I'm struck by the changes sweeping over Zambia thanks to the degree of connectivity (vis-a-vi cell phone, electronic media, email, etc.) Nothing seems to capture this more than the other day at work; my coworker PN asked if I had any country music that I could give him.
Those familiar with Zambia will tell you that nothing is more jarring to be sitting in a bus with 20 other Zambians when the usual stream of kalindula or modern Zam-hip-hop blaring out of the speakers is interspersed with various Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, or Don Williams songs. Sometime around the Islands in the Stream release, the labels must have dumped about four billion extra copies of those three on Southern Africa. Consequently, your neighbors on the bus all know and sing along to "My Coat of Many Colors", "The Gambler", "My Love For You will Never Die", and so forth.
Though the big-three of Zambian country remain Dolly, Kenny, and the Gentle Giant, there's a real hunger for expanding the country music horizons. I have no semblance of an idea for this, but suffice it to say that when PN asked, I obliged with Moe Bandy, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and of course, that bard of the rails, Boxcar Willie. Now, PN sings the "Wabash Cannonball" with gusto, and periodically asks me to define words (i.e. yesterday I explained what a honky-tonk is).
Hopefully, the next time the bus radio comes on, the Mulemena Boys will be followed by Loretta Lynn.
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