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Funti K has been around for a long time and has been in the background of most productions of the current crop of Zambian music that we get to hear these days. He has been patient enough not to give up his quest to release an album and I guess that’s why he had to name his album “Niyembekeza” meaning “I am Waiting”. He has waited for a long time and now he has managed to achieve one of his dreams. His music is rich in sound quality, lyrics and vocals. It has maturity embedded in every fabric of the songs. It features K’Millian, Hamoba ,Exile and so on. It is produced by TK of RomaSide who I guess needs no introduction in the Zambian music community. The album is a must buy and I give it a 100% mark .
BH: So Funti. Tell me something about yourself?
Funti K: There are a lot of things I would want to say man. Anyways I was born in the late 70’s on the 31st of August. I am the first and the last born and Am the only child. I grew up with a single parent-‘my mother’. She’s been taking care of me since 1986. I was born in Olympia and went to school at Olympia Primary school from 1986 to 1992. The time I was in Grade 5 and 6 is when I fell in love with music and thus started collecting western music. There was a friend of mine who used to bring me music and so thereafter I started miming because there was going to be a variety show at school and my friend told me I can do something as well. From there I started working on this talent. In 1994, I recorded a song with TK. The song was an AIDS song entitled “Zichingilileni” meaning “Protect Yourselves”.
BH: What are your most precious moments?
Funti K: [Laughs out Loud]-(............................)There a lot as well man and one of them is when I broke my virginity and when I first fell in Love and when I recorded my first Demo. Recording a Demo was an achievement to me.
BH: How has been your relationship with your mother and relatives?
Funti K: Well I am alone like I said but I haven’t been all alone. I have been with my Aunties children who I say are my brothers and sisters. I take them as my brothers and sisters. But I have always wanted to feel how it’s like to have a blood brother or sister but hey that’s Gods plan so it’s all good. My mother is my lovely queen. When I make a mistake, she tells me so. She’s always straight with me and puts me right when I’m wrong.
BH: So what do you do in your spare time?
Funti K: I love playing XBOX games and I used to enjoy swimming but when I was 11 years old I almost drowned so I fear the waters now. I also like playing tennis and badminton though its been long since I played. I also love learning new things and making friends.
BH: What are your dreams and aspirations?
Funti K: My ambitions are to make it in life and to fulfill Gods plan for me. I want to make it in the music industry and to help Zambian music reach a higher level and thus help the up-coming artists because it’s not easy to break out man!! It’s taken me a long time to release my first album.
BH: Hey which one is the most popular track on the album?
Funti K: I think it’s “Big Tymer”. It features Exile.
BH: What’s the message in the song?
Funti K: Man, the situation for us young men in Zambia is not really good. We don’t work and we don’t have any money. The girls are looking for someone to take care of them financially and if you have a girl and you don’t work and don’t have money, your girl will look for a Big Tymer(Sugar Daddy). I’ve seen it happen to other people and it has happened to me as well. This is what’s happening right now in Zed. Zambian women are beautiful yes we know that but us guys are failing to love them because we feel uncomfortable because we are not employed.
BH: So if you were not doing music, what would you be doing?
Funti K: I would be in the Air Force because my grand father fought in the First World War in 1914. He is still alive and his name is January Banda.
BH: Who inspired you to become an Artist?
Funti K: Actually it was my grand father who inspired me. He used to sing, play the guitar and record from home and he had collected music both local and international artists. He had a lot of records by Paul Ngozi, The Witch, Mulemena Boys and PK Chishala etc. I believe I got into music the time I was young but professionally I started in 1999 when I wrote something for Nasty D’s first album. After that I started working with a Band called “Zion Dub Squad” and the late ‘Steeve Lox’.
BH: So which label are you signed on?
Funti K: Am under RomaSide, Secret Records and Flex-O-Tainment.
BH: How did you get hooked with them guys?
Funti K: Well for RomaSide our parents were friends so we grew up as family friends. I started working with RomaSide from 2004 when I was given a job as a Studio Engineer and Co-Producer. I got to hook up with the Chief Executive Officer of Secret Records Mr. Chimika Mwanza through TK. He got interested due to the video which is aired in Zambia and throughout Africa through Channel O. Flex-O-Tainment record label is in charge of the marketing, production and distribution of my CD’S. Flex-O-Tainment is owned by Mr. Mutale”Flex” Mwansa.
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Ntwale Siulanda
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