Zambian music royalty Towela Kaira is not holding back and she’s making it clear she has no time for society’s expectations.
In the third episode of BBC’s This Is Africa hosted by DJ Edu, filmed as part of a special feature titled Zambia Ku Chalo, Towela opened up about being a bold, female artist in a conservative country and how she handles criticism about her music, image, and artistic freedom.
DJ Edu didn’t shy away from the big questions: “Do you find that the conservativeness of this space in Zambia allows you to be as raunchy as you are and do whatever type of music style you feel like and to really express yourself artistically?”
Towela’s response? Classic Towela fearless, unapologetic, and full of fire. “I do cross the line with what they are comfortable with here and there but not enough to be a problem but I will be soon… watch out, watch out, watch out.”
She didn’t stop there. With a smirk in her voice, she continued: “I think people love that I’m a free spirit. They are intrigued by how I don’t care about bad things, and I’m just living my life.”
And in what’s already become a viral quote from the interview, she added:
“It’s like I wanna be like that, you know, I don’t wanna care what people think. I feel like that’s a superpower… Or your brothers are gonna see you in a bikini, oh well, it’s the internet what are you gonna do? Just live your life on your terms.”
As the sister to Zambian hip-hop legends Macky 2 and Chef 187, Towela’s last name might be famous, but she’s determined to build her legacy her own way breaking barriers, shaking stereotypes, and proving that women in music can be sexy, spiritual, savage, and soft all at once.
