Tonga Music Festival On

THE Tonga Music Festival, organised by Chikuni Community Radio Station, is set for September 5 and 8 in Monze, Southern province, where about 90 bands are expected to compete in various categories.
The festival, now in its 12th year, and arguably the biggest in the southern African region in terms of numbers, will be held at the Chikuni Radio concert arena, which is about 34 kilometres from Monze town.
Organisers of the festival need about K175, 000 to meet this year’s expenses such as accommodation, meals, prizes, trainings, publicity, live broadcast, professional fees and hire of equipment.
Initiated with the aim of reviving, promoting and preserving Tonga traditional music and dance, the festival has grown over the past 11 years, attracting many traditional bands as well as corporate institutions and business houses who contribute to its successful hosting.
For many years now, 12 categories of traditional music have been exhibited as set out by the organising committee of the festival. But over the years more traditional and almost extinct music styles have come up and are being revived owing to the value of the people have placed in the festival.
The categories are kalumbu, kankobela, kuyabila, seesa, ndikiti, chigome, chikakaambe-kaambe, kalindula, bukonkoolo, ma guitar and freestyle.
According to Jyde Hamoonga, programmes manager at the station, for Chikuni Radio, it is a sign of ownership and the people have come to appreciate the role of the station in bringing back a way of life that adds value to the people’s daily living.
Musicians no longer just come to perform, but are trained on the cultural and musical values of the Tonga as well as general lifestyles. This has led to improved deliveries from the participating groups. The Sakala Brothers (Levy and Moses) and Makanzubo Kalinda Research Institute have over the years helped in the training which has led to improvements in performances.
Over time, some groups have matured and no longer compete but just participate to provide entertainment. These groups include the Mashombe Blue Jeans, Green Mambas and Gonde Cultural Ensemble.

Posted by Editor on August 10, 2013. Filed under LIFE & STYLE, STYLE. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

8 Responses to Tonga Music Festival On

Denkete Reply

August 10, 2013 at 12:21 pm

Twalumba! ”Chamulemena chibutu mwana, oyaye chamulemena chibutu mwana”; ”yadilika nyika pakainda balongombe”. Next we should hv in lsk the capital basa kaka
G Reply

August 10, 2013 at 2:57 pm

hahahaha @ denkete.

Africa is remodelling now.
BIZZY BEE Reply

August 10, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Great, next time,bring it to Lusaka, no much publication though
induna wa Silalo Reply

August 10, 2013 at 8:46 pm

Aisha mboibende..nothing beats this festival worldwide..DYNAMIC,UNIQUE and POWERFUL..twlumba.
FuManchu Reply

August 10, 2013 at 9:34 pm

The festival is appropriate where it is and there is no need to bring it to Lusaka as this just perpetuates concentration of everything deemed good in the capital city. Just think of the micro and macro economic spinoffs in the area of Monze as the festival is in progress. It also makes people who are curious come to know Monze. I can only urge this annual event organizers to work towards procuring an amphitheater. May it be blessed with success
boasting atishani Reply

August 11, 2013 at 7:34 am

am for the idea that it remains in the Tonga land were you find original Tongas not the plastic ones we tired of seeing in lsk…
sitondekwa Reply

August 11, 2013 at 7:53 pm

thanks for the update i cant wait for that time to come
MwaMoonze Reply

August 12, 2013 at 2:00 pm

Balombwana eeci cisobano cilabota cakunga kuti kamuyanda kulibonena ameso amukaboole i will buy you food for one day and lodging. Andinywe nobalumbu abamangwenjele muli tambidwe. Mutwe wanyimbo zyakono waamba kuti” mapondo atemwa nkwaasyuka” bama Lozi abaka Lubale amukaboole abamami benu. Moonze a Ufwenuka muyakubajana. Butonga bwasumpuka lino.