Ngozi Family - 45,000 Volts (1977)

Paul Dobson Nyirongo (Paul Ngozi) was born in 1949. The first band he helped form was called the Scorpions. When that band called it quits, he joined Mosi Oa Tunya who were residing in Nairobi, Kenya. After he quit Mosi oa Tunya after only three months, Paul came back to Zambia to form the Ngozi Family Band. By this time (1975) he had earned the name ‘Ngozi’ meaning danger for his spectacular stage antics, that included playing the guitar with his teeth & because each time he took to the stage, people went crazy & there was chaos.

 He immediately signaled his presence on the local scene with the siren filled hit single, “I Have Been Looking for You” b/w “We Were not Told”. The band was Paul on lead guitar, Billy Sithenge on bass (later replaced by Tommy Mwale), & Chrissy Zebby Tembo on drums). They took the Zambian music scene by storm. Ngozi Family followed up their single with the album, Day of Judgement under the Zambia Music Palour label.

Then came 45,000 Volts recorded at Nairobi’s Sapra Studios in 1977. These albums earned Paul recognition as a insightful social commentator. The themes of his music recounted society’s own ups & downs. The lyrics are witty & poignant, they perfectly reflect the life of 1970s Zambians.The guitar is razor-sharp here. They have an almost Phil Lynott/Thin Lizzy sort of compression which sounds great next to the harder rhythms of the bass & drums. The album is a mix of English & Zambian lyrics.

Paul died in November 1989 after a short illness. (source)