Emmanuel Mulemena
Emmanuel Mulemena | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1937 Kasempa District, Northern Rhodesia |
| Died | February 1982 Zambia |
| Genres | Folk, Kalindula, Traditional Zambian music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Educator, Broadcaster |
| Years active | 1960s–1982 |
Emmanuel Mulemena (1937 – February 1982) was a pioneering Zambian musician, educator and broadcaster from Kasempa District. He is celebrated for popularising Kaonde traditional music and laying the groundwork for Zambia’s modern folk and Kalindula genres.
Early life and career
Born in Kasempa District in 1937, Mulemena was the son of Essa Masiposa Mulemena, one of the few trained teachers in the region at the time.[1] Growing up, he sang in the church choir and later taught music at Kikoka Mabwe Primary School, despite colonial suppression of traditional folklore.[2]
In the early 1960s, Mulemena moved to Lusaka and joined the Northern Rhodesia Broadcasting Service, where he worked on the Kaonde Radio service alongside national music icon Alick Nkhata.[3] He later transitioned to Malachite Film Studios in Chingola, where he became known for blending Kaonde music with Western instrumentation, including pioneering use of a drum machine.[4][5]
Musical legacy
In 1968 Mulemena founded the band [[[Mulemena and the Sound Inspectors]]], producing hits such as “Shuka Shuka,” “Imbokoshi ya Lufu,” and “Pamuzhi Palubabo.”[6] He was among the first Zambian artists to perform in multiple languages—Kaonde, Bemba and Nyanja—and is considered one of the first African musicians to utilise electronic drum beats.[7]
Death
Emmanuel Mulemena passed away in February 1982 at the peak of his career.[8] His band continued under the name Mulemena Boys, releasing the tribute album A Tribute to the Late Emmanuel Mulemena in 1984.[9] They were later followed by the Junior Mulemena Boys.[10]
His son, John Mulemena, also became a prominent Kaonde musician, blending traditional and contemporary styles.[11]
Cultural significance
Mulemena is widely regarded as the most famous Kaonde musician of the 1960s–80s and one of Zambia’s folk music icons. His innovative fusion of folkloric rhythms and modern production paved the way for genre diversification and inspired numerous artists across the region.[12][13]
In 2005 SWP Records included a track by Mulemena in the compilation Zambush Vol. 2, marking him as a foundational figure in Zambian popular music.[14]
Selected discography
- “Shuka Shuka”
- “Imbokoshi ya Lufu”
- “Pamuzhi Palubabo”
- “Umuti wa Bufyashi”
- A Tribute to the Late Emmanuel Mulemena (Mulemena Boys, 1984)
See also
References
- ↑ “ABOUT THE LATE EMMANUEL MULEMENA,” The Zambian Observer, 16 Sept 2024 – http://zambianobserver.com/about-the-late-emmanuel-mulemena/
- ↑ “Emmanuel Mulemena,” Kaonde Archives, 23 Sept 2016 – https://kaondewordpress.wordpress.com/2016/09/23/remembering-the-legends/
- ↑ Kaonde Archives
- ↑ The Zambian Observer
- ↑ Kaonde Archives
- ↑ Kaonde Archives
- ↑ Kaonde Archives
- ↑ The Zambian Observer
- ↑ “A Tribute to the Late Emmanuel Mulemena,” Zambia Music Parlour, 1984, via Bandcamp – https://zambiamusicparlour.bandcamp.com/album/a-tribute-to-the-late-emmanuel-mulemena
- ↑ “Mulemena Boys music…,” ZedBox – https://zedbox-zm.com/the-mulemena-boys-%E2%80%8E-a-tribute-to-the-late-emmanuel-mulemena-1984-full-album/
- ↑ The Zambian Observer
- ↑ Kaonde Archives
- ↑ “Arts and Literature,” Canadian Parliamentary Review – https://www.cp-pc.ca/english/zambia/arts.html
- ↑ “Zambush Vol. 2,” WOMEX – https://www.womex.com/virtual/swp_records/various/zambush_vol_2
