Introducing: Chipego

Zambian-born and South African-raised singer-songwriter Chipego is a powerhouse whose artistry celebrates heritage and reflects the evolving sound of Southern Africa. Her sound blends a plethora of genres such as Alternative RnB, Melodic House, and Afrotech to name a few. In her element, her pen is piercing and evocative as they come. She is able to craft a narrative that sheds light on the atrocities of the past whilst still celebrating African resilience, affirming her as a talent that many can resonate with across the African continent. With her words, she is able to reclaim her truth and recount her story from a position of power.

As Chipego gets ready to unveil her debut album ‘Don’t Forget To Remember’ on the 28^th of February, fans salivate in excitement to finally be invited into her world. Her win in the FOSTA THE SOUND competition coupled with the reception to Lusaka!, Chipego can be expected to be walking into her release date with sheer confidence. Up to now, we have only seen a fraction of what this otherworldly artist is capable of. In our exclusive interview we get to open dialogue around her cultural roots, her approach to creating music, the Amagroove Songwriting camp experience, her album, and more.

The conversation unfolded as documented below:

captured by Nondumiso Shange

How has your Zambian heritage and South African upbring influenced your musical style and artistic expression? Are there specific cultural traditions or experiences that have shaped your journey?

The influence from both is so obvious in my music, from the genres I play in to the subject matter I explore. I grew up in a very Christian home where I wasn't really allowed to watch MTV or listen to "secular" music. But for some reason, every transport driver I had would have the best playlists. It was a lot of deep cut house music, hip-hop, and Kwaito on the way to school. Because of how I grew, I never knew Zambia as home outside of my parents. So, I've often felt a bit lost when it comes to identity. I like to find my way in my writing. I've been writing a lot about my idea of home and how I remembered it as a kid.

Outside of the soulful sound that introduced me to your voice, you have tested your range across Afrotech, Melodic House, and experimental production. How do you balance staying true to your cultural roots while experimenting with contemporary genres?

I'm still finding that balance honestly. I feel like a young musician because I've often just played around with what I truly like. I listen to music without borders, so that translates to what I've put out so far. What ties it all together is that it's always true to the season I'm in. Whether I'm really diving into Zambian culture as a whole or perfecting my pen as a storyteller, it's always a seasonal experience.

Hard to box you into one genre, which musical influences would you say have shaped the way you approach creating music today?

Sade, Lauryn Hill, Kelela, Sudan Archives, Frank Ocean, Jordan Rakei, Thandiswa Mazwai, Bob Marley, DJ Kent, Michael Jackson, OutKast, Hiatus Kaiyote... my music taste is wide, and I tend to listen to artists who are unafraid to play around with genre. But, I'll give my true ode to Michael Jackson, specifically after watching a couple of his behind the scenes clips as a kid. When I started making music, I didn't know how to produce or play a lot of instruments, so I would vocalise the whole song's production. I thought that was so amateur of me until I remembered that thee Michael Jackson used to something similar. So now, I still use that same method to fill up a song here and there.

Last year you participated in the Amagroove Songwriting Camp, a collaborative initiative that brought together artists from South Africa and Denmark. Can you describe your experience collaborating with artists from different cultural backgrounds?

The experience was truly transformative! Learning from people who are artists just like you but have completely different backgrounds is almost trippy. I found myself relating to a lot of the Danish artist experiences and motivations. The camp was set up in a way that we had to make music in groups of 3 to 5. Every day we would shuffle groups and make a completely new song. The mix of Amapiano with Danish pop for example, brought a whole new element to the collaborations. Truly a 1/1 experience.

After the release of Lusaka, you shared that you grew up not knowing how to speak your home language. On said track, it was the first time that you sing in Bemba, what does this mean to you? And can we expect more of that on the album?

Yeah I've been trying to teach myself through music! It means everything to me because of how music I respect my Bemba culture. My parents raised me in a time where it was important that your kids spoke "good" English. I went to English schools all my life and used English nicknames to bury my "African-ness." It's only now that I'm having open conversations with my parents about how they wish they kept that cultural significance alive. Having a song like Lusaka! is really a gift to them to say I'll always be proud of where I come from. I don't have any Bemba songs on the album but I'm definitely working on something along those lines.

What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have they influenced your music?

Bills bills bills. I've joked with myself about how much I'd get done if I had the budget. As I'm growing, I'm more concerned with day to day living expenses than say funding a project. Ideally, I'd have it all and get it all done. But the reality of it has been that I've written songs at work during lunch breaks, and I've gone to performances and studio sessions with Monday's transport money. It's funny but it's true for me right now. I've had to make the most out of every musical opportunity and I'm so in tune with living life as a give and take, which is probably why I always show up with everything in me.

On ‘Keep On’ you touch on the topics of migration, intergenerational healing, and self-actualisation, themes I cannot help but connect to the title of your upcoming album. Care to share what inspired the name?

I actually had this phrase "Don't forget to remember" during the time Keep On was released. Back then, I was meditating a lot and making these connections about growing up as an African kid, who despite literally living on African soil, knew more about the ways and history of the western world more than our own. Actually, now that you mention it, I think that song inspired the title. Keep On was made with such a pure heart. I hope to always remember to tap into thhat curiosity of a young African kid, who questioned the context of their history book.

Are there any particular themes or concepts you are exploring in your new work?

There's a little bit of love and motivation, battles with life's expectations... I know what each song means to me but I'll admit there's a lot of space for personal interpretation. The past half year, I've been exploring relationship dynamics. The kind of relationships that look good on the outside but have buried desires that keep them distant. And I'm like "be brave and express it all or let it go all together." I'm still searching for an experience of real commitment with myself, people, community... with life herself really.

With your debut album, what do you hope your listeners take away from your music?

I do hope people listen with a little openness. I care about the soul of music, and if that translates in some way, then I'm happy. I think this project honestly reflects my music influences in the Alternative RnB/Hip Hop/Jazz space... where albums are received with an understanding of the "artist plight" of being extremely expressive yet probably introverted. So, I'm hoping to connect with more people on that wave. Other than that, my hopes and expectations are very little compared to my curiosity. I wonder how people will receive or interpret it, as that's something I think is not for me to control.

Don’t Forget To Remember will officially be released tomorrow, 28 Feburary. Until then you can check out the lead single to the project, Lusaka!

Written by Kamohelo More