14/04/2025
The 1970s and 80s had Shimaini Teddy Tandeo Chilambe ,a social commentary and folk singer with popular tracks like chulila in'ganda,, which was his first single in 1977, then throughout the 1980s he released other singers on vinyl like Bampundu babili, Sekeseke wechipuba, Wechibanda, tulumbe ba Shimaini, Bela kwilamba,, imilongo, nebo nshiwamwa , ubufi, wampapisha and other hits on the Zambezi label of Teal Record Company.
Chilambe is probably one of the best song writers and social commentators of the 1980s. He was fearless and unapologetic, his music was allegorical. You will need to think twice when you listen to each song. He wasted no words while tuning in some nice melody.Some of his words were hidden in metaphors,most which apply even in today's life. He talked politics, family and entertainment.
It is difficult to point out the best song because all of them had something critical in them. Perhaps the most emotional one was his own experience when he was going to Luapula. In the song Insekete, he advised people going to Luapula to use a plain if they have big square jaws like him (Insekete/ mbovu).
The reason being that Zambians always used to use the pedicle road when going to Luapula, they would pass through the Zaire ( Congo) boarder. The Zairean/Congolese soldiers or home guards called BaKaboke were always cruel to Zambians. They would ask for bribes and if you didn't have it was bad for you.
One story that passed the rounds wether true or not was of a woman who washed the nappies while waiting to be cleared. She quickly packed nappies without checking. When being searched, ba Kaboke found a live chameleon and forced the woman to eat it. That caused outrage among Zambians.
In the late 1970s a lot of West Africans trekked to Zambia especially the Senegalese and Malians to come and mine emeralds. This is were famous Kitwe names like Galedou and Gounasse got reputation from.
In the song Chilambe claims ba Kaboke heard about emeralds so they were searching every Zambian who looked suspicious to them. If you have a big stomach, A hunchback they would make you strip to confirm .
He is complaining about the slaps he received because he has square jaws and they insisted that's where he hid the emeralds.
He also sang direct jabs at the UNIP government with Songs like Bwesha where he was urging the government to reduce prices of commodities and Salaula where he Mockingly said Zambians were rescued by Congolese from walking naked because of second hand clothes.
Teddy Tandeo Chilambe died in the 1990s. A son by the same name continues where the father left off.
