the zambian music series: pk chishala
peter kalumba chishala was born on 10 october 1957 in kitwe. he did his primary education at mambilima mission school for the blind — pk chishala was blind, having suffered from smallpox in his early years that left him without sight. he later attended sefula secondary school in western province before working as a social worker at the mindolo ecumenical foundation in kitwe.
he began his music career while still at school, recording his debut single "icisosa cipamano" at malachite studios in chingola. the title-track won him the 1987 soloist of the year award. it made him zambia's representative at the 1988 WOMAD festival in the UK — a blind young man from the copperbelt performing at WOMAD the same year samuel matete ran at the seoul olympics and kalusha bwalya scored three goals against italy.
pk chishala dominated the zambian music scene from the mid-1980s until his death in 1995. his music: kalindula as social commentary, as moral philosophy, as the copperbelt's specific voice describing the specific life of the zambian working class.
his songs: "pole-pole" — the hypocrisy of church elders who preach one thing and live another. "common man" — the suffering of the ordinary zambian amid economic hardship and rising mealie-meal prices, an anthem for ordinary zambians squeezed by late 1980s economic crises. "impumba mikowa" — a lament from orphans about their plight. the full texture of copperbelt life.
he died on 15 june 1995 — thirty years ago this month. he was thirty-seven years old. his album "pk chishala: the collection" still sells internationally online. afunika, one of the most successful contemporary zambian musicians, has cited pk chishala as the primary influence on his musical style.
he could not see the copperbelt. he described it better than anyone who could.
the zambian music series continues. 🇿🇲🎵