AMAYENGE THRILLS PADDY BLUES CAFE

By Felix Nyambe

NUMEROUS award winning kalindula band was on fire last Saturday at the newly opened Paddy Blues Sports Cafe as they entertained scores of their fans with some thrilling kalindula music.

Led by Alice Chali, the band was never short of their repertoire of songs that back dates to the days of the New Crossbones through to the Crossbones led by her late husband, Chris Chali.

On the night, with the heavens clearly showing no signs of opening up, Amayenge was simply in their usual element!

Taking their legion of fans across the country with their authentic kalindula music, the band scored some fine rhythms with songs such Munise Munise, Mao and Bio Ma Inonge, as several guzzlers joined in the dance.

But it was not all about the band's hits of the 80s because Alice's more recent songs such as Matenda and Dailess caught the over-crowded cafe in some Zambian rhythms.

With dancer-cum-singers, Obert Chali, Emma Kadogo, Mammi Mwelwa and Joseph Mulenga occasionally joining in the dane routine, the band was simply unstoppable.

Cameras flashed, cafe proprietor and former Lusaka Mayor, Mike Mposha and the media frenzy dawned on the arena as if there was no tomorrow.

With the soccer frenzy always gripping music freaks at such functions, Amayenge obliged to the calls for songs such Chipolopolo and boy did the bring the house down!

And just when the crowd thought they had enough of the band, longtime friend of the band, Chanda Beu sneaked into the house in the company of Kasaka of the "Mwine Mushi & Kasaka" television drama series.

That combination almost stole the whole show, only for Alice to return with one hit after the other.

Songs included K10, Chishango from their new album, and a series of their earlier hits with the Crossbones such Chamumpelenge.

Buoyed by the recent accolades accorded to the band as the "Best band" during the Zambia Music awards, the bad lived to its tag and mesmerized their growing and ever bopping fans with some well calculated dance routines.

And this attracted a number of them trooping to the dance floor as if trying to outdo the band’s well-rehearsed choreography.

With some recent jams involving the likes of Danny Kaya's Mo Fire band and B'Sharp, Amayenge was equal to the task to re-write history. And they did just that!

Paddy Blues Proprietor - Mposha

Guitarists Nathan Nthanga and Sam Chiluba's usual command redefined the band's attitude on stage and not even the cafe proprietor, Mike Mposha could not resist the temptation of getting closer to the stage.

This prompted even Chanda Beu to take to the mic and do cover renditions of his antics back in the years when he was the band's most rized possession.

The band, arguably one of the most travelled in Africa, hinted the whole idea of having some more jam sessions at the Kaunda Square-based watering hole

With the ever absence of live playing outfits at most venues, saves for the Kalahari bar, Paddy Blues Cafe intends to host more of the live shows in the near future.

Manager, Frazer Chilembo said the band is likely to return to the cafe sooner than later because of the overwhelming response from their travelling fans.

Since the release of Chishango, the sequel to their other award winning album, Mangoma Kulila, the band has to virtually every corner of the country and across the region.