Born Brian Mumba Kasoka Bwembya, renowned Afro-
Dancehall and conscious artist B Flow started performing
freestyles to his peers, and mimicking popular artists at the
age of 8. When he was 12 years old, he was recruiting friends
to make a toy band by turning pots and buckets into drums
and making Banjos(non-electric guitars) using tins, planks and
strings. Then he made his friends play for him while he sang.
At the same time, at school, whenever B Flow's name
appeared on the list of noise makers in class, in brackets it was
always written "drumming and singing in class". According to
him, he never realized that he was making noise. Sometimes,
his classmates would even surround him just to hear him rap
for them.
In the year 2000, B Flow formed a group called Natty Boys in
Kabwe, comprising 5 members and made a few appearances
at local parties but the idea died off in less than 3 months,
because B Flow was the only group member whose dream was
always to become a musician. B Flow went back to playing
Basketball, his favourite sport.
Later that year, at church, B Flow met a friend who is now
called Ron Kay and formed a duo called 'Hot Kays'. The two
young artists had a similar passion for music so they pursued
it with utmost seriousness. They began to learn how to write
and arrange songs. The duo also rehearsed tirelessly and
performed at local talent shows. B Flow still recalls competing
against the likes of Damiano, B3, Cool Natious and a few
others in Kabwe. Hot Kays lasted for 2 years. At the same time,
B Flow was a regular Basketball player, he played for a team
called Young Kabwe Cats, at Kabwe Warriors Basketball pitch.
He later played for Kabwe High School team. However, before
training, he would sit on the terraces alone to write songs and
practice.
B Flow first entered the studio in 2002 and recorded his first
demo backed by Nkhosa T, in a small studio owned by
Zambian legendary conscious artist Emmie Routes.
In 2003, B Flow started writing and singing professionally but
struggled to record due to lack of sponsorship.
In April 2004, B Flow made an appearance at a talent show
with childhood friends Damiano and Frezzy D at Sacred Heart
Parish in Kabwe.
It was at that event that B Flow met the man
who discovered his talent, Mr ignatius Chongwe, a lawyer by
profession. To date, Ignatius is still B Flow's mentor and friend.
At the end of 2004, Mr Ignatius Chongwe who's nicknamed
Lawyer Without Boarders(L.W.B) sponsored B Flow's first
professional recording session at Romaside Studio in Lusaka. B
Flow recorded his first song 'Osalila'(meaning Don't Cry). The
song only played on Radio Phoenix Zambia, yet it was locally
appreciated by a reasonable number of people. That moment
gave B Flow motivation to begin writing songs for an album
which was to be released as soon as possible. The same year,
B Flow quit basketball after participating in a few tournaments
in Kabwe and Lusaka. He chose music over basketball.
Unfortunately, B Flow's frustration came when Ignatius
Chongwe left Kabwe to work in another city called Kitwe in
2005.
In mid 2005, B Flow recorded a few more songs in Kabwe,
produced by his cousin Artson Mumba. One song featured JC
Starboy. After that, B Flow bumped into his childhood friend
and former basketball player Roberto Banda who's now
Zambia's biggest R&B artist. Roberto had just come back from
South Africa where he had learnt music production, so he
produced one song for B Flow for free. The two spent long
days together planning how they would penetrate the
competitive Zambian music industry. Roberto advised B Flow
to continue with his usual dancehall music, whereas B Flow
advised Roberto to switch from singing in English to vernacular
so as to capture the local audience and they both did. B Flow
was also encouraged by Chipo N'gambi, a teacher who
predicted that B Flow was going to be household name.
In December 2005, B Flow carried his 'book of rhymes' and
moved to Lusaka City where he began what he felt was a
painful journey, because he struggled to find a sponsor. His
dream to become an established artist is what made him move
from studio to studio looking for a recording deal. More than 5
major studios did not accept to take him in, because they were
either surrounded by stars or they refused to audition B Flow.
But he continued to pursue his dream.
Between 2006 and 2008, B Flow focused on helping other
artists in writing and featuring, namely: D2, T-Boy, J-Von, MKV,
Choklet, Tsouya, JC Starboy, Thelma, Uniq and many others.
B Flow briefly went back to Kabwe in January 2008, after his
cousin Artson Mumba and his partner Linus Mwaba offered to
help him record his first album at Pillar Sounds Studio. About
12 songs were recorded, with two instrumentals produced by
brothers Jerry D and Bishap, both from Lusaka's Cabin Studio.
One song, Mpu Mpu Mpu(or heartbeat) was released during
the course of 2008 but B Flow felt it did not receive the amount
of spins it deserved.
