Bringing a New Sound to Siñalamba

Every good show has to have great music. It sets the mood. It transports our minds to particular places, characters, and stories. As a part of one of PMC’s new radio shows, Siñalamba (“Breaking the Barrier”) in Zambia, PMC-Zambia ran a contest asking people of the Western Province to make a theme song for Siñalamba. The original song for Siñalamba had the beat but no lyrics, creating the perfect opportunity for passionate fans to create a song they felt embodied the show that included the original beat.

“We wanted to involve the audience in creation of the theme song,” says Mwaka Namwinga, PMC-Zambia Marketing Officer. “With fans creating the songs and fans voting on the songs, we got a chance to connect with fans and we can now feel confident that there’s a better chance of people really relating to the song.”

The radio stations airing Siñalamba played the song contest entries on the radio and listeners texted in which ones were their favorites. Approximately 700 people from the Western Province voted. Below are the top three entries, receiving the most votes.

Sin’alamba by DJ Sammy:

https://www.populationmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SINGALAMBA-BY-CHISYBROW-MR-LARGE.mp3

MWA Sin’alamba Y Cost:

https://www.populationmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MWA-SINALAMBA-Y-COST.mp3

Sin’alamba By Chisybrow Mr. Large:

https://www.populationmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SINGALAMBA-DJ-SAMMY-201-0968571954.mp3

Siñalamba is a 156-episodes. It broadcasts from January 2019 to July 2020 in Lozi, one of Zambia’s official languages. Siñalamba releases 2 new episodes per week and airs on various community stations in the Western Province. The show addresses issues such as child marriage, family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence.