y JOHN KAPESA –
KUNDAS, a café or snack bar offering amusement and leisure activities in Mufulira was a pursuit of folk music last weekend when folk maestro Pontiano Kaiche stormed to liven up the border town.
Starved of elf and pixie music local patrons dared the last of the April chilly weather to part away with entrance fees of K20.00, while Pontiano, renowned for his folklore and fairy story lyrics opened the floor with commonly renditions of Don Williams, Kenny Rodgers before turning local at 21.49 hours with the late Joyce Nyirongo’s Mate then went into a medley.
Nsanje, Ndelele mwana and a couple of Sakala Brothers’ throbs ensued with excitedly energised young fans; most of them wavering with alcoholic bottles in their hands.
Pontiano who shrewdly and ingeniously spiced his strumming of his guitar drifted into the historic Emmanuel Mulemena’s Ndelala Kwisa and some of Alick Nkhata’s folk brought down Kundas’ Café to the chagrin of fans that were usually thronging the stage to gyrate and enjoy the photo sessions with the musician.
Late in the night, Pontiano glided into his popular Kung’ombo, then Bana Mulenga na Mafiga to the audience’s ululation as he later rekindled memories through P K Chishala’s Muling’uni and Mukamfwilwa by John Mwansa.
In a snappy chat Pontiano told Times Entertainment that he was back home in Mufulira and assured his fans of regular shows in the next few months predominantly for all those young at heart.
Abdulazizi Mulenga, an ardent fan of folk music and friend to Pontiano who missed the performance bemoaned lack of enough publicity.
He said Pontiano, was a big figure who should return with wider coverage so that elderly people can sample and enjoy his music as they cannot attend these ordinary musical promotions in night clubs as most of them were youthful.