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THE United States of America (US) and European Union(EU) have teamed up to help accelerate a partnership among Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC) towards development of the Lobito Corridor. The move by the US and EU will help upgrade critical infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa to unlock the enormous potential of […]

FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga believes his executive has earned government’s trust following Chipolopolo’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations. For the first time in eight years, Zambia will be among the continent’s elite as they battle it out for the coveted AfCON trophy in the 2023 edition that will be […]

By Lifestyle Reporter

THEY say, ‘Life begins at 40’ but for renowned Zambian musician Frank Chirwa famously known as Afunika, who turns 40 this year, life is more than celebrating this biggest landmark but taking a new chapter in his whole music career.

The self-proclaimed King of the New Version Kalindula who fondly calls himself the ‘Eye of an Eagle’ says turning 40 means more experience, skill and maturity enough to embark on a new phase in his music as he offloads a new album themed, ‘40 Years Pa Chalo’ which literally means 40 years on Earth.
“This is a different album altogether. I feel like I am now starting on a new chapter, I wish this to be a very big success in my career,” remarks Afunika as he explains his new project which comes after four successful albums.
Afunika says he decided to link the title to the celebration of his 40th birthday as it is a huge yardstick for him to take a deeper reflection of where he is coming from musically and where he wants to be.
He explained that he started recording the album last year, just when he realized he was turning 40 this year. He said he wanted to bring out issues that help him to question what he has done in the past, reflect on highs and lows of life, and use his experiences as well as those of many others to package an album that will cut across all ages.
“Life begins at 40 for me means reflecting on something that I have been doing in the past. It means me reflecting on what I have achieved and even what I failed to do. This is the album that speaks maturity. I did this album thinking critically on what songs to include unlike in the past where I would just do some songs without thinking deeply about them,” he said, pointing out that he has given the album a blend of something for the young as well as for the elderly majority of whom he thinks makes his audience.
He is also keen to attract new audiences emerging from the trending music vibes.
“I picked the best songs that have made me in the past to get the inspiration to do this album. My inspiration also comes from a part of my life, what I have gone through and what others have experienced. In short, the album explains the past, the present and the future,” he said, emphasizing also that the other portion of his motivation for the album came from his wrong choices he has made in his journey, and undesired paths he has walked on, that he admits have given him deeper introspection.
Much as he appreciates that the album is different, Afunika is taking none of his fans for granted. He expresses gratitude for the support he has received over the years and believes through this album he will engage more deeply and passionately with his fans.

40 Years Pa Chalo comes out on 15th September 2023. The album is a collection of 20 tracks with six featured artistes among them Drimz, Jae Cash, Chef 187, Xaven, The Eye and Smooth B. On this, Afunika worked with producers Silent Eraser, Kas Beats, Jerry Fingers, T Rux and Sunny Brex as producers.
Songs like Ndalufyanya Lyonse, Full Course, Testimony and Nshakalabe will give you that motivation to love the album at first exposure to it. The album will be available on various social media music stores.

By TROY MUKUPA

Australian based, Zambian versatile rapper, singer, and songwriter, Sampa the Great has been nominated at the 18th annual BET Hip-Hop Awards in the category of “The Best International flow” where she will battle it out with South African heavyweights in K.O. and the late AKA.

Others in the category are Central Cee and J Hus, both from the United Kingdom including, French rapper Gazo and Nigeria’s Burna Boy.

The rapper, real name Sampa Tembo and is also basking in the glory of her nomination for the best international achievement at this year’s Kwacha music awards has made history by becoming the first ever Zambian artiste to be nominated for the prestigious BET Hip-Hop Award.

The ‘International Flow category’ she is nominated in is a category created by organisers to celebrate Hip-Hop artists from other countries outside the USA.

This year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards are slated for October 3 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Saving Spots, an initiative that seeks to protect Zambia’s magnificent wild cat species while preserving the rich cultural traditions of the Lozi People recently received the prestigious Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing at the 31st Problem Oriented Policing Conference. Excitingly, this was the first time that a conservation or African-based project has been nominated as a finalist for the award.

The innovative and culturally sensitive conservation initiative was launched in 2019 in response to concerns about wild cat populations threatened by illicit hunting for their skins and is a partnership between the Barotseland Royal Establishment, Panthera, WCP Zambia and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Zambia. Saving Spots is based on a similar initiative called ‘Furs for Life’ that Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organisation, successfully established in partnership with the Nazareth Baptist Church eBuhleni in South Africa. Both initiatives involve the introduction  of highly realistic synthetic fur garments, known as Heritage Furs, that replace authentic leopard, serval, cheetah and lion skins used in ceremonial attire.

The initiative has received strong endorsement from the Barotseland Royal Establishment who, as conservation pioneers, declared that Heritage Furs will replace authentic skins at future gatherings. Importantly, the project has been well received by the Lozi community and has resulted in greatly reduced demand for authentic skins.  During the most recent Kuomboka ceremony in 2022 it was estimated that at least 70 percent of the approximately 220 paddlers on the Litunga’s Royal Barge were wearing the Heritage Furs.  Encouragingly, recent research indicates that the project, alongside other wildlife protection efforts, has made a significant contribution to the stabilisation and recovery of leopard populations in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem. 

This year’s Herman Goldstein Award was dedicated to His Royal Highness, the late Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta, who was instrumental in the establishment and success of the Saving Spots initiative.

Identifying and analyzing volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma showed promise as a screening method for MPM, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore.

The stigma that patients face when diagnosed with lung cancer is associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes, including distress and isolation, delayed help-seeking, and concerns about the quality of care, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore.

The oral, selective KRAS G12C inhibitor KRAS-G12C inhibitor adagrasib demonstrated durable clinical activity, with a median overall survival of 14.1 months and approximately one in three patients alive at two years, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore.

Research findings from the CheckMate 227 trial will be presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer 2023 in Singapore, shedding light on the six-year survival and quality of life benefits associated with first-line nivolumab + ipilimumab therapy.

The color of the phlegm from patients with the lung disease bronchiectasis can indicate the degree of inflammation in their lungs and predict their future outcomes, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy.