SIWALE

By JAMES KUNDA –

ENTREPRENEURSHIP can take up many forms as Lusaka-based studio owner and media producer Joel Siwale reveals.

Siwale is the founder of Ikonik Music Studios, a media production and record label agency situated in Lusaka.

Born on July 18,1989 in Ndola, Joel was raised by a single parent Lydia Namwila.

But this did not stop him from ensuring that no stone is left unturned where entrepreneurship is concerned.

Siwale has successfully risen to the apex of music production with the courage of always knowing what he wanted to do and going for it.

“I attended Ndola Modern High School, Kansenshi Secondary and Saint Andrews High Schools first then proceeded to the Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies (ZCAS) for a semester in 2007.

“I then moved on to England to pursue an Avanced diploma in Software Engineering at West London College, a BSc (Hons) Degree in Business Information Systems from the University of East Anglia and a Foundation Degree in Business Computing from City College Norwich,” he says.

Joel told Times Entertainment that he then formed a record label called Interim Records with friend and a colleague Chris Hintze.

“The label received good recognition and support from Norwich City College through then Chairperson Dick Palmer as well as the British Broadcasting Corporation.

“Before returning back to Zambia, the label was then sold to the College as the share holding entity.”

• A Recording session in progress at Ikonik Studios in Lusaka. Picture by Joel Siwale.

In 2012, Siwale also known as Cee Jay returned to Zambia and he founded MEIT Technologies with his cousin and colleague Chapanga Sikaundi.

This Information Communication Technology Consultancy Company deals in security systems such as Access Control Systems, and Vehicle Tracking.

“In November, 2013, I founded Ikonik Music Studios, a media production house and record label,” he narrates.

Ikonik studios has established itself well taking its share of the market by having acquired more than 3,000 likes on Facebook and more than 4,000 followers on Twitter.

Famous artistes like Cactus Agony and Exile have recorded their music from Ikonik Studios.