B Flow made his first TV appearances in 2008 after Tsouya and
Batu introduced him to Paul Jones Sinyangwe A.K.A Slim Jones,
who worked for Muvi television. Paul was impressed by B
Flow's talent, so he regularly called him to appear on various
musical TV shows.
B Flow also backed General Ozzy on stage at a number of
shows around the country.
In December 2008, B Flow was identified by TK, the proprietor
of Romaside Studio who heard him 'Flow' on two songs by MKV
and Tsouya respectively. TK felt B Flow had greatly improved
as compared to when he first met him. TK instantly fell in love
with B Flow's unique and new style of Dancehall and predicted
that he was going to be "The next Big Thing.
TK and B Flow signed a recording deal and recorded B Flow's
debut album called Mpu Mpu Mpu(meaning heartbeat), which
was kick-started by redoing the title track. The album was
officially released in 2009. Thanks to all local media for
promoting the project.
The album earned B Flow recognition at the 2009 Zambia
Ngoma Awards where he was nominated in the Best New Artist
Category. The album produced local hits such as Bubblegum
Lover, Energizer, Mosikito and the album title track Mpu Mpu
Mpu which received reasonable air play hence making B Flow
a household name.
In 2010, B Flow teamed up with the late P-Jay, who was a
renowned Zambian R&B artist, and recorded a 14 track
collaboration album called Dabo Trabo(Meaning Double
Trouble) which was released the same year. The two artists
had the opportunity to curtain-raise for Jamaican duo Brick n
Lace during a concert in Lusaka in 2010. At the same concert,
P-Jay and B Flow unveiled a new artist called Kay Figo who is
now one of Zambia's biggest female artists. The same year, B
Flow began working with his current P.A Nelson Chisenga,
another childhood friend.
In 2011, B Flow released his 2nd solo album called 'No More
Kawilo' (meaning no more loneliness). The album brought
enhancement to the career of the rising young Dancehall star,
as it exposed him to international stages such as Botswana,
South Africa and Malaysia.
In 2012, B Flow put up a thunderous performance at the
national victory ceremony for the Zambia National Soccer
Team, who had just won the Africa Cup of nations, with
thousands in attendance. That platform helped B Flow to
promote and boost the sales of his 2nd album, which
performed remarkably well.
In 2013, B Flow recorded and released his 3rd album
'Voiceless Woman' which was dedicated to the fight against
gender based violence. It also contained songs that denounced
child abuse and other social ills. The album won B Flow new
fans locally and internationally. He was also selected to
become part of the Zambia/Norway(ZedWay) project which
introduced the young artist to the Scandinavian market.
Currently recording his 4th album at Romaside studio,
scheduled to be released later this year, the young artist has
been privileged to record songs with international stars such
as Jamaica's Gyptian and Norway's Admiral P.
From 2008 to date, on stage B Flow has been backed by JC
Starboy who is also his business partner.
B Flow has been privileged to share the stage with
international artists such as Brick & Lace, Oliver Mtukuzi, P-
Square and Jah Cure.
In September 2013 B'Flow also got employed as a radio
presenter by Zambia's Komboni 94.9fm, who gave him a
number of sponsored shows to present. This has worked to his
advantage since he's already a musician.
B Flow's current initiatives include a children's project called
F.L.O.W(Future Leaders Of the World) Foundation, which is
meant to provide alternatives for street kids so that they are
helped to develop their talents, or go to school and live a
decent life as opposed to becoming a threat to society.
B Flow also has a talent search project called Chant-It-On
Empire which is solely about identifying,sponsoring and
grooming young upcoming musicians, he has so far been
grooming JC Starboy, D2, Tyce, DJ NeO and GYK.
He's also a brand ambassador for two non-governmental
organizations,namely AIDS Health Care Foundation(AHF) and
USAID-funded SHARe II . He has since embarked on HIV/AIDS
sensitization and peer education projects in Zambia. B Flow is
also chairman for the HIV/AIDS and Social Commentary(HASC)
team of the Zambia Association of Musicians(ZAM)
He is also the Chief Executive Officer of a company called
Chant-It-On Entertainment and Media.
B Flow has been involved in advocacy programs for youth
participation in the electoral process, and zero tolerance to
tribalism,nepotism and violence.
Locally, B Flow is popular for performing at corporate events,
award ceremonies, weddings and promotional road shows for
most prominent companies and corporate entities.
He is sometimes referred to as the 'Voice of the voiceless'
because of his conscious lyrics. His peers also call him
"Zambian Dancehall Champion" because he was very
instrumental in commercializing Dancehall music in Zambia.
In his words, chant it on is the motto.
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