![]() When he was doing a presentation about the music he played then at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the professors from the conservatory asked him why he played reggae and not African music when he was from Africa. Originally a reggae singer only, he began playing Afro-Pop when he had an eye-opening experience while touring Europe in 2004. He was awarded best Afro-fusion for the song “Nandunge” from the album, “Anthem”, his first album to feature Zambia's indigenous musical instruments, at the 2008 Born and Bred Awards in Zambia. ![]() While touring in Europe, he produced hits including “Nelar” and “Kumalya Ndimu”, both from his second album “Save My Soul” a reggae album which was recorded in the Netherlands in 2001. Tembo has toured and recorded all over the world. He is an important ambassador of Zambian music culture both in Zambia where he is originally from and abroad. Incorporating the use of these instruments into my original compositions, I sing mostly in Chinsenga (language of Nsenga people) and Chichewa (music of the Chewa people).Mathew Tembo is an award-winning Afro-Pop musician hailing from Zambia in Southern Africa. On return to Zambia that same year, I began a self-taught exploration of traditional African instruments such as the silimba (a home-made marimba), kalimba (mbira/thumb piano), and kalumbu (a one-stringed instrument). From that experience, a whole new world of musical possibilities came to life for me. When I was doing a presentation about the music I played then at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the professors from the conservatory questioned why I played reggae and not African music when I was from Africa. Originally a reggae singer only, I began playing Zambian-Pop after an eye-opening experience while touring Europe in 2004. The “Sing Our Own Songs” and “Music of the Bwile People” published in 20 respectively. I also have had an opportunity to direct two documentaries on Zambian music. I have headlined at festivals such as Millpond 2014 in Bishop, CA, 2014 Umoja Festival in Pittsburgh, PA, and the 2015 Levitt Amp Sheboygan Music Series in Sheboygan, WI. I was awarded best Afro-fusion for the song “Nandunge” from the album, Anthem, my first album to feature Zambian traditional instruments, at the 2008 Born and Bred Awards in Zambia. I have shared stages with acts such as Oliver Mtukuzi of Zimbabwe, Mulatu Astatke and Mahamud Ahmed both of Ethiopia, Michael Rose, Steven Marley, the Skatalites, and Third World of Jamaica. ![]() I then went on to study World Music Performance at the renowned School of Music at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL in the United States of America where I graduated with a Masters in Music in May 2013.Īlongside my scholarly work, I maintain an active performing career, touring and recording music all over the world. An active musician while in college, I played in popular reggae bands in Zambia, including the Bantu Roots, and in my own band which later came to be called the Dark Black. I studied Music Education at Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce in Zambia majoring in classical piano and later studied Bachelors in Primary Education with a bias in Music at the University of Zambia. ![]() My first musical experiences began in 1994 when I sang in a band called Afro-Vision. My research interests focus on the impact of the 1990s Zambia’s economic liberalization, and globalization on Zambian-Pop. I am an ethnomusicology doctoral candidate.
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