Lusaka’s Heartbeat

 

At eleven, Webster Muyunda Sitali (Lusaka, Zambia) listened to church hymns at home and played along on his couch. He had first heard percussion at his church in Lusaka and wanted to learn how to play. When he had no instruments to practise on, he imagined them. Eleven years later, he is a principal timpanist and percussionist with the Lusaka Philharmonic Orchestra.

We are delighted to feature Webster in WORLD OPEN’s Participants Geography. In his letter, he takes us back to those first rhythms at home and shares the dream that keeps him practising today.

From Webster Muyunda Sitali’s letter

Dear WORLD OPEN organizers,

Thank you so much for featuring me. I am honoured to represent Lusaka, Zambia. I am a percussionist from Lusaka, specialising in timpani.

First Rhythms

I started learning timpani and percussion 11 years ago, at the age of 11. My interest began when I saw people from my church, the New Apostolic Church, playing percussion. I was intrigued and wanted to learn how to play. I started by listening to church hymns and playing along on my couch at home, as well as playing on imaginary instruments. In fact, I do most of my practice on imaginary instruments. I then began listening to a lot of classical music and studying a lot of orchestral percussion scores.

Orchestras of Lusaka

I am self-taught and have never really had regular access to real instruments. I now play in a number of orchestras here in Lusaka, Zambia, and I am currently the principal timpanist and percussionist in those orchestras, including the Lusaka Philharmonic Orchestra. We only have part-time orchestras, and every musician in these orchestras plays part-time. I only have access to instruments, especially timpani, occasionally, usually when we hire them for an upcoming performance or concert. None of our orchestras own any percussion instruments, and most of the instruments we use are hired.

An Imaginary Drum Kit

I have never attended a music school, conservatory, or university. There is no orchestral performance programme in the country, so anyone who wants to study orchestral performance or become a full-time performer has to leave the country to follow those dreams. But I took the London College of Music Examinations (LCME) Grade 3 Drum Kit exam and passed with distinction. I prepared by visualising my performance, as I had no access to an actual drum kit. I only got a feel for an actual drum kit minutes before the exam started. I am also planning to take my LCME Grade 8 Timpani exam next year.

Performing and Teaching

I am currently a freelance performer and private tutor, and I hope to get an opportunity soon to perform as a full-time orchestral percussionist. Apart from percussion, I also play the violin and viola and a bit of piano, though percussion is my main speciality. In fact, most people here know me only as a timpanist and percussionist.

An Unforgettable Exam

One moment in my musical journey that I’d like to share is connected to the LCME Drum Kit exam I took. I never had access to a real drum kit to practise my exam pieces on. I only had my imaginary drum kit, and that’s one experience I’ll never forget.

An Orchestral Dream

Classical music is still really in its infancy here. I would say that about 85 per cent of what I know is self-taught. Most of what I have learnt has come from listening to recordings, studying scores, and doing research. My dream is to one day perform in a world-renowned orchestra or orchestras.

Timpani are my speciality, but I also play other percussion instruments. As I mentioned earlier, I taught myself to play them all.

My Lusaka

Lusaka is a very beautiful place, full of life and zeal, and there is a huge difference between how things were 11 years ago and how they are now.

A lot has changed, and things are really moving forward. I have grown up listening to a lot of classical music and a bit of rock music.

Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, is a lively city at the heart of a country in southern Africa. Zambia is home to many languages and musical traditions, and it shares the spectacular Victoria Falls with neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Thank you again for this opportunity to share my story.

Webster Muyunda Sitali
Lusaka, Zambia

Webster, thank you for sharing your story and for bringing a little of Lusaka’s musical life to the WORLD OPEN community.

We hope the young musicians reading your letter recognise something of themselves in the eleven-year-old who heard the church percussionists and wanted to join in. And we hope you have many more chances to sit behind the timpani and play the music you first got to know through recordings and scores.