MOVE over Afrobeats, there’s a new melody captivating Africa and it comes straight from Zambia! Monze South’s own Brighton Ng’andu aka Mr Crown, is experiencing a whirlwind of success with his surprise hit “Don’t Go Away.”
Released last November alongside Zambian music heavyweight Yo Maps, the song wasn’t exactly aiming for continental dominance.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it,” Mr Crown admitted in a recent interview with Kalemba. “My target audience was Zambia, but the music just has a way…”
And that “way” seems to be straight into hearts (and hips) across East Africa.
Despite the song’s predominantly Tonga and Nyanja lyrics, with only a sprinkling of English (“baby don’t go away”), fans in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa are belting out the entire song and dancing the night away.
“I didn’t know it (the song) was going to go beyond borders but I knew from the very beginning that it was going to be a hit because music is spiritual,” he narrated.
“But I didn’t know it was going to go this far.”
The desire to create the piece of art stemmed from a desire to address a real-life issues such escalating divorce cases and marital disputes.
This song is a plea for understanding, a message to couples going through tough times.
“I live in a community and society were I see separations, heartbreaks and divorces. So I have always wanted to contribute to the ending of such vices in our communities,” he remarked.
“You know boyfriends or husbands (Spouses) being left by their partners because of not being financially stable is not okay, so an artist, I wanted to be able to contribute to the ending of such a vice through music and there is no other way that I could communicate to the people except through music.”
With “Don’t Go Away” dominating airwaves and dancefloors for six months now, Mr Crown is humbled.
“The song is not just playing in Zambia but across Africa. It is really a blessing for me.” added Mr Crown. “Just last night, I received a video clip from a DJ in Uganda showing me how people were still vibing to the song, so the feeling is just overwhelming, it’s too much and I just cant describe it.”
While “Don’t Go Away” is his current chart-topper, Mr Crown is no stranger to the music scene, he has been crafting tunes since 2008.
Mr Crown has also worked a number of artiste on tracks like “My Baby” featuring Jemax and “Kumbele” featuring Macky 2 among others.
But “Don’t Go Away” is a phenomenon, proving that language isn’t a barrier when it comes to a heartfelt plea set to a catchy beat.
Look out for Mr Crown – he’s here to stay, reminding us all that sometimes, the biggest hits come as beautiful surprises.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba April 30, 2024
