Mathew Tembo on coming home

ZIO MWALE, Lusaka
WHEN Mathew Tembo left Zambia for the United States, he had a Diploma in Music and was fairly well respected in music circles. But he got quite some jolt when he just arrived there.
“When I moved to the United States eight years ago, the school where I went to study [Northern Illinois University] had a big Jazz programme, so when they asked me about jazz and who my favourite jazz artist was, I mentioned Kenny G and everyone in the room laughed at me, it was embarrassing, I thought that was jazz but to them it was not,” Mathew says.
“[The] Understanding of jazz here [in Zambia] is quite different from the way people understand it in the US, we don’t have a jazz culture here in Zambia, and people do not know what it is. I used to think Kenny G is a jazz musician, I only knew that day that what he performs is not jazz if you go with jazz standards in the US.
“My definition of jazz music changed. The two years I spent at Northern Illinois University I listened to a lot of jazz music and it opened my mind about what it is. Now I know what defines jazz music.”
Mathew is currently in the country, like he does every year. This time, he is also launching his new album titled Konkha.http://epaper.daily-mail.co.zm/