the money that they are giving local artists is totally different you know. For me at the end of the day it affects Zambian artists. Fans want to see quality music videos, they want to see collaborating with big artists but you have to pay them. We are not united as such but I believe one day, hopefully that is my prayer.”
DJ Edu, “And I see you are united with Chef and you are going to be putting on a show with a legend in April. ”
Yo Maps, “Recently, I have been doing my own shows and I feel like it’s much better than waiting for a promoter to book you.”
DJ Edu, “Zambia really loves you, appreciates you, adores you, do you feel you’ve achieved all you’ve wanted to?”
Yo Maps, “No no no not yet, I’ve not filled up any stadium in a foreign country, I’ve done it in Zambia but not outside Zambia you know, so that’s what I’m working on, yeah, hopefully. ”
DJ Edu, “And you’ve had international features, you’ve worked with Omarion.”
Yo Maps, “The moment Omarion’s management came through to our management, I was more than happy you know, to see such an opportunity to work with one the greatest RnB artists in the world. For me it was amazing, I didn’t believe but I was like hell no! it’s happening (laughs).”
DJ Edu, “And the song was superman, it was a big-big song.”
Yo Maps, “Even up to now, I think it’s one of the greatest bangers.”
DJ Edu, “So do you think Yo Maps, you can take this sound to the world without having to dilute it?”
Yo Maps responded confidently, “Yeah, why not? You don’t need to sound like Chris Brown for you to go international, you don’t need to sound like Drake. Music is universal, it’s like an instrument, music is like passion, feeling, spirit. So we’ll go with the same Nyanja-bemba type of music ku chalo, so yeah of course. ”
DJ Edu thanked Yo Maps for taking time to talk to This Is Africa from BBC. In the next part of the episode, DJ Edu will be talking to Towela Kaira, click HERE to read what she had to say.
