John Chiti: 'It was a shock - they'd never seen a person with albinism in the limelight'
Zambian singer John Chiti grew up stigmatised because of his condition. Now he's changing perspectives
Growing up with albinism, Zambian singer John Chiti faced a lot of stigma. As a boy, he was bullied, and as an adult he faced barriers to his music career. Eventually, he released his music for radio only, hiding his face. Once his music was a hit, and nobody could deny his talent, he went on television to reveal his identity.
Emmanuel 'Jagari' Chanda rose to fame in Zambia in the 1970s as the lead singer of the psychedelic rock band Witch. He toured much of Southern Africa, and his onstage antics made him one of the biggest figures of the Zamrock scene. Regional conflict and the AIDs pandemic put an end to the Zamrock scene and Jagari spent many years in the wilderness, but now he's back on stage once again. He spoke to Outlook's Matthew Bannister in 2017.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producers: Eric Mugaju and Harry Graham
(Photo: John Chiti with guitar: Credit: John Chiti)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Tue 27 Aug 2024 11:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Tue 27 Aug 2024 17:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Tue 27 Aug 2024 21:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Wed 28 Aug 2024 02:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected