Well, here I am to break the silence and to let you in on what has been going on while the storm to toss me out of the National Arts Council Ark raged! This is just to let you know that I have followed Miss Imboela’s intellectual discourse with avid interest, most of the time I must admit, with my mouth wide open (as in ninshi ni njikata cinwa capanshi) or with my eyes shut (as in laughing out loud or LOL I believe).
Now let me admit from the outset, that insele,
nefyakutukana fyena, showing disrespect to my elders or
even my peers etc I am not very good at, here I can agree
with Miss Imboela that I am completely useless! So I will
not even go there.
Let me just say that when it comes to the National Arts
Council, I merely chair a board that comprises of eight
national arts associations and a four line Ministries (the
numbers have shifted upwards and downwards over the
years, this is the current line up). Decisions and actions
taken by the Council are not mine, but are collectively
debated and normally voted on. These decisions ultimately
affect and direct the performance of the National Arts
Council. Miss Imboela has sat on the National Arts Council
board, and I am sure the years she sat on the Council will
certainly stand out as the ‘golden Years’ for the Council
when it performed really well. But since according to her it
never has performed, perhaps her sitting on the Council
was as silent as her music career. We as a Council sit four
times a year… perhaps this is why it looks like I have been
there for 14 years! A small note here, there was no Council
in existence 14 years go (you can check this history). But
am sure since I love the Chairmanship so much I must
have been Chairing an empty room full of chairs and
imaginary associations for at least four years.
Let me also beg your sympathy here, since according to
Miss Imboela, I have been without a proper job and have
no marketable degree and have been surviving on
allowances from the National Arts Council for so long. Until
very recently, the sitting allowance at the Council was
K150.00 per sitting, as chair I get an extra K50 more than
the rest. As you can imagine, it has been a hard life
subsisting on this amount, as I am only been able to
receive it every quarter when a full Council meeting is
held.
There are no other allowances at the Council. Pepani olila! Another small note here, that as a public institution, the National Arts Council is audited every year by a private firm and also by the Auditor General’s Office. So far, in the last 14 years (let’s imagine despite history and mathematics and all sorts of contrary evidence that this number of years is actually correct) that there has been no audit query indicating any ‘long fingered’ moves from the Chairman or anyone else. Please contact the Auditor General’s Office on this point.
There are no other allowances at the Council. Pepani olila! Another small note here, that as a public institution, the National Arts Council is audited every year by a private firm and also by the Auditor General’s Office. So far, in the last 14 years (let’s imagine despite history and mathematics and all sorts of contrary evidence that this number of years is actually correct) that there has been no audit query indicating any ‘long fingered’ moves from the Chairman or anyone else. Please contact the Auditor General’s Office on this point.
I am also immensely flattered or embarrassed that I have
managed to charm or bully or bewitch all the 8 Ministers
and 11 Permanent Secretaries (not counting the deputies
here) and two Governments I have had the privilege to
work under as Chair of the National Arts Council over the
past 14 terms (yes in the last post by Miss Imboela I
noticed the 14 years have become terms).
But let’s leave the Council out of this and dwell on Mulenga
Kapwepwe, since the council is not Mulenga Kapwepwe.
Please bear with me if I sound rather flippant about all this,
seeing as I am accused of grave and single-handed
misconduct that has resulted in high poverty levels
amongst artists and the wanton destruction of an entire
industry.
My philosophy is simply not to harbor anger and malice and jealousy in my mind and body (if you are the type that gets angry at least twice a day, please read a very interesting little book by a neurobiologist by the name called ‘A Stroke of Insight ‘ I especially urge those who have held on to anger, jealousy or malice for at least 14 years, you will understand how corrosive such emotions are on your mind and body. I tend to flash them out as quickly as they arise). Let the record show that I bear no anger or grudge against the intellectual might of Miss Imboela and she has absolutely every right to criticize me, she has her opinions. However defamation, libel and slander are not opinions, and it would be wonderful if she could discern the difference between these four things. I trust this little request will not be too difficult for her as she has repeatedly told us that she is a lawyer and a lecturer in law at the University of Zambia.
