He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and probably try to fit exactly in dad’s ‘big foot’ musical shoe.

Although he is determined to do that, his aim is to first translate all of his late father’s music into reggae to give it an international touch while he embarks on his own compositions.

He is one out of the lot of children that Zambian music legends sired, who has come out to emulate his parent.

Teddy Chilambe Junior will not stop at anything than to hit above the level where his father left off after his demise in 1998.

Chilambe Junior is the fifth of the six siblings and the only man against five sisters.

The young musician’s dreadlock appearance is quite contrary to his father’s personal image and admits that, he cannot be exactly as his father in everything despite sharing the same name.

He also happens to be a person who never paid any attention to his father’s music until at a later stage.

“Frankly speaking, I was never his fan and did not even listen to his music during my teen days. I just came to appreciate it later when I grew up,” Chilambe junior explained.

Chilambe says it was only then that he realised how powerful his father’s music was and was set to exploit it in full.

Weaned from Mufulira where his father worked as an underground miner, Chilambe junior settled in Kitwe’s Kwacha Township in 1996, where he interacted with the likes of Davis Ngoma a.k.a Nasty D and other rappers such as Louis X, Twice and Alubusu.

“It was at the time Nasty D had just released his popular songs, Shanty Shanty and Good Milile, which did very well. I was encouraged from then on and performed as a curtain raiser for him,” Chilambe says.

Though Chilambe listens to music from the young generation, he thinks much of it is senseless with the same message that just encourages violence and promiscuity.

“Much of it is very embarrassing and the message does not cut across all sections of society. This is the kind of music you cannot listen to while your children and elders are present. It is so embarrassing,” Chilambe says.

He advises upcoming musicians to dwell on songs that preach about culture and good morals to the youth who are future leaders.

“I also listened to reggae from Lucky Dube and Senzo and at the local level; I was carried away by music from Daddy Zemus and Mainza Chipenzi as well as Alubusu.

“Do you know that the salaula song by Zemus, was actually my dad’s idea which he transformed into rap or reggae? I thought I should start working on my father’s music because it made a lot sense as it taught people good morals.” Chilambe said.

The 40-year-old musician is now working on his father’s music such as Salaula, Chula Chula, Bana Bandi, Bwesha Umutengo, Ibala, Balekana Abasungu, Umulumendo, Ba Mpundu Ba Bili, Umutwe Wa Masanso and many others.

Chilambe Junior’s first album was Jehovah Lesa in 1998 followed by Tribute to Lucky Dube in 2011 and later did Shikanchule, which according to him, did not do well.

“It did not do well on the market, the quality was compromised because I used computers to record. This is why I am now training to play musical instruments with the help of Chabu Chibesa, the young brother of the late Glorias Band leader Uncle Davy,” he explains.

Chilambe also did two other albums, Little Sunshine which came in 2013 and his latest, Heal the World.

Surprisingly, all his music receives massive air play on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) radio as well as a number of community radios in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.

A fully fledged electronic technician, where he earns a living while pursuing music, Chilambe Junior still adores his late father whom he describes as driver of his life, having taught him how to live as a man when he grows up and when he(father) will no longer be there one day.

Chilambe Junior may not be greater than his father but can certainly be like him if he works hard.

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