From the Series
Track of the Week "Ama-Rulah" by Roberto points to one of the biggest trends in Zambian music, the use of popular brands or products to describe romantic relationships. This summer, Roberto takes the indigenous-to-Africa fruit liqueur Amarula Cream and adds a shot of infectious Nyanja flavour for a head-bobbing beat that has to date made BBC Radio Xtra's Top 5. The track's dependence on the bass drum and sparse synths create an irresistible rhythm as natural as a heartbeat, with the kind of foot-tapping and hand-clapping that will get the party stared early this year-end.
Afro-R&B artist, producer and on-air presenter Roberto, started out as a rapper in his youth. According to the artist, Usher's “My Way” converted him to vocals, which led him to build a life in South Africa, writing songs for artists such as Boom Shaka and Thebe. Upon his return to Lusaka he released his debut album containing hits such as "Operator" and "Mtima Wakho". Since then he has worked his way up to regular appearances on Channel O with the group Explosive, to producing his first single “Chest to Chest”.
Roberto also teamed up with Toniks from Uganda to form UZ47. Together this two-man team have released music videos that saw skyrocketing views across the country. The turning point came with his 2012 solo album My Name Is, which in turn won him Best R&B Album and Best Song Writer of The Year at the 2013 Zambia Music Awards. 2015 sees massive things happening for Roberto, who is currently working on his next project, #1712, which promises some “major collaborations” and creative experiments.
