ENTERTAINME
BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA, MAGAZINES WERE OUR WINDOWS TO THE WORLD
Article by Rodgers Mangwela | KASONDE24
Long before a teenager in Kabwe could pick up a smartphone and follow the latest celebrity scandal, music release or Hollywood romance, discovering what was happening in the entertainment world required something different. Sometimes, it meant waiting for the next newspaper. Sometimes, it meant borrowing a magazine from an older relative. And occasionally, it meant finding someone who had travelled abroad and returned with publications carrying stories from another world.
For children and young people growing up in Zambia during the 1990s and early 2000s, celebrity entertainment was an entirely different experience. There was no Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. The internet was not part of everyday life, and international entertainment channels were not readily accessible to every household.
Yet we were not disconnected from the world. We had newspapers, magazines, radio, television and, most importantly, people who introduced us to music, international celebrities and popular culture.
Looking back, these were the foundations of what would eventually become our interest in entertainment journalism and celebrity culture.
GROWING UP IN A HOUSEHOLD THAT LISTENED TO THE WORLD
My interest in entertainment can be traced back to the environment in which I grew up.
I was fortunate to have a mother who appreciated music from different generations and backgrounds. Her musical interests included legendary names such as Dorothy Masuka, Jim Reeves, Anna Mwale, Miriam Makeba, Jimi Hendrix, John Travolta, Judy Boucher and Diana Ross.
Our household was therefore exposed to different musical traditions, from African classics and country music to soul, pop and international entertainment.
Another important influence was my cousin, Chanda Oscar, whose love for 1990s rap and R&B introduced me to another dimension of music.
The sounds of that generation were more than entertainment. They represented fashion, identity, lifestyle and a growing connection between African youth and international popular culture.
After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, my curiosity about international entertainment, celebrities and showbiz gradually grew. I wanted to know more about the people behind the music, their lifestyles, relationships, careers and the entertainment industries that made them household names.
But where did a young person in Zambia go to find such information?
MAGAZINES: OUR GOOGLE BEFORE GOOGLE
For many young people, newspapers and international magazines were among the most important sources of celebrity news and entertainment information.
Publications such as Drum, People, Reader's Digest, Darling, Ebony and Jet offered windows into worlds that we could only imagine.
Some publications focused on African personalities and society, while others introduced readers to Hollywood, American music, fashion, celebrity relationships and international lifestyles.
For young African readers, particularly those fascinated by American entertainment, Ebony and Jet were particularly interesting. They provided coverage of Black American celebrities, musicians, actors and cultural personalities.
These magazines were not necessarily available everywhere or every week. Access depended on distribution, availability and household purchasing power. Sometimes, reading an international publication was a privilege enjoyed through relatives, friends or people who had access to foreign material.
Nevertheless, when one appeared in a household, it could become the centre of attention.
We would study photographs, read celebrity interviews, discuss musicians and sometimes spend considerable time looking at fashion trends.
In an era without social media, a magazine cover could generate conversations for days.
THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION
Newspapers also played an important role in keeping Zambians informed about entertainment developments.
They provided coverage of local musicians, international artists, film personalities and major entertainment events.
Radio was another important source. Music presenters introduced listeners to international hits, discussed artists and helped popularise songs that young people would eventually identify with.
Television gradually expanded the experience, particularly as access to international programming improved.
For those who could afford it, satellite television and Multichoice opened another window into international entertainment, music videos, films and celebrity culture.
However, before these developments became common in many households, print publications remained an important source of information.
TRENDSETTERS: A NEW GENERATION OF ZAMBIAN YOUTH MEDIA
One publication worth remembering from this period is Trendsetters.
Emerging in the mid-1990s, Trendsetters was a youth-oriented publication produced through Youth Media Group. Its development was associated with the Zambia Family Planning Services Project, supported by USAID.
Although it was not exclusively a celebrity magazine, it brought together youth interests, entertainment, interviews, lifestyle and important social issues.
It featured colourful photographs, advice columns and interviews with musicians, emerging politicians and young television entertainers.
This made it particularly relevant to young Zambians who wanted to see people from their own generation represented in print media.
By combining entertainment with youth education, Trendsetters demonstrated that publications could inform, educate and entertain young readers at the same time.
It also helped create opportunities for young people to participate in media production and storytelling.
ICENGELO AND THE WIDER MAGAZINE CULTURE
Another publication that deserves recognition in Zambia's print media history is Icengelo.
Established in 1971 through Mission Press, Icengelo was primarily a Bemba-language Catholic publication. It covered religious, social, educational and community issues rather than functioning as a dedicated celebrity magazine.
Its importance, however, lies in its contribution to Zambia's magazine and publishing culture.
It demonstrated that magazines could serve different audiences, communicate ideas and become part of everyday reading culture.
For young readers growing up in households where magazines were valued, publications such as Icengelo formed part of the wider print environment that shaped how people consumed information.
WHEN CELEBRITY NEWS WAS SOMETHING YOU WAITED FOR
One of the biggest differences between entertainment culture then and now was the speed at which information travelled.
Today, a celebrity can announce a new relationship, release a song or become involved in controversy, and within minutes, millions of people can know about it.
In the 1990s, information travelled differently.
You could read about a Hollywood actor weeks or months after an event had happened. International music news was sometimes discovered through magazines long after the story had first appeared elsewhere.
There was excitement in discovering something new.
A photograph of a favourite musician, an interview with a Hollywood actor or an article about an international music award could become a memorable reading experience.
There was also something special about sharing information. You became the person who knew what was happening in the entertainment world.
FROM MAGAZINE PAGES TO SOCIAL MEDIA
The entertainment industry has changed dramatically since those days.
The arrival of the internet, digital publishing and social media transformed how people access celebrity information. Today, entertainment news is available instantly, and ordinary individuals can become content creators, bloggers and entertainment journalists.
Young people in Kabwe, Lusaka, Kitwe and even smaller communities such as Katondo can follow international celebrities without waiting for imported magazines.
However, the transition from print to digital media has also changed the relationship between audiences and information. The challenge today is not necessarily finding celebrity news but identifying what is accurate, credible and worth reading.
Looking back, the 1990s and early 2000s remind us that curiosity about the world existed long before smartphones.
We had no algorithms recommending celebrities to follow. We had no trending hashtags or viral videos. We had magazines, newspapers, radio, television and conversations that connected us to the wider world.
Perhaps that generation did not have the speed of today's digital technology, but it certainly had an appetite for discovering what was happening beyond its immediate surroundings.
And for many of us, those old magazine pages were our first windows into international entertainment.
published by KASONDE24
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