Alick Nkhata: the Zambian freedom fighter who preserved folk music
Folk music is much more than acoustic guitars and untrained voices; it is capable of capturing the history and culture of certain places, people, and time periods, preserving them for future generations.
Across the vast and diverse continent of Africa, those cultural roots were consistently and deliberately erased by colonial powers over a period of hundreds of years, yet the folk traditions of nations like Zambia continue to thrive in the modern age, in defiance of those colonial rulers. That enduring folk influence is largely down to the efforts of artists and freedom fighters like Alick Nkhata, who always remained dedicated to their own cultural heritage.
Born and raised in the heart of Lusaka, Nkhata grew up surrounded by the rich culture and music of Zambia, but he was also witness to the colonial oppression of his homeland at the hands of the British Empire. Before long, the Empire called upon the budding young musician to fight in the British Colonial Forces during World War II, during which he was stationed in Burma. Upon returning to his home, however, Nkhata focused all of his attention on music, preserving the traditional folk sounds of his native Zambia.
It was then that the musician formed a quartet, which eventually morphed into the Lusaka Radio Band. Focused on rural folk songs, often with a country music twang, the band became known throughout Zambia and the surrounding region thanks to radio airplay in central Africa, along with a smattering of vinyl releases throughout the 1950s. Although the music they were playing wasn’t inherently political or overtly confrontational, the very fact that Nkhata and the Lusaka Radio Band had dedicated themselves to performing rural Zambian folk was defiant in its own right.
After all, it was this music which reaffirmed the cultural heritage of the region, reminding audiences of all the joy and vibrancy of their nation. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this cultural pride in post-war Africa. It was a time during which more and more nations across the continent began to demand independence from their colonial powers. So, after hundreds of years of oppression, of attempting to strip away any kind of African identity, it was down to artists, musicians, and writers to remind the people of those strong cultural roots.
As a result, the timeless tones of Alick Nkhata became a kind of unofficial soundtrack to Zambian independence. The Republic of Zambia was formally established in 1964, after a period of great political turmoil and conflict. Nkhata continued to perform throughout the period of independence, alongside his band, which soon renamed itself the Big Gold Six. In fact, he went on to work with the Central African Broadcasting Service in the wake of Zambian independence, dedicating himself to the recording and preservation of traditional music.
Nkhata eventually graduated to the Zambian Broadcasting Service, becoming a definitive voice for the traditional folk music of central Africa, and creating a wealth of incredible recordings himself, although many of them have since been lost to obscurity. He retired in 1974, relocating to a farm in Mkushi, where he could be free to breathe the country air and play the music that he had spent his whole life preserving.
Tragically, only four years into his retirement, Nkhata was killed. Conflict raged on in Zambia and the surrounding regions post-independence, with the Rhodesian Army constantly at war with various guerrilla groups, militias, and freedom fighters. Unknowingly, Nkhata’s farm was near a base for the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army. During a raid on the camp by Southern Rhodesian forces, the musician was killed in a crossfire.
Despite his tragic death, however, Nkhata still boasts an incredible legacy over the musical and cultural landscape of Zambia and of central Africa in general. His tireless work in preserving traditional songs and giving the nation a stronger sense of cultural identity continues to permeate the modern musical scene of the region. What’s more, Mississippi Records’ newly announced compilation of selected works from Nkhata, entitled Radio Lusaka, promises to introduce the incredible life and work of the folk freedom fighter to multiple new generations of audiences all across the globe.
