Tonga festival attracts 100 bands

Monday, 11 August 2008
THE Radio Chikuni-organised Tonga Music Festival set for next month in Chikuni, Monze has attracted over 100 acts with the promotions manager saying preparations are on course for the annual festival, now in its ninth year.

Matongo Maumbi told Times Entertainment in Lusaka during the week that the response from musicians has been overwhelming resulting in them registering 104 bands instead of the 95 that they had initially planned for.

“We hope all will turn up for the event. What has been interesting from the registration point of view is that people are now more willing to play the traditional kind of music. We have registered musicians beyond the normal categories that we always have. This is what we term the special category.

“We realised a number of people had music that was otherwise not in the 11 categories that we had earlier recognised. This year people have come forward with interesting kinds of instruments that thousands shall have a chance to see during the concert,” Maumbi said from Radio Chikuni.

For entertainment, the concert will have groups that have established themselves on the local market such as Gonde Culture and Nsabata, Katebe, X Bass, Chibweze and possibly one from a popular radio serial drama team - Gama Cuulu.

”Like in all the events we have organised, sponsorship has been a challenge and this will make it more difficulty and challenging for us to organise the event in the near future. {But} we have received confirmation that the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services will be our Guest of Honour. We are honoured as a station to have the minister grace the occasion which has proved to be the biggest traditional music event in the country, if not the southern African region,” he said.

The theme for this year’s event is Muwezyi Kozwa Kobula, whose simple translation is that as an experienced hunter goes out hunting, he at times comes back without a kill. “This should be the same with the musicians. We are continuing on the idea of self-sustainability. When a child learns to stand on its own, it should always remember that not all is smooth.

“Despite the roughness of society or things, the child should always get up and move forward. Sustainability calls for perseverance and hard work. We hope the message has really got to the people. Initially we used to feed the musicians, then started giving them some money for food and this year we have completely cut on all the support,” Maumbi says.

The station was over-burdened with funds being spent on the event and as such would like the musicians and the general public to take full charge of the event with it just being a coordinating body.

More information click CHIKUNI RADIO