Mulemena Boys

With Spring’s warm breezes in the air, I felt the urge to break out the Zambian kalindula music of the Mulemena Boys.
My wife brought me this hard-to-find cd of theirs back from her time in Zambia where she worked in the government for several months in 2005.
At first listen, the synthesized beats caught me off guard. I just couldn’t understand why synths were preferred over human percussionists. My sense is it was for both financial and aesthetic reasons: it’s cheaper to press play than to pay two or three percussionists, and also this is the late 70s/early 80s. Synths are in! They were probably being totally avant-garde…
Regardless, the dirtiness of the recording quality combined with the tight, clear vocal harmonies, the driving bass, the riffing guitars and the well-conceived – albeit artificial – beats make for a fantastic listening experience.
Kick back with a beer and let the Mulemena Boys entrance you with their Upbeat-Laidback sounds.

Ichieyeyeye – Mulemena Boys

Pamuzhi Palubabo – Mulemena Boys