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DESH
Desh first came on the Zambian music scene in 1994 as a gospel-rapstar. Did the first album with a group he formed with his friend Saili Nyondo. The group got known as the Rap Prophets; in which Desh took the role as the 'lost prophet', Sai as the 'mad prophet' and Joe Chibangu who later joined them as the 'miscellanious prophet'. They sang songs about politics, love, religion and other realities and madnesses of life. Rap Prophets became the first known rapgroup in Zambia, they were the first to be accepted on national television and appear in shows like 'sounds good' and have their videos played befor newsbroadscasts. As the media gave the prophets a platform to expose their minds, certain churchpeople started to accuse them of making money in the name of the Lord. After the formation released 'Leader', a song which talked about the corruption in Chiluba's newly appointed government, people in politics joined those claiming the RapProphets were false prophets. It was about 1995, at the time Chiluba was not yet known for his outrageous pockets fundings but as the popular busboy who made it to be a president. After having toured the country for some three years, their families advised the prophets to turn back to studies. Sai left for South Africa to learn how to advertise, Desh tried music studies at Lusaka's Evelyn Hone, Joe started his music studies in Kitwe. When Boom Shaka came to Z. in 1997, Joe and Desh regrouped and opened stage for them. Desh's accepted Boom Shaka's invitation to come South and started performing with various South African artists like UGC. He shared stage with guys like Arthur, Bongo Muffin' and the Trompies. Two years later he came back to Z and joined a crew named the EHD-crew, the Ever High Dreads, consisting of Nasty D., 2WICE, Louie X. Nasty D. had just come back from the United Kingdom where he had recorded an album 'Bembalise, Nyanjalise'. 2WICE was singing his famous tomato-song (complaining the prices of food has gone up to much whilst the politicians were getting fat) and was soon to be arrested. Louie X had just done an album called 'Ulwisha' ('Working for nothing'). In 2002, the EHD-crew decided to change their name into Zambezi-symphony and was joined by ShiMasta, Queen Sheeba, Black Jizas, Nasty's younger relatives Mwaka & 'Rude Boy' Hakim. Though all of them considered themselves to be solo-artists, they continued coming together to do record, to make videos and to give shows. In the year 2002-2003 they had about 150 shows, establishing a Zambian record. Nasty D. hits the charges with 'Ayitaya' which took the number 1 position for 26 weeks. At the same time, Desh was working with MYB, a modelling company which did jobs for projects like Soul City, which is trying to promote the use of condoms in the fight against HIV-AIDS. Befor the elections of 2001, he travelled the country to make young people aware of their democratic rights for Operation Young Vote. After Desh, 2WICE, Louie X & Shimasta left Zambezi-symphony, Desh started working on his solo-album 'Nayanomba', which started playing on the radio late 2003 and will be released for sale in 2004. A live-performance of one of the tracks, 'Nokowamubiyo', was shot to be feature in 'Suwi' (working title), Zambia's first international featurefilm, which will be released together with its soundtrack. The film shows Desh performing his song at the time when the maincharacter 'Suwi' finds out her beloved is cheating on her.... Late 2004, Desh released the two hitsingles 'Lesa Somone', a folksong on hypocrisy, and 'Nalikutemwa', a danceable lovesong featuring the Dutch singer, theatre directer and actress Elise de Ruiter. Whilst Lesa Somone ('God come see' (what they are doing in your name) > lyrics ) became the center of socially concerned items around clergymen and politicians, Nalikutemwa received attention as a unique mix of a local dance hit and the un-Zambian vocalist. In December 2004, Desh left Zambia for the Netherlands, where he has been recording his his second solo cd 'Wrong Number' with dancehall & hiphop producer DJ Bart Groove. During his stay he has been working with the guitarist CR= on a set of akoustic songs, he recorded two songs with the band the Bingo Nuts, did a mix with the alternative techno DJ Marcus and featured on the new cd of the Malawian collective Kid & the People for the recordlabel Dakar Sound. In February, Desh had a live performance at the Poetry Slam in Rotterdam, where he improvised a jamsession on live & death.
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