MUSI-O-TUNYA - Give Love To Your Children

M.O.T. RECORDS | LMOT 001 | 1976

Bass, Flute, Xylophone, Kalimba & Vocals: Derick Mbao
Guitar: Wayne Barnes
Drums, Bongos & Vocals: Brian Chengala
African Drums, Cowbell, Bass Drum, Bongos, Timbales, Kalimba etc. & Vocals: Alex Kunda
Congas, Acoustic Guitar, Bells & Vocals: Siliya Lungu
Trumpet & Trombone: Njenga
Saxophone: Abdallah

Recorded at Sapra Studios (Nairobi, Kenya)
Engineer: Detlef Degener
A Musi-O-Tunya Production
Label Design: Chris Manners
Cover Design for M.O.T. Records: Tina Aschan
Cover Design for Teal Edition (Above): Prakash Lelloo

Tracklisting:
A1. Give Love To Your Children (Mbao)
A2. Sunkha (Kunda)
A3. Starving Child (Mbao)
A4. Ayeye (Mbao)
A5. Njala (Mbao)
B1. Katonga (Kunda)
B2. When I'm Gone (Lungu)
B3. Bashi Mwana (Chengala)
B4. My Baby (Mbao)
B5. Mwana Osauka (Mbao)

Leonard Koloko (Zambian Music Legends):

At the time when Zamrock was beginning to hit the airwaves there was hot debate on whether to classify MOT in that genre or that of Afro-rock. The majority of the fans placed them in the latter and declared them Zambia’s answer to Osibisa because MOT had taken an international direction. Like Osibisa, they attempted to portray an image of virgin Africa untouched by western civilisation. This they did by appearing in stage costumes of animal skins, beads, feathers etc. Their image was close to that of traditional dancers and apart from the western guitars and drums they added other, African instruments to make their sound richer and authentic. Another addition to their African image was the adaptation of Rastafarian hairstyles which many other musicians would later emulate.

Now-Again Records:

We can only describe Give Love To Your Children as a medley of Funk, Psych-Rock, and Fuzz-Guitar-lead Afrobeat from this ground-breaking Zambian band. This album’s grooves hold the last, sustained shouts from one of the first Zamrock ensembles: Musi-O-Tunya exploded at the height of the Zamrock movement, scattering its members everywhere, with only this last, fiery artefact to remember them by.