To mark our birthday we thought that we would share this Zambian newspaper article with you about Clement and the launch of his CD ‘Blessings’. The production of the CD was enabled by Zambezi Sunrise Trust supporters. The article is about the launch night that we had in Livingstone in March. It was great fun and Clement performed two great sets. CDs will be available for sale soon. They are £6 plus pp. Please email info@zambezisunrisetrust.co.uk for any orders.
Ailola treats UK tourists to ‘Blessings’ – Zambia Daily Mail
SHIKANDA KAWANGA, Livingstone
CLEMENT may not be a household name in music circles in Livingstone, never mind in the country, but when he performed at his album launch at Dacanton Restaurant in the tourist capital last week, all attention was on him.
Indeed, he was a breath of fresh air among the tourists who formed much of the audience.
Clement, who is visually impaired, had chosen an unusual day to launch his 10-track album, which his manager, Joanne Gillette, says cost about K4, 000 to produce. But for the audience, mostly white tourists, there seemed nothing unusual about the whole affair. Clement, who is being sponsored by Zambezi Sunrise Trust, a United Kingdom-based charity, did his best to entertain the audience. But it was not a high-tempo performance that you would normally expect at a performance. This was a somewhat an intimate and up-close performance by Clement whose other names are Ailola Maimbolwa.
Clement says his music is inspired by the attitudes of people in various communities and describes his songs as educative as they encourage respect and love for one another. My music teaches people to understand the kind of life we should live, such as respect and love for one another, he says. One of the songs on the album titled Blessings, addresses the issue of gender-based violence (GBV), a topical issue in today’s society. GBV is always on the news, there is no love for one another, spouses are battering each other, and worse still, others are killing their partners. Parents also inflict painful punishments on their children for useless reasons, he says.
Clement hopes that his music will teach young ones, who he believes are the most disrespectful, to respect elders. Respect is lacking in children, which must not be the case, he says. Clement also has another song which he has dedicated to his wife, who is partially blind.
Indeed, when he talks about his songs being about the issues confronting the community, he is right.
You just have to look at the titles of his songs; Minhano Ya Bantu (People’s Minds), Teya Mazebe (Open Up Your Ears), Talusa Ya Lilato (Tell Me the Meaning), Sweetheart You Are Not Alone and Ndipeleke.