ONE of the most sensational bands that sprung up just in the middle of nowhere, were the Black Souls, an all school-going outfit that posed an immediate threat on the local music circuit.
This is a band that shared the same stage with a British rock group, the Equals led by Eddie Grant when they toured Zambia in 1972.
The other two bands that performed as curtain raisers during the Equals show at Kitwe’s Buchi Stadium were the Fire Balls and Mike Nyoni’s Born Free.
Black Souls came up in 1971 in Kitwe, a few years after another powerful band, the Kingstons Market who later became the Great Witch, were formed.
All the band members were senior students of Chamboli Secondary School and were classmates of the former Witch lead vocalist, Jagari Chanda.
At one point the school administration almost sent the young band for a tour of the United Kingdom (UK) but things could not work due to communication breakdown.
Kitwe had turned into an entertainment boiling pot which hosted legendary bands such as, Peace, Upshoots, Lusaka Beatles, Rokana Melodies and Mother Set among them.
Mooting the idea to form the Black Souls in Chamboli Mine Township was Leonard “Lee” Bwalya who approached local business executive and politician Dennis Katilungu for assistance.
Bwalya, a childhood friend of former Chimwemwe Member of Parliament (MP) and Roads Development Agency (RDA) chairperson Willie Nsanda also a Chamboli secondary School product, convinced Katilungu to buy them musical instruments.
“I was then in Form Four with former Witch member Jagari Chanda who was my class mate when I thought of forming a band,” Bwalya said in a recent interview from Kalumbila in Solwezi.
The band had Bwalya as band leader on bass guitar, Abraham Mushinga (lead), Gibbons Mwewa (Vocals), Billy Ndalama (organ), Boyd Sinkala who later joined the Witch on drums, while Geoffrey Musonda now a retired Zambia Air force (ZAF) officer, was on rhythm.
Black Souls cannot be forgotten either on the Copperbelt or elsewhere as they commanded a large following because of their approach to rock music that included covers from Deep Purple, Funk, Black Sabbath, Rolling Stones, Beatles and Santana which they played perfectly.
The crowd was always enthusiastic about the band and this was proved when it was contracted to perform at the celebration party for the newly appointed Zambia Army Commander General Kingsley Chinkuli in Kabwe.
“Fans were excited about us, especially after we splashed posters all over the town. But unfortunately, people went back home after we delayed for the show and it was getting late in the night. After we finally arrived around 21 hours and started hooting, the whole town was awake and filled the Elephant’s Head Hotel to capacity shortly afterwards,” Bwalya recalls.
Bwalya also mentioned that among the people that attended the show was the late Paul Ngozi   whose band had not yet made an impact then.
Ngozi, together with his band, took up the stage whenever the Black Souls went on break which was chance to market himself.
The Black Souls participation in events such as the Copperbelt Agriculturl and Commercial show revealed much of the band’s character and took centre stage eclipsing some of the established outfits.
“We always came number two in music competitions at the show. We were only beaten by an all white band called Gate Buckets,” Bwalya disclosed.
Black Souls never went into the studio and only concentrated on live music using foreign covers.
The band also performed at Coffee House then at Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (MEF), YMCA, Pigalle, Golden Peacock, and Moth Club in Kalulushi, Mindolo dam and all the mine clubs on the Copperbelt.
Towards the end of 1972, the band was contracted to perform at Cheers Bar, the then famous night spot, at the Kitwe town centre where it continued to pull large crowds.
But when the band was offered permanent employment they all refused on account that they were still at school.
“We could not take up the offer and Katilungu withdrew the instruments and gave it to another band and that is how we disbanded. It was such a short time,” he said.
Bwalya now in the late 50s, currently works as a mechanic at Kalumbila Mine in Solwezi.
Future plans?
“We are still very much in music and together with Groovy Joe, have formed a band called Black Mountain which will play Zambian music,” he said.
Groovy Joe is the first drummer of the Kingstons Market who later became the legendary Great Witch Band.
Comments:
benjphiri990@gmail.com;
0971 933809;www.times.co.zm