I call myself a creative, which am told is a perfectly
legitimate status in a world where the creative economy is
driving most nations’ development engines. I am in other
words, an artist, and it is bewildering to find that as far as
Miss Imbolea is concerned being an artist means you do
not have a proper job, I can accept that from other people,
but coming from a fellow artist makes it somehow
defeating, If we do not regard our work as artists as our
jobs, who will?My philosophy is simply not to harbor anger and malice and jealousy in my mind and body (if you are the type that gets angry at least twice a day, please read a very interesting little book by a neurobiologist by the name called ‘A Stroke of Insight ‘ I especially urge those who have held on to anger, jealousy or malice for at least 14 years, you will understand how corrosive such emotions are on your mind and body. I tend to flash them out as quickly as they arise). Let the record show that I bear no anger or grudge against the intellectual might of Miss Imboela and she has absolutely every right to criticize me, she has her opinions. However defamation, libel and slander are not opinions, and it would be wonderful if she could discern the difference between these four things. I trust this little request will not be too difficult for her as she has repeatedly told us that she is a lawyer and a lecturer in law at the University of Zambia.
So, if I am a creative, what do I create. All of last year I
have been working on a project, which up until last week
had no name, because I was still figuring out what to call it
and under what name to register the new record label I am
about to launch. Thanks to Miss Imboela, I do have a name
for it now, and I have decided to use the great publicity
and visibility Miss Imboela’s massive campaign has
accorded me to launch Chiduku Beats, a company that will
work every year with three artists (as a group or
individual) to create a new and creative sound. My
objective is to engage three artists every year and push
them to stretch their creativity and imagination to see
what they can do. I am not a musician, but I believe I can
still help in the industry by hiring the right expertise and
skills. So I am putting the excerpts of the music videos and
music that I have produced so far, working with Tasila
Mwale, Shimasta and Mozgeta, and Glorious Band. I have
been fully engaged in all aspects of both the music and
video productions, scripting and suggesting edits and
additions. These three CDs and accompanying videos will
soon be available on iTunes, Youtube and in the music
shops. Check them out and let me know what you think.
And keep checking this spot for the latest in regard to date
of their release.
In addition, coming to your television screens soon, will be
a concept I have created with the help of young group of
animators. I do the research and script they do the
shooting and animation. This is my way of circumventing,
but maybe re-inventing the reading culture and providing
interesting information to the public creatively. It will be a
short infomercial aimed at educating the public using the
street names around the city. These young people are
incredible and just take a look at what we have managed
to create.
I am also just looking to publish an anthology of poems
called ‘Life and Love in Chitenge.” I have approached
Karasa to work with me on this as he is an incredible visual
artist, as well as musician. I hope he does come on board,
but if not, I will respect his decision. Here is one poem
from the book. Make sure you buy it when it comes out.
These are some of the things am working on. Did I mention
that Miss Imboela features on one of the songs on the
Shimasta and Mozgeta CD? Yes, we got her into the studio
to bop and sing along to the danceable tune called
‘Evelina’. Thank God for Facebook, you can now listen to
an excerpt of that too. I think she sounds pretty swanky
don’t you?!
Last word, I plan to have a great launch for the three CDs,
please do come, the only thing I ask is, come wearing a
chiduku, Whether you are male or female, and when the
MC shouts Chiduku Beats, I want all of you who will come
to shout “Wamuyaya!” Thanks Saboi, for the great
campaign tagline and great name choice! Enjoy the music
and please support the music industry!
P.S. Should Miss Imboela succeed in removing me from the
National Arts Council chairmanship, don’t feel sorry for
me, I will survive, even though I will have to do without my
annual income from the sitting allowance of one thousand
five hundred kwacha per year .
P.P.S Congratulations Lupita N’yongo who won herself an
Oscar award last night! Great achievement for an African
woman!
Now let’s turn this ugly fight into something productive.
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