By CHUSA SICHONE –

THE lyrical content of most Zambian songs is skewed towards love but that is not the case with Joseph Pupe’s music.
At age 23, most people would have expected Joseph to join the “love music bandwagon” but he has taken a different route by focusing on more pressing issues affecting Zambia and the world at large in his current debut 12-track album called Tiyeni pamodzi (United world).
True to Joseph’s word, a sample of Tiyeni pamodzi (United world) revealed that the album is advocacy and sensitisation oriented. .
“I saw it to be something that most artistes were not considering and as musicians, it was our task or duty to make sure that as our fans are listening to the music, we help the Government and these other organisations to make sure that information is spread to the people and we just build a better world for all,” Joseph said in an interview.
The album, done in English and vernacular, is mostly inspired by the Millennium Development Goals besides it promoting unity, road safety as well as Zambia’s tourism.
Tiyeni pamodzi (Stop GBV) is the first track on the album highlighting the increasing gender-based violence cases, especially against girls and women, and imploring everyone to team up and fight the vice to guarantee equal rights for all.
Noting that Malaria claims a lot of lives on a daily basis, Joseph calls for practical concerted measures to combat the disease such as taking health services as close as possible to the people in all corners of the country in a song called Malaria free for life.
End extreme poverty is one of the MDGs and is also the title of Joseph’s third song on the album. While the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer hence the need for more collaborative efforts amongst various stakeholders to make the world hunger and poverty free.
When it comes to HIV/AIDS, one is either infected or affected and in the song AIDS is real, Joseph is saying just that coupled with observing the many lives the disease has taken and thus calling for alertness, faithfulness and an end to stigma and discrimination, among others.
Joseph notes that water is life and thus with Safe water and sanitation, which is the title of another song on the album, water borne and diseases associated with poor sanitation will be prevented.
Zambia, like other countries, has not been spared by the effects of climate change such as the change in weather conditions caused by indiscriminate tree cutting and gas emissions, among other factors.
Therefore, the song Climate change (Act today), with additional vocals by American president Barack Obama, comes in handy to sensitise the people on the dangers associated with the wanton tree cutting without replenishing them and gas emissions.
Songs like Be road smart (Life is precious), Let’s explore Zambia and Nikonda amai Zambia are ideal public sensitisation tools for the Road Transport and Safety Agency and Zambia Tourism Board in promoting road safety and the country’s tourism potential.
Peace, unity and love (Tikondane) is what Zambia needs right now as the peace, unity and love the country has been enjoying since Independence in 1964 is being jeopardized by tribalism.
Breast and Cervical cancer and Person with disability (show love) are other songs worth listening to.
Meanwhile, Joseph, together with children from the French school, wowed the audience at the Alliance Francaise last Friday evening with a song he composed called Celebrating our languages and culture during the Francophonie Week launch.