One thing that I shall forever be proud of, is helping promote music, mostly traditional Tonga music. With me in the picture is Enock Mbongwe who is among the remaining few that still passionately play the Kalumbu. In 2011, he was invited to perform at the BBC Proms 12 in the Royal Albert Hall. This is no ordinary event nor hall. The Guardian reported that “there was Zambia’s Enock Mbongwe on the one-string kalumbu, pressing it to his bare belly while singing in a hilarious variety of registers.”
Locally he has hardly missed giving a stunning performance at the Chikuni Radio All Tonga Music Festival since 2000.
“The kalumbu is a one-stringed musical bow, the ancient origins of which lie with the San people. In Zambia only found amongst the Ba-Tonga and Ba-Ila peoples of Southern Province.” – Michael Baird
You may watch Enock’s performance at the Royal Albert Hall on Michael Baird SPM YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5uPqqZPrbM and do subscribe to that page.
I salute men like Enock